Dear brothers,

On this holy day, when the Church commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood, we wish to reach out to all of you, in every part of the world, with a thought of profound gratitude, fraternal affection, and sincere encouragement.

Today, we contemplate the Lord Jesus, who, "having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end" (John 13:1). In His love "to the end," the mystery of our salvation is fulfilled: He bends down to wash the feet of his disciples and gives himself as the broken Bread, entrusting to the Church the infinite gift of the priesthood and the Eucharist. It is from this love that our vocation is born, and it is to this love that we are continually called to conform our entire lives.

We want to say, first of all, thank you! Thank you for your daily faithfulness, often silent and hidden. Thank you for your "yes," renewed every day, even in the midst of hardship, loneliness, and misunderstanding. Thank you because, through your ministry, Christ continues to draw close to his people, to heal, to forgive, to nourish.

During the Holy Year of Hope, the Holy Father Leo XIV reminded us that "the priest is a friend of the Lord, called to live with Him a personal and trusting relationship, nourished by the Word, the celebration of the sacraments, and daily prayer. This friendship with Christ is the spiritual foundation of the ordained ministry, the meaning of our celibacy, and the energy of the ecclesial service to which we dedicate our lives. It sustains us in moments of trial and allows us to renew each day the 'yes' we pronounced at the beginning of our vocation" (Address to participants in the International Meeting of Happy Priests "I Have Called You Friends" [John 15:15], promoted by the Dicastery for the Clergy on the occasion of the Jubilee of Priests, 26 June 2025).

The priesthood -- we know -- is not a role to be fulfilled, but a gift to be cherished with a grateful heart filled with wonder, for every priest is a man of the Word and the Eucharist, shaped daily by what he celebrates. The Holy Father's words invite us to always return to the Upper Room, the source of our identity: there, we discover that we are not primarily defined by what we do, but by the infinite love with which Christ loves us.

In this light, we wish to offer you two words that flow directly from the mystery we are celebrating: sacrifice and service. Sacrifice, in its deepest truth, is not primarily renunciation, but a gift: it is offering one's life so that it may be entirely oriented to the love of God and of our brothers and sisters. We are called to live as men of self-giving, consecrated men, who find in the Eucharist the source and summit of their existence. It is at the altar that we allow ourselves to be assimilated by Christ, receiving the strength to accompany, forgive, and console. Service, then, is the concrete form of this love. "Even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve" (Mark 10:45), He who at the Last Supper washed the feet of the apostles: this is the measure of the ordained ministry. Living in a Eucharistic way means living within the horizon of self-giving, making one's life an offering for all. Only in this way, will our pastoral action be fully evangelical and fruitful.

Dear friends, do not be discouraged by the difficulties of our time. Even when the ground seems arid and the seed struggles to germinate, the Lord continues to work. He has chosen us, he has consecrated us, and he never abandons us. Be, therefore, priests with open hearts, capable of closeness, listening, and compassion; men of communion, credible signs of a synodal and missionary Church; joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even when this involves sacrifice. Feel united as priests, in communion with your bishops before whom you renew your priestly promises in the Chrism Mass, "by an intimate sacramental fraternity" and, in your presbyterate, "by particular bonds of apostolic charity, ministry, and fraternity" (Presbyterorum ordinis 8).

A special thought also goes to the deacon brothers, who in their generous and discreet service make visible the charity of Christ the Servant: your ministry is precious and necessary for the life of the Church, today more than ever.

And to you, dear seminarians, who are preparing with dedication for the priesthood: do not be afraid to give your entire life to the Lord. Cherish the joy of your calling and let yourselves be shaped each day by His love. The Church needs your authenticity, your enthusiasm, and your faith.

Let us entrust ourselves all to the Virgin Mary, Mother of priests, so that she may accompany us on the journey that opens before us this Holy Thursday and teach us to live the gift we have received with humility and faithfulness.

As we commit ourselves to fraternally protecting one another in mutual prayer, we wish you a fruitful Holy Triduum of intimate union with the Lord Jesus.

May the Risen One give us light that illuminates the darkness and peace that heals every conflict!



Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik

Prefect



Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli

Archbishop Secretary