Holy Father Pope Francis met the staffs and students of the English Seminary in Rome and told them “love of God and love of neighbor” are the foundation stones of their lives. His Holiness Pope Francis encouraged the students that a deep “relationship with the Lord” must be their first priority. Holy Father reminded the students that “We serve others not out of mere sentiment, but in obedience to the Lord and always in cooperation with others.”
As reported by Vatican Radio, Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “A deep relationship with the Lord must be their first priority. It is harder for you than it was for me. This is because of today’s culture of the temporary. And this is precisely why it is so important to nurture your interior life, learning to close the door of your inner cell from within. In this way, your service to God and the Church will be strengthened”.
His Holiness Pope Francis concluded his meeting with an invitation to the seminarians to nurture good and wholesome relationships that will sustain you in your future ministry. The Venerable English College in Rome was founded in 1579 as a seminary to train priests for England and Wales. This year marks what Pope Francis himself called “a series of significant anniversaries in the life of the Church in England and Wales”. These include the 900th anniversary of the birth of St Thomas Becket, the founding of the first English Seminary in Douai in 1568, and the restoration of the English College itself 200 years ago.
