Pope Leo XIV met with priests and deacons from the Diocese of Rome yesterday, emphasizing the importance of communion as the foundation of the ministry. "Only by being united to Christ and among ourselves can we bear fruit," he added, underlining the diocese's universality, with presbyters from all over the world, as a richness to be lived in welcome and pastoral co-responsibility. The Pope emphasized the importance of overcoming isolation and reestablishing priestly fraternity, based on the Word and prayer. "Be exemplary, consistent, and faithful to the gift received", he said, warning against worldly temptations that endanger the spiritual life. Speaking of the city, he recalled the social issues and poverty that Rome faces, asking people to embrace them as possibilities for evangelical testimony. "We do not run away from difficulties", he remarked, recalling the examples of priests like Fr. Milani and Fr. Di Liegro. Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina provided information about the Roman clergy: more than 8,000 priests and deacons from various realities and circumstances, "but united by passion and spirit of service".
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