VATICAN CITY
Catholic News Service
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Many of the problems in the church today come from accepting men who are unsuitable for the priesthood, Pope Francis told the Congregation for Clergy.
The vocations crisis and lack of priests have meant that “we bishops are tempted to take in, without discernment, the young men who present themselves. This is bad for the church,” he told those taking part in the congregation’s plenary assembly meeting at the Vatican.
“We have to think of the good of the people of God,” which means taking the time to screen and “study” those seeking a vocation, he said Oct. 3.
“Examine closely whether he belongs to the Lord, if that man is healthy, is balanced, if that man is capable of giving life, of evangelizing, if he is capable of forming a family and turning that down in order to follow Jesus,” he said in off-the-cuff remarks.
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