Year for Priests: "Towards the Spiritual Perfection Essential to the Effectiveness of Their Ministry"

In today's General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about Friday's beginning of the new Year of Priests and the ending of the Year of St. Paul.  He spoke about why he created a Year of Priests and about the nature of the priesthood.  On this feast day of St. John the Baptist, he asked, "May this Year of the Priest bring all priests to identify themselves totally with Jesus, crucified and risen, so that in imitation of St. John the Baptist, we are willing to 'decrease' so that he increases. . . ."

Zenit has a full translation.  Benedetto XVI Forum has a lot of photos.  Vatican Information Service has a press release.  Asia News and Catholic News Agency have articles.  The Vatican Press Office's Daily Bulletin has the original Italian text and summaries in various languages.

Here is his English language synopsis:

"Last Friday, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of priests – marked the beginning of the Year for Priests commemorating the sesquicentennial of the death of the Curé of Ars, Saint John Mary Vianney, patron of parish priests. The Pauline Year now ending and the current Year for Priests invite us to consider how the Apostle Paul and the humble Curé of Ars both identified themselves completely with their ministry, striving to live in constant communion with Christ. May this Year for Priests help all priests to grow towards the spiritual perfection essential to the effectiveness of their ministry, and enable the faithful to appreciate more fully the great gift of grace which the priesthood is: for priests themselves, for the Church and for our world. Configured to Christ in the sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is called to become an alter Christus, "another Christ". His personal union with the Lord must thus unify every aspect of his life and activity. During this Year for Priests, let us entrust all priests to Mary, Mother of the Church, and pray that they will grow in fidelity to their mission to be living signs of Christ’s presence and infinite mercy."