San Francisco archbishop urges new Nigerian priests to be ‘friends and fathers’ to their people
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco addressed 14 newly ordained priests in Makurdi, Nigeria, urging them to model their ministry on Christ’s sacrificial love and to be friends and fathers to their people. He emphasized that priests must be present, supportive, and act in the best interest of the faithful, building bridges between the Church and the people. Cordileone highlighted the challenges and dangers priests may face in Nigeria’s Benue state, encouraging them to trust in God’s grace and serve liberatively. The homily was delivered during the priestly ordinations at the Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre, underscoring the importance of authentic priestly friendship rooted in Christ’s love.
29 days ago
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone addressed 14 newly ordained priests in Nigeria, urging them to serve as “friends and fathers” who embody Christ’s sacrificial love, stay close to their flock, and be prepared for the dangers of ministry in a volatile region. 1
Cordileone emphasized that priests must be present for their people, acting solely in their best interests. He linked this pastoral presence to the apostolic command to love one another, describing it as a “friendship” rooted in self‑gifting rather than reluctant service. 1
The homily referenced Jesus’ farewell discourse, presenting priestly fatherhood as a mirror of Christ’s relationship with the Church—Christ as bridegroom, the Church as bride. Cordileone portrayed the priest as a “bridge” facilitating encounters with Christ, not an obstacle. 1
The ordination took place in Makurdi, Benue State, where Christians face violence and persecution. Cordileone warned that the new priests are entering a “dangerous step,” noting the possibility of martyrdom and the need to guard against spiritual mediocrity amid such threats. 1
Cordileone expressed hope that these priests will lead the faithful toward “perfect peace, happiness, light, and love” by living out the Eucharistic sacrifice in daily ministry. 1
The archbishop’s message blends theological reflection with a stark awareness of Nigeria’s security challenges, urging the new clergy to combine deep spiritual commitment with courageous, compassionate presence among their people.*
Priests must embody Christ’s sacrificial love as friends and fathers
Priests must embody Christ’s sacrificial love not merely through authority or religious expertise, but through a life given for the spiritual good of others. This priestly love has two closely connected dimensions: friendship with Christ and fatherly service to the faithful.
Jesus defines priestly ministry through friendship: “I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15). This friendship is not casual familiarity. It is a personal communion with Christ, nourished by Scripture, the sacraments, and daily prayer. Pope Leo XIV describes it as “the spiritual foundation of ordained ministry,” the source of priestly celibacy, and the energy of ecclesial service.
The priest cannot authentically communicate Christ’s compassion, truth, and mercy unless his own life is being shaped by Christ. Formation for priesthood, therefore, must involve more than theological knowledge or pastoral competence. It must form the entire person—heart, intellect, freedom, and character—according to the pattern of the Good Shepherd.
Christ’s love is measured by self-gift: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). The priest participates sacramentally in Christ’s one priesthood, especially through the Eucharist, where Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross is made present. The Eucharist is therefore not simply one priestly activity among others; it is the source and center of pastoral charity.
Because the priest’s ministry flows from the Eucharist, his entire life should acquire a sacrificial character. His preaching, confession ministry, pastoral visits, spiritual counsel, administration, and private prayer are unified by one fundamental choice: to give his life for the flock.
This sacrifice must not be confused with self-destruction or indiscriminate availability. Christian self-gift remains ordered by truth, prudence, justice, and communion with the bishop and other priests. Pastoral charity requires priests to work fraternally rather than as isolated individuals.
Priestly fatherhood is spiritual, not biological. Through preaching, the sacraments, prayer, correction, and accompaniment, the priest cooperates with God in bringing Christ’s life to the faithful. Antonio López connects this fatherhood to the Church as the Bride of Christ: the priest’s self-gift is fruitful because it serves the Church’s reception of Christ and the growth of believers in divine life.
A father does not dominate those entrusted to him. He protects communion, strengthens the weak, teaches the truth, and rejoices in the good of his spiritual children. Priestly authority is therefore fundamentally relational and pastoral: it should help people discover their dignity, vocation, and destiny in God.
This fatherhood includes genuine friendship. Christ’s friendship with the apostles involved revealing the Father’s truth to them and sharing his own life with them. Similarly, priests should cultivate relationships marked by trust, attentiveness, and reverence for the faithful—without possessiveness, emotional manipulation, or inappropriate intimacy.
For a celibate priest, friendship must be universal rather than exclusive. His celibate life is meant to express a total availability to Christ and to the whole Church, not emotional isolation. Priestly love must therefore be affectionate and personal while remaining chaste, disciplined, and ordered toward the other person’s true good.
Chastity is more than abstinence. It is the integration of sexuality into the whole person and the ability to love others according to their God-given dignity. This is especially important in priestly ministry, where unhealthy boundaries or emotional dependencies can distort spiritual fatherhood and harm those whom the priest is called to serve.
True love, in the Thomistic sense, means giving oneself for the good of another rather than using another person for one’s own emotional, psychological, or physical benefit. Priestly charity must therefore be selfless, respectful, and protective of the dignity of every person.
A priest can embody Christ’s fatherly love only through humility. Humility means recognizing both one’s limitations and one’s God-given gifts, then placing both at the service of God and the Church. It protects the priest from clerical self-importance and enables him to receive correction, ask for help, and remain close to the people he serves.
Priestly fraternity is also essential. Pope Leo XIV warns against priests living as competitors or individualists, emphasizing that priests who are unable to live sincere fraternity among themselves will struggle to build genuine communities among the faithful.
Bishops likewise have a responsibility to support priests as fathers, teachers, friends, and brothers—not merely as superiors or judges. Such pastoral closeness does not eliminate obedience or accountability; it transforms them into relationships marked by trust, correction, pardon, and assistance.
The priest embodies Christ when he lives as a friend of the Lord, a servant of the Church, and a spiritual father to the faithful. His authority must be expressed through sacrificial love; his fatherhood through protection, teaching, and communion; and his friendship through chastity, fidelity, and personal closeness to Christ.
The decisive question for every priest is the one Jesus asked Peter: “Do you love me?” The answer becomes credible when it takes concrete form: “Feed my sheep.”