Pope Leo XIV, history's first American pontiff, delivered a message of joy and honesty to thousands of seminarians in Rome on Tuesday, kicking off a weeklong celebration of Catholic clergy.
The uplifting address marked a notable shift in tone following Pope Francis’s frequent criticisms of priests and his condemnation of "clericalism".
St. Peter’s Basilica was transformed into a vibrant, concert-like atmosphere as young men, gathered for a special Jubilee week dedicated to seminarians, priests, and bishops, greeted the Pope with fervent enthusiasm.
Waving national flags, they frequently interrupted Leo with applause and shouts of "Papa Leone", straining against barricades in an effort to kiss his ring as he passed.
In his remarks, Pope Leo expressed gratitude to the seminarians for their commitment to the Church, telling them that with their energy "you fuel the flame of hope in the life of the church".
He urged them to be brave, joyful, and truthful, imploring them not to hide behind masks or live hypocritical lives.
"You also have to learn to give a name and voice to sadness, fear, anxiety and indignation, bringing everything before God”, the Augustinian pope told them. “Crises, limitations, fragilities aren’t to be hidden, but are rather occasions for grace”.
Francis also frequently met with seminarians, priests and bishops. But he often had a message of tough love, railing against what he called clericalism, or the tendency to put priests and clergy on a pedestal.
For Francis, clericalism was the root of many of the church’s problems, especially the clergy sex abuse and cover-up scandal, given how he said it can contribute to abuses of power and authority.
While offering a more positive message, Leo cited many of Francis’ concerns in urging seminarians to accompany the poor and lamenting today's “throwaway culture”. The seminarians interrupted him with applause when he cited Francis by name.
The message of encouragement may also have been aimed at addressing the Catholic Church’s chronic hemorrhaging of the number of clergy.
According to the latest Vatican statistics, the number of seminarians worldwide continued to drop even as the Catholic population grew. There were 108,481 seminarians at the end of 2022, compared to 109,895 the previous year.
Only Africa and Oceania registered increases and the church registered steep declines in the traditionally Catholic Americas and Europe, and a more modest decline in Asia.
Over the coming days, Leo is expected to hold similar encounters with priests and bishops before presiding over a Jubilee Mass this weekend.
This week marks something of the halfway mark of the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year, a celebration of Catholicism held once every quarter-century that has brought millions of pilgrims to Rome.
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