Pope Leo XIV offered heartfelt encouragement and spiritual counsel to seminarians and formators from the dioceses of Triveneto during their Jubilee pilgrimage, calling them to courage, humility, and deep trust in Jesus Christ as they journey toward priesthood.
Recalling the Christian heritage of their region, which dates back to the ancient Church of Aquileia and is marked by the witness of saints and martyrs, the Holy Father reminded the seminarians that they are heirs to a “rich history of grace” and urged them to renew it in their lives and vocations.
Quoting Blessed John Paul I, a native of northern Italy, Pope Leo emphasized perseverance in formation. “Even the angels that Jacob saw were not flying, but climbing one step at a time,” he said, encouraging seminarians not to fear the long path ahead. He also drew on the conversion story of Saint Augustine, urging seminarians to “cast yourselves upon [Christ]; fear not, He will not withdraw that you should fall.”
The Pope underlined the importance of spiritual companionship, mutual trust, and formation rooted in communion rather than isolation. “Protagonists does not mean soloists,” he said, reminding seminarians to walk together and remain open to guidance. He also encouraged formators to accompany their students with humility, witness, and affection.
Above all, Pope Leo called seminarians to cultivate a “relationship of friendship with Jesus,” citing English Catholic writer Robert Hugh Benson and the recent encyclical Dilexit Nos: “Never be ashamed to tell others about your friendship with Him.”
Concluding with a blessing and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, the Pope offered warm words of encouragement: “Have a good day! Thank you very much, and I wish you a good journey of faith!”
ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV TO THE SEMINARIANS OF THE DIOCESES OF TRIVENETO
“Good morning, good morning!
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you!
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
dear formators and seminarians of the diocese of Triveneto,
I am pleased to be able to meet you on the occasion of the Jubilee pilgrimage. I think that everyone was present yesterday too, so this is the second opportunity. Your land has deep Christian roots, which lead us back to the ancient Church of Aquileia. In this spiritual memory of faith, the witness of many martyrs and pastor saints shines. Let us remember the bishop Chromatius; let us remember Jerome and Rufinus, exemplary in study and in ascetic life; as well as the blesseds Tullio Maruzzo and Giovanni Schiavo, missionaries who spread the Gospel in many peoples, languages and cultures.
Today it is up to us to continue this exciting work. In particular, you seminarians are called to be part of this rich history of grace, to conserve it and renew it in following the Lord. Do not be discouraged if at times the journey ahead of you becomes hard. As Blessed John Paul I said to the clergy of Rome, train yourselves in the discipline of a “continued, long, and difficult effort. Even the angels that Jacob saw in a dream were not flying, but climbing one step at a time; you can just imagine us, poor men without wings” (Address to the Roman clergy, 7 September 1978). Thus spoke a Pastor in whom the best virtues of your people shone: in him you have a true model of priestly life.
I would also like to recall a passage from the conversion of Saint Augustine, as he himself relates it to us in his Confessions. On the one hand he was eager to decide for Christ; on the other, he was held back by scruples and temptations. Profoundly troubled, one day he retreated to reflect in the garden at home; and the personification of the virtue of Continence appeared to him, saying: “Why do you stand in your own strength, and so standest not? Cast yourself upon Him; fear not, He will not withdraw that you should fall; cast yourself upon Him without fear, He will receive you, and heal you” (Confessions, VIII, 27).
As a father, I repeat these same words to you, which were so good for Augustine’s restless heart: they do not apply only with regard to celibacy, which is a charism to be acknowledged, conserved and educated, but can guide your entire journey of discernment and formation in ordained ministry. In particular, these words invite you to have boundless trust in the Lord, the Lord who called you, renouncing the pretence of being sufficient for yourselves or of being able to do it alone. And this applies not only to the seminary years, but to your whole life: at all times, all the more so in those of desolation or even sin, repeat to yourselves the words of the psalmist: “I trust in God’s mercy forever and ever” (Ps 52:10). The Word of God and the Sacraments are perennial sources from which you will always be able to draw new lymph for the spiritual life, and also for pastoral commitment.
Therefore, do not think of yourselves as alone, nor by yourselves. Without doubt – as the Ratio fundamentalis states – each one of you “is the protagonist of his own formation and is called to a journey of constant growth in the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral spheres” (Congregation for the Clergy, The gift of priestly formation, 130); but protagonists does not mean soloists! Therefore, I invite you always to cultivate communion, first of all with your seminary companions. Have complete trust in your formators, without reserve or duplicity. And you, formators, be good companions to the seminarians entrusted to you: offer them the humble witness of your life and your faith; accompany them with sincere affection. Know that you are all supported by the Church, first and foremost in the person of the Bishop.
Finally, the most important thing: keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (cf. Heb 12:2), cultivating the relationship of friendship with Him. In this regard, as the English priest Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914) wrote after his conversion to Catholicism: “If there is anything clear in the Gospels it is this – that Jesus Christ first and foremost desires our friendship. … Now the consciousness of this friendship of Jesus Christ is the very secret of the Saints” (The Friendship of Christ, Milan 2024, 17). He asks you, as Pope Francis wrote in the Encyclical Dilexit nos, “never to be ashamed to tell others, with all due discretion and respect, about your friendship with him. He asks that you dare to tell others how good and beautiful it is that you found him” (no. 211). Indeed, encountering Jesus saves our life and gives us the strength and the joy to communicate the Gospel to everyone.
Dear friends, thank you for this visit. I wish you a good journey! May Our Lady always accompany you, and also my blessing. Thank you!
[Recitation of the Lord’s Prayer]
[Blessing]
Have a good day! Thank you very much, and I wish you a good journey of faith!”