The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, explained at the opening of Year for Priests that the fundamental message that concerns every priest “is telling people that God is a God of mercy.”

The Jesuit Father spoke of the mission of priests during the Mass for the inauguration of the Year for Priests 2009 that took place in the Pontifical College Pio Brasileiro. The celebration came to a close at the same time as the 75-year jubilee for this college in Rome.

“I believe that all priests should be bearers of a Gospel that comes from Jesus Christ — and not our own Gospel. The priest should present the Gospel in such a way that he communicates a little bit of what the mystery of God is. Therefore, these 75 years are a moment of transition so that in the years to come priests can continue to be educated with the heart of Christ.”

Fr. João Roque Rohr, Rector of the Pontifical College Pio Brasileiro in Rome, also stressed the priests’ mission:

“I believe that the great message is to evangelize — I mean, to announce with a new strength and courage and with new means the same message of the Gospel: that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that we are at the service of humanity.”

The successor of Saint Ignatius of Loyola underlined the need that the world has for hope and mercy:

“We are trying to educate priests that have — as said in the Letter to the Ephesians — the depth of the knowledge of Christ in order to transmit a message of mercy, of hope, and of joy to others. I believe that these are times in which the world needs hope and needs to know that God is not a demanding God that gets angry, but that He is a God of mercy and that He understands us and that He is with us always.”