Pope Francis’ two inspiring homilies which he gave on the ministerial priesthood during his daily Mass at Casa Santa Marta powerfully reflect a sacerdotal diptych. The latter term comes from the two Greek words “di” meaning two and “ptyche”, meaning fold. Thus, diptych is any object with has two flat folding plates attached to a hinge.
The first catechetical plate the Argentinean Pontiff spoke of highlighted that a true priest is easily detected by his relationship to Christ. When the priest abandons Christ from his priestly life the consequences are catastrophic. The Pope admitted that as soon as the priest misses his one-to-one relationship with his Jesus he ends up becoming “smarmy”, idolater and a sheer worshipper of the “god Narcissus”.
The Pope says: “We are anointed by the Spirit, and when a priest is far from Jesus Christ he can lose this unction. In his life, no: essentially he has it... but he loses it. And instead of being anointed he ends up being smarmy. And how damaging to the Church are smarmy priests! Those who put their strength in artificial things, in vanity, in an attitude... in cutesy language... But how often do we hear it said with sorrow: ‘This is a butterfly-priest,’ because they are always vain... [This kind of priest] does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ! He has lost the unction: he is smarmy... When people see priest idolaters, so to speak, priests who instead of having Jesus have little idols... worshippers of the god Narcissus...
“When people see [priests like this] they say ‘poor guy!’ The relationship with Jesus Christ saves us from worldliness and idolatry that makes us smarmy, preserves us in the anointing [we have received].”
Towards the conclusion of his homily, the Pope encouraged the concelebrants present to keep holding to Jesus Christ. “Even if you lose everything in life, don’t lose this relationship with Jesus Christ! This is your victory. Go forward with this!”
The priest’s dire need of his relationship with Christ is the completion of the first diptych. The remaining plate was expounded during the following reflection the Pope at his morning Mass. This time Pope Francis spoke about the reality that bishops and priests are ordained to serve.
While commenting on the first reading of the day which presented the tribes of Israel who anointed David as their king, Francis said that after the anointing, the Spirit of the Lord descended upon David and stayed with him, so it happens with the anointed one who is a person chosen by the Lord to serve His People as a priest or a bishop. In fact, both bishops and priests are anointed for the lofty purpose of being personally closer to the Lord. This privileged relationship with Jesus injects them with the much-needed joy and strength “to carry [their] people forward, to help [their] people, to live in the service of [their] people”. Anointing provides the joy of feeling oneself “chosen by the Lord, watched by the Lord, with that love with which the Lord looks upon all of us.” Therefore, “when we think of bishops and priests, we must think of them in this way: [as] anointed ones”.
Even though bishops and priests are sinners themselves, history keeps showing “how many holy bishops, how many priests, how many holy priests have given their lives in the service of the diocese, the parish – how many people have received the power of faith, the power of love, hope [itself] from these anonymous pastors? We do not know: there are so many.” Pope Francis lovingly challenged the newspapers to report the immense good these bishops and priests are doing.
“Do the papers carry news of what great charity so many priests, so many priests in so many parishes of the city and the countryside, perform? Of the great work they do in carrying their people forward?
“No? This is not news. ... It will do us good to think of our brave, holy, good, faithful bishops and priests, and pray for them. We are here today thanks to them.”
Pray for us priests and bishops so that Jesus will sanctify us!
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
San Gwann