Menti Nostrae
Encyclopedia
Menti Nostrae is an apostolic exhortation
Apostolic exhortation
An apostolic exhortation is a type of communication from the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. It encourages a community of people to undertake a particular activity, but does not define Church doctrine...

 of Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....

 on the sanctity of priestly life
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....

, given in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 at St. Peter's
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...

 on September 23, 1950, in the 12th year of his pontificate.

Menti nostrae has four parts, addressing the sanctity of priestly life, the sanctity of priestly service, practical regulations and special difficulties of priestly life. Priestly life means first of all the imitation of the life of Christ, according to the Pontiff. This is especially important in a modern world, which so many are confused by conflicting even anti-Christian messages. Imitation of Christ means an inner relation with Christ, full observance of celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...

 and a separation from earthly goods. The priest participates in Holy Mass on the sacrifice of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

 and in his mystical death and resurrection. Great emphasis is put on the prayer life of the priests. The Liturgy of the hours
Liturgy of the hours
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...

 is of prime importance as is daily contemplation, private prayers, his frequent confession and spiritual guidance through an experienced priest of his confidence.

The sanctity of priestly service is reflected in his role as giver of divine grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...

s. He should be motivated by apostolic fervor and be a pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

 reflecting the love and goodness of Christ. Constantly, he should improve his knowledge not only of divine but also temporal things. Pope Pius with warm words praises priests in service for the spiritual life of their fellow priests.

Special efforts have to be undertaken to recruit young persons to the priesthood. Every priest has to participate in this task first of all by setting an example but also by encouraging young men. Candidates have to be very carefully screened to ensure that they are capable of bearing the pressures of the office. The seminaries, while fostering spiritual formation, should not encourage a separation from the world, since priests live and work in this world. Seminarians have to be trained in obedience and chastity. Candidates with celibacy problems should not be permitted to stay. There has to be a special efforts for newly ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

 priests to help them in their first years. Priests need to undergo continuous education for which libraries should be established in every dioceses with reading rooms and a good balance of theological spiritual and practical resources for priests.

In these changing times, priests need to learn to discern and differentiate. Hanging on to all old traditions is equally dangerous as blind acceptance of everything new. Regarding communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...

 and capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...

, the Church has pointed the shortcomings of both, branding the misuse of private property and exploitation as well as the activities of communists, trying to destroy faith and promising material well-being. The priest has to be open for the poor and the workers and all those who are in need and misery, not few of them from the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....

. The social teachings of the Church combines the demands of justice and charity and thus promotes a social order which does not oppress the individual or foster blind egoism.
The damaging effects of both economic systems must inspire everybody to follow the social teachings of the Church, to disseminate knowledge of it and to apply it


However with all his social engagement, the priest is not to forget he overall mission and context. Lay persons are mainly called to the practical apostolate and priests are only to assist if necessary. In his last point, Pope Pius addresses the economic needs of the clergy in some regions and countries. After the war, there was much suffering, but bishops and clergy generously shared with those badly affected by the consequences of war. Such problems cannot be solved in the long run, if he faithful are not included in a solution. They have to be convinced, that priests need a material basis to exist and to work for them.
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