A Priest’s 3 Secrets: Leo XIV’s Beautiful Homily (and Task) at His Second Mass for Priestly Ordinations as Pope
Pope Leo XIV delivered a homily at his second mass for priestly ordinations, emphasizing the significance of the priestly vocation. He revealed three key insights—referred to as 'secrets'—that guide new priests in their ministry. The homily highlighted the importance of humility, service, and continuous spiritual growth for clergy. Pope Leo XIV tasked the newly ordained priests with fostering community outreach and deepening faith among the faithful.
about 12 hours ago
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the second Mass of priestly ordinations on Good Shepherd Sunday, April 26 2026, in St. Peter’s Basilica. He ordained ten deacons before they became priests and delivered a homily that outlined three “secrets” for priestly life, emphasizing communion, courage, and openness to others 1.
The Mass coincided with World Day of Prayer for Vocations and attracted roughly 5,000 faithful. It marked Leo XIV’s second personal ordination of Roman diocesan priests, the first having taken place on 31 May 2025 1.
Leo XIV stressed that priestly service is a “ministry of communion,” rooted in a deep personal encounter with Christ that expands outward to all humanity. He linked this bond to the biblical promise of “life in abundance” (Jn 10:10) and called for priests to nurture love that, like marital affection, is continually renewed 1.
Drawing on the Good Shepherd narrative (Jn 10:1‑10), the Pope warned that priests will encounter spiritual and physical threats. He urged them not to be frightened by a fearful world, but to find security in Christ’s death and resurrection and in the quiet good deeds of parish life 1.
Leo XIV described priests as “channels, not filters,” urging them to keep the Church’s “gate” open for all seekers. He highlighted the importance of facilitating encounters, reconciling divisions, and guiding people toward the sacraments without becoming obstacles 1.
The homily linked priestly formation to broader societal roles, encouraging newly ordained clergy to act as honest citizens, builders of peace, and promoters of social friendship. By framing the priesthood as a bridge between heaven and earth, Leo XIV reinforced his vision of a Church that actively engages the world while remaining rooted in the Gospel 1.
Explore the Catholic Church’s teaching on priestly vocation
The Catholic Church teaches that a priestly vocation is first and foremost a graceed call from Christ, meant to form a man into the likeness of the Good Shepherd, so that he can serve the Church through the sacraments, especially by the Eucharist, and through the pastoral care of souls. The Church also insists that this call is discerned and prepared through a real process of formation—human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral—grounded in a life of prayer and sacramental fidelity.
Catholic teaching is clear that there is one priesthood of Christ, and the Church’s priestly ministry participates in it. The Catechism presents the Church as a priestly community structured by two realities:
So, when the Church speaks about “priestly vocation,” it is not describing a generic religious preference, but a sacramental call to a ministry that is ordered to the common priesthood of the faithful—by serving them with Christ’s authority and pastoral presence.
St. John Paul II emphasizes that seminary formation should not merely be institutional training; it should foster an atmosphere where the man called by God becomes, with Ordination, “a living image of Jesus Christ, head and shepherd of the Church.”
In his Good Shepherd Sunday preaching, he connects priesthood to Christ’s “shepherd” mission in a deeply sacrificial way: Christ is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life, and the Eucharist makes this sacrificial love sacramentally present. In the priest, this becomes a real conformity to Christ’s pastoral self-giving.
In Pastores dabo vobis, John Paul II explains that in caring for vocations the Church’s task is both discernment and accompaniment—a sustained pastoral effort to bring men who are truly called, and to train them adequately with a conscious and free response of adherence to Christ.
This matters because the priesthood is not treated as simply a professional career. It is a vocation rooted in communion with Christ and matured through formation.
John Paul II also teaches that a vocation “is rooted in the depths of conscience and of human freedom,” but it unfolds through a “dialogue of love” that day after day moulds the priest’s personality through a formation journey beginning in the family, continued in the seminary, and extended throughout life.
So the Church holds both truths together:
The Good Shepherd theme is not merely symbolic: it describes priestly work as pastoral service that draws people to Christ.
