In an atmosphere of enthusiasm and communion, Pope Leo XIV spoke at the Auditorium of the Conciliazione during the international meeting  “Happy Priests – I Have Called You Friends”  (cf. Jn 15:15), organized by the Dicastery for the Clergy. Before more than 1,700 participants, the Pontiff offered a profound reflection on the priestly ministry, vocational formation, and the role of young people in the Church today.

“It is beautiful to be a priest”, the Pope affirmed with conviction, acknowledging the dedication of so many ministers, even martyrs, who “gave their lives to the point of shedding their blood.” He invited everyone to rediscover the beauty of a vocation marked by friendship with Christ and to joyfully bear witness to the possibility of living a full, fruitful, and happy priesthood.

A friendship that transforms everything

Inspired by the Gospel words—“I have called you friends”—that give the meeting its title, Leo XIV focused his message on the relational dimension of ministry. “The priest is a friend of the Lord,” he said. “And this friendship is the spiritual foundation of his mission: the source of his service, the meaning of his celibacy, strength in trials, and a light to renew each day the ‘yes’ of his vocation.”

Training: a path of relationships, not just knowledge

The Pope emphasized that priestly formation must be a holistic journey, not merely an intellectual apprenticeship. “It must involve the heart, intelligence, and freedom,” he affirmed, proposing a formative style based on a personal relationship with Christ, a rich interior life, and fraternal accompaniment.

Along these lines, he emphasized the need to foster true fraternity among priests and bishops, far from any competition or isolation. “We cannot build living communities if authentic fraternity does not reign among us,” he noted.

He also called for special attention to be paid to the formation of orators, since their life testimony and unity are decisive for the future of vocations.

Vocations: God continues calling

In his speech, Leo XIV did not avoid his concern about the vocational crisis, particularly in the West. However, he wished to remind us that “God continues to call” and remains faithful. The Church’s task, he insisted, is to foster spaces and environments where this call can be heard and welcomed.

“We need pastoral environments and proposals imbued with the Gospel,” he said. “Environments where young people can rediscover their thirst for the infinite and their yearning for salvation.” And he issued a clear appeal to those responsible for youth ministry:
“Have the courage to make strong and liberating proposals. Proposals that challenge, that invite total dedication, that set the heart ablaze.”

Rediscovering the missionary impulse

The Pope also encouraged a renewal of missionary zeal. “Through our pastoral action, it is Christ who reaches out to the wounded, the scattered, the discouraged,” he affirmed. “A happy priest is one who has encountered Christ and whose joy reflects that encounter.”

With emotion, he thanked all those who exercise their ministry in difficult contexts and fondly remembered the martyred priests:
“Thank you for what you are. You remind us all the beauty of being a priest, how great it is to be a friend of Christ, a brother to others, and a son of Mary.”

Closeness, joy and shared prayer

The day concluded with moments of spontaneous closeness. One of the attendees, a Spanish priest, asked the Pope to greet him personally. Leo XIV welcomed him with a hug and a smile that spread throughout the audience. After a few brief exchanges with other priests from different continents, the Pope asked for closeness to the Lord, to the bishop, and among priests, as Francis proposes.

Before imparting his final blessing, he invited everyone to pray together and continue walking “as brothers who share joys and hardships, encouraged by the certainty that being a priest remains, today more than ever, a fascinating and fruitful vocation.”