The Year of St. Paul - The Priest's Mission

The Priest's Mission

Jesus Christ was sent by the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of the entire human family, and we priests are enabled through the grace of the sacrament to share in this mission of his. As the Apostle Paul writes, “God…has given us the ministry of reconciliation…….

This makes us ambassadors for Christ, God as it were appealing through us. We implore you, in Christ’s name: be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:18-29). This is how St. Paul describes our mission as priests.

Pope Benedict XVI’s address to the clergy of Rome, 13 May 2005