Vocations ... and ambition.

Pope Francis prays in front of the icon of 

Maria Salus Populi Romani in Rome's Basilica 

of St Mary Major at the end of his 

apostolic visit to Colombia.

Why so many ----- may not like this Pope.

The Holy Father once again speaks to priests and religious about the supernatural character of consecrated life.  I was just re-reading the Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena and was impressed with how the Father spoke about those in consecrated life as those 'I placed there' - in other words, the vocation is His gift.  In speaking of the greatness of the priesthood, [Then said the Eternal God:] "I will first, dearest daughter, speak to you of the dignity of priests, having placed them where they are through My Goodness, over and above the general love which I have had to My creatures ..."

I revisited the Dialogue to find some light to help me understand why some Catholics online feel they are obliged to condemn priests, insulting them by calling them pansies, labeling them perfidious priests, or claiming they are closet homosexuals, and so on.  Such name calling and libel against consecrated persons is scandalous, I'm not sure St. Catherine of Siena would approve or recommend such behavior, especially from laity.

That said, the opposite is also dis-edifying, the idea that a priest or religious would fail in charity to admonish the sinner, to warn against wickedness, especially that "accursed sin against nature."

Obviously, we know there are religious who embrace errors and approve of lifestyles which offend God, and we know that there are the 'good guys' ready to condemn the obvious, yet they too may be susceptible to other forms of corruption, as the Holy Father points out:

Sadly, consecrated vocations “die when they love to be sustained with honors, when they are driven by a search for personal reassurance and social advancement, when the motivation is 'to climb the ladder,' to cleave to material interests and to strive shamefully for financial gain,” he said.

As he has done frequently in the past, the Pope said the devil “enters through the wallet.” And this doesn't just apply to the early stages of the vocation, but “all of us have to be careful because the corrupting of men and women in the Church begins in this way.” - CNA

I see this more clearly the older I get.  I have seen this in even the recently ordained.  The desire to please the bishop, to find favor with the bishop, to be admired, to be popular.  Therefore, the Holy Father does well to call everyone back to their 'early love':

“There can be no place for deceit, hypocrisy or small-mindedness if we are branches of this vine, if our vocation is grafted onto Jesus.” - CNA

I have a good friend who is a priest.  So faithful and constant in his fidelity, so charitable and humble, and yet so hidden.  He never had ambition for honors or promotion - ever.  I am so grateful for his friendship.

Anyway - whenever the Holy Father speaks like this, we are reminded how fervently we must pray for priests and religious.