Qualities of a successful and beloved priest – Meeting with priests from Malwi, home of the martyr Arianus in Abu Talat
The lecture—delivered by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III—discusses the spiritual, human, and pastoral qualities that make a priest successful and loved by his people, with strong emphasis on the priest’s responsibility before God for every soul and for any spiritual neglect that may affect it. His Holiness presents practical qualities drawn from Scripture and Church experience, focusing on visitation, spiritual life, teaching, and true pastoral care.
The most important qualities explained by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
1. A comforting spiritual voice
The people rejoice in the priest’s voice in the liturgy, prayers, and hymns, because a simple spiritual voice brings comfort and creates an atmosphere of love and reverence.
2. To be a teacher whose teaching people benefit from
A successful priest offers clear, sound, and useful teaching, leading people to understand the Word of God, and becomes a spiritual reference in matters of faith.
3. To be a confession father who guides souls with wisdom
A priest who treats souls, comforts them, and leads them in repentance leaves a deep mark in the lives of his children. Spiritual guidance is a delicate responsibility requiring purity and wisdom.
4. Activity and effective service in the church
An active priest refreshes the church with new life, and gives the people a sense that the spirit of service has changed for the better.
5. Example and spiritual life
The personal life of the priest is a living model, becoming a source of blessing and guidance toward Christ when people witness his integrity, purity, and piety.
6. Sharing people’s problems and circumstances
A loved priest is one who is close to the people, visiting them, carrying their concerns, and being a true member in their lives and families.
7. Having an answered prayer
People feel that the priest has a strong relationship with God; they approach him confident that his prayer can open the gates of heaven.
8. True visitation, not just social calling
His Holiness distinguishes between social visiting and true spiritual visitation:
Visitation means entering a house while bringing God along, leaving a spiritual impact that changes the family’s life and turns the visit into a point of returning to God.
9. The priest’s responsibility before God for souls
His Holiness emphasizes the passages from Ezekiel 33 and 34 that stress that neglecting pastoral care causes God to require the blood of souls from the hand of the shepherd. This is a fearful but real responsibility.
10. Correct teaching and precision in the sacraments
The priest is responsible for sound teaching and for accurate decisions in personal status and marriage matters, for wrong decisions may cause a person to live in continuous sin.
11. Loving sinners and working for their salvation
The priest is called to serve sinners before the righteous: seeking the lost, restoring the cast out, binding the broken, and healing the wounded according to the words of the Lord.
12. Wisdom in dealing with people and spiritually winning souls
As St. Paul said: “I became all things to all men so that I might by all means save some.”
Thus the priest uses love, gentleness, or firmness depending on what benefits souls.
Spiritual summary
The successful priest is the one who combines a comforting voice, sound teaching, spiritual fatherhood, active service, true visitation, loving presence in people’s lives, humility, and prayer that opens heaven. He is responsible before God for every soul, caring for them with love, sacrifice, and faithfulness to lead them to repentance and salvation.
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