Stay humble and compassionate, Pope tells priests at ordination

25 April 2021, 11:24

Vatican Pope New Priests
Vatican Pope New Priests. Picture: PA

Six men from Italy and one each from Romania, Colombia and Brazil professed obedience to the pontiff during the Mass on Sunday.

Pope Francis gave the Catholic Church nine new priests on Sunday, encouraging them in an ordination ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica to be humble and compassionate and to stay close to the rank-and-file faithful, whose trust in clergy has been sorely tested by decades of sex abuse scandals.

Six men from Italy and one each from Romania, Colombia and Brazil professed obedience to the pontiff during the Mass on Sunday.

The men removed their masks, part of Covid-19 safety protocols, when they knelt before Francis and he lay his hands on their heads as part of the ordination ritual.

Vatican Pope New Priests
The nine new priests lie face down on the ground during their ordination ceremony led by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica (Andrew Medichini/AP)

At another point of the ceremony, the nine lay prostrate on a carpet in front of the basilica’s central altar in a sign of obedience, humility and giving of oneself.

Shortages of locally ordained seminarians have in recent decades seen priests being transferred to predominantly Catholic countries like Italy from Asia and Africa, where seminaries are still attracting many recruits.

Sexual abuse scandals in the priesthood have eroded many Catholics’ confidence in their church.

Vatican Pope New Priests
Pope Francis puts his hands on the head of a newly ordained priest (Andrew Medichini/AP)

In an improvised homily, Francis instructed the nine to stay close to God, to their bishop and among themselves, but “most of all to the holy faithful people of God” from whose ranks they come.

He told them to please stay away from vanity, pride and money, lest they become “businessmen priests”.

“If you do that, don’t be afraid, all will go well” in their new roles, Francis said.

Financial scandals and instances of clergy living in luxurious quarters, including at the Vatican, have tainted the church’s teaching that humility and poverty are virtues.

Vatican Pope New Priests
Pope Francis greets relatives of the newly ordained priests (Andrew Medichini/AP)

One of the newly ordained is a 40-year-old Italian who had worked as an artistic director before deciding he wanted to become a priest.

Another Italian said in his biography that he loves football and had even tried out for Roma, one of the Italian capital’s major league soccer clubs, but turned down an offer to study for the priesthood instead.

Last year, with Italy in the first wave of the pandemic, the basilica ordination by the Pope was abandoned.

This year, at the end of the ceremony, a relaxed-looking Francis, after taking a group photo with the new priests still wearing their masks, asked the nine to remove their face coverings for another photo, and, smiling, they eagerly complied.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Video footage shows the convoy had emergency lights flashing when it was hit

Israel admits ‘mistakenly’ killing 15 aid workers after video leak contradicted official version of events

Jaguar Land Rover has paused shipments to the US in the wake of 'Liberation Day' tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover halts shipments to US in wake of tariffs as Trump insists he'll win 'economic revolution'

Flowers and toys left on a swing seat to commemorate victims killed in Russia's missile attack on Friday

Death toll from Russian strike on Zelenskyy's home town rises as 18 confirmed dead - including nine children

Donald Trump's 10% tariff on UK products has officially come into force

Trump tariffs come into force as global stock markets plunge deeper into the red

Tom Howard

British tourist killed after being struck by boulder on trek through Himalayas

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a car burns following a Russian missile attack that killed more than a dozen people, including children, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russia kills 16 people including three children in missile strike on Zelenskyy's home town, with dozens wounded

Travel influencer Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, made an illegal visit to North Sentinel Island

Tourist who left Coke for world's most isolated tribe 'could have wiped them all out' - and police 'can't go collect can'

White House weighs in to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

White House looking to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

This image provided by NASA shows Nick Hague, right, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore. (NASA via AP)

Stranded NASA astronauts reveal they were almost trapped in space 'forever' after horror malfunction

Donald Trump demands France 'free Marine Le Pen'

Donald Trump demands France 'free Marine Le Pen' after far-right leader found guilty of embezzlement in 'witch hunt'

China will impose a 34% retaliatory tariff on imports from the US

China announces additional 34% tariffs on US imports in retaliation over Trump's 'Liberation Day' levies

Friends of Prince Andrew say he's "unsurprised" Giuffre made the post

Prince Andrew 'not surprised' his accuser shared shock post saying she had 'four days to live'

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office as impeachment upheld over martial law declaration

Virginia Giuffre

Woman driving Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre during crash that left her with 'four days to live' breaks silence

Exclusive
'Donald Trump has made Putin comfortable,' Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned

'Trump has made Putin comfortable' despite massive Ukraine war losses, exiled former oligarch tells LBC

The bodies of Andrew Searle and his wife Dawn were discovered by a neighbour.

British couple found dead in south of France home being ‘treated as murder-suicide’