Pope Leo XIV sent a message to the clergy of Portugal, which was released by the apostolic nuncio Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso at the opening session of the XI Clergy Symposium, which is being held in Fatima until September 3. In the message, the Pope asks priests to reject "naive enthusiasm" and "sterile fears", avoiding words that humiliate or divide, and to multiply the frankness that illuminates and opens paths. The Pope states that it is important to count on diversity and even on tensions in the priestly environment, because the Holy Spirit creatively uses everything to rekindle zeal for the common mission.
In his communication to the participants, the apostolic nuncio stressed that the secret for a "healthy priesthood" is not to walk alone, warning that no one who is not accompanied knows how to accompany. Archbishop Andrés Carrascosa Coso referred to clericalism as a "wound to communion" and recalled that the Church needs ministers who bring "the heart of the Gospel", placing charity at the base of all pastoral activities.
The XI Clergy Symposium, which has the theme "Brothers in the Priesthood and Witnesses of the Gospel", does not follow the usual format of successive lectures, but incorporates the results of an anonymous survey on the "Challenges of Priestly Life in Portugal", conducted among the participants. The survey includes data on the emotional, spiritual, and psychological care of each priest, aimed at reflection on psycho-spiritual integration in the exercise of the pastoral ministry.
The opening session also featured the intervention of Bishop Vitorino Soares, president of the Episcopal Commission for Vocations and Ministries, who promoted the Symposium. The bishop referred to the proceedings as "a special time of encounter, communion, and visibility of the Church", inviting participants to rediscover the beauty of walking together, strengthening the bonds of fraternity and renewing the evangelizing commitment.