John Paul II explicitly describes the priestly vocation as a call to pastoral ministry—the service of Christ’s flock—and he links the priest’s work directly with the ministry of the Word, the sacraments, and charity as Jesus continues his mission through shepherds.
He also stresses the priesthood’s paschal character: Christ’s shepherding is linked to the mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection; therefore, priesthood is not only “guidance” but sacrificial love made present—especially in the Eucharist.
The Church insists that formation is integral—the whole person is involved. John Paul II presents priestly formation as involving human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions, and he highlights that the human dimension is foundational.
One key aspect is the psychological and affective readiness required for celibate life and faithful relations with the faithful. The Congregation for Catholic Education’s guidelines state that priestly ministry requires abilities and moral/theological virtues supported by a human and psychic—particularly affective—equilibrium, so that the man can give himself in celibate life in a way that is truly free.
This is not reduced to “mood” or temperament; it is tied to the Church’s demand for free self-giving and for priestly maturity that can sustain relationships rightly ordered to the pastoral mission.
Pastores dabo vobis explains that, like the apostles who were “to be with him” before being sent out, priestly formation is meant to develop communion and friendship with Christ. The formation period fosters deeper catechesis and witnesses of Christ’s silent prayer to the Father.
John Paul II also stresses that priestly formation must include regular sacramental life, explicitly emphasizing the Sacrament of Penance as well as private/devotional prayer and frequent visits with a spiritual director.
The spiritual logic is consistent: priesthood is an identity shaped by prayer and sacramental grace—so that the Eucharist becomes the “crystal clear spring” replenishing priestly spirituality.
Priestly training includes in-depth study of philosophy and theology while maintaining fidelity to the teachings of the Magisterium. John Paul II explicitly highlights this doctrinal fidelity as part of formation.
So priestly vocation includes an intellectual “yes” to the truth of the faith that the Church teaches, not simply a personal worldview.
Pastoral formation aims to enable the candidate to apply theological principles to pastoral practice. This is part of becoming a shepherd who can serve actual souls with the Church’s truth and charity.
John Paul II’s vision of the seminary is strong: it should be more than a physical place. He calls it a spiritual place, an atmosphere that ensures formation so that the person called by God becomes, with Ordination, a living image of Christ the Shepherd.
He also connects formation’s purpose to a heart-to-heart response: learning to respond from the heart to Christ’s question “Do you love me?” with total self-giving as the meaning of the response.
In other words, vocation is not merely something one “has”; it is something one becomes—by living a certain form of life under the Church’s guidance.
A frequent misunderstanding is to treat priestly formation as ending at ordination. John Paul II insists the Church views formation as an organic journey. He describes the Church’s teaching that ongoing formation is the natural and absolutely necessary continuation of the priestly personality building begun in the seminary.
This includes respecting the intrinsic link between formation before ordination and formation after ordination—because the priest’s identity continues to be shaped throughout ministry.
The Catechism includes a direct note to parents: they should welcome and respect with joy and thanksgiving the Lord’s call to one of their children to follow him in virginity “for the Kingdom in the consecrated life or in priestly ministry.”
This reinforces a broader point: the Church understands vocation as a grace for the whole ecclesial body—not only for the individual. The faithful have a role in supporting vocations with prayer and with an environment where the call can be recognized and received.
Even if your situation is not directly about priestly candidacy, the Church’s teaching shapes how Catholics are to think and act around vocation:
Catholic teaching presents priestly vocation as a participation in Christ’s priesthood for the service of Christ’s flock, grounded in a sacramental ministry distinct from the common priesthood of all baptized faithful. Discernment and preparation are ecclesial and spiritual: the Church accompanies candidates and forms them as future shepherds through an integrated program of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation, with attention to the affective freedom needed for celibate self-giving and to a deep sacramental life. The priesthood, finally, is not a “finished” identity after ordination; it is an ongoing journey of formation shaped by the Eucharist and communion with the Good Shepherd.