As part of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the Secular Institute of Missionary Priests of the Kingship of Christ, founded by Father Agostino Gemelli, Pope Francis received a large representation of it at the Vatican yesterday. It is not an institute of religious people, but of diocesan priests who live in different places in obedience to their bishop, with consecration through the vows of poverty, obedience, chastity and apostolate, according to the charism of the Institute. In his address to them, the Pontiff stressed the value of secularity in the life and ministry of presbyters, pointing out that secularity is not synonymous with secularism. The Pope points out that, over the past decades, priests have gained experience in the field, enriched also by the confrontation with missionaries. Thus, he invites them to live faithfulness to their vocation by keeping at a distance two tendencies "widespread today, even among priests: self-referentiality and worldliness". Francis, pointing out that "none of us is completely immune from it," nevertheless sanctions that "we must recognize it and react with the Lord's grace". He adds, "Secularity is a dimension of the Church, called to serve and witness to the Kingdom of God in this world. And consecration comes to radicalize this dimension, which clearly is not the only one, but is complementary to the eschatological one. The Church, every baptized person, is in the world, is for the world, but is not of the world”.
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