On Wednesday, February 17, the Pope will open an international symposium on the priesthood.
Experts from all over the world will travel to Rome for this meeting organized by the Research and Anthropology Center for Vocations and the Congregation for Bishops, whose prefect, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, has been working closely in the preparations for the event for more than a year.
It will address topics such as the historical element of the priesthood, its ecclesial significance, the question of celibacy and its overall mission.
At the beginning of February, in a meeting with Italian seminarians, the Pope weighed in on what kind of priest the world needs today.
POPE FRANCIS
'We need [priests] who bear witness with their lives. Be priests burning with the desire to carry the Gospel through the world's streets, in neighborhoods, in homes, especially in the poorest and most forgotten places.'
The symposium, titled, “Toward a Fundamental Theology of the Priesthood,” will begin on February 17 and end on the 19. It will end with a closing Mass celebrated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
JRB
TR: JM
