Clergy are essential and irreplaceable

Mar 27, 2024

By Tianne Ramona Pereira
“Taken from among men yet appointed for men in the things that pertain to God” (Hebrews 5:1) was the opening line of Archbishop Julian Leow’s homily at the Chrism Mass of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, held at the Church of Christ the Light, Desa Jaya on March 19.

Expanding on this, Archbishop Julian emphasised the significance of priests, consecrated individuals, and the laity gathering with the bishop at the Chrism Mass, highlighting how it symbolised unity with the Church and its ongoing dedication to sacramental ministry for the people of God.

“Just as Jesus called His first disciples, our priests too have responded to God’s call,” remarked the prelate, noting the providential alignment of this celebration with the Solemnity of St Joseph. He emphasised that titles attributed to St Joseph, such as protector, guardian, and model of faith, resonated deeply with the priesthood.

In addressing his fellow priests, Archbishop Julian thanked them for saying yes to Jesus not just once, but every day as they carry out their ministries. He admitted that there is often little recognition, and they are not always understood, yet they continue to give themselves to God and His people.

Just like any human being, priests face days when they are tired, stressed, frustrated, thinking of giving up – and yet they continue to give of themselves without counting the cost. Despite their natural limitations, the Lord has called and accepted them to be His instruments.

The archbishop reminded the clergy that by sacramental consecration, priests are configured into Jesus Christ as head and shepherd of the Church and that they had the spiritual power which is a share in the authority in which Jesus Christ guided the Church through the Holy Spirit.

As priests they were not chosen because they were the best among all but because God had called them into a Royal priesthood, primarily to guide all those entrusted to their care into the knowledge of our loving and merciful God. The heart of a priest pulsates with the life blood of the Body of Christ, the Church, ensuring its vitality.

To the congregation, Archbishop Julian emphasised the importance of the priestly ministry, quoting the late Pope Benedict in saying that the function of the clergy is essential and irreplaceable - announcing the Word and celebrating the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. He stressed that despite its irreplaceable role, there is a sharp decline in the number of men responding to the invitation of the Lord. The prelate said that the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur saw only one ordination in the previous year, and that there were no seminarians that entered the seminary. This year however, we are blessed with three candidates.

Acknowledging the challenges faced by some priests, including aging, illness, exhaustion, and stress, he noted that many others were showing signs of strain. Given the declining number of priests and the demands of pastoral responsibilities, there exist unfilled gaps within the clergy. The archbishop refrained from labelling it a crisis yet, but emphasised that the signs pointed in that direction if no action was taken. He highlighted that this was a crisis concerning commitment and selflessness, with no easy solutions.

The archbishop stressed the crucial role of strong and holy marriages in fostering priestly vocations, urging young people to carefully discern what God was calling them to.

In a heart-warming conclusion the archbishop appealed to the people, “In all humility I call on you, the people of God, to love your priests, care for us, seek to understand us, look out for us and most of all, pray for us – it can truly make a difference. Remember, like you, we are on a journey of faith. The harvest is great, but the labourers few.”

Concelebrating with the archbishop at the two-hour multi-lingual Mass was the Apostolic Nuncio for Malaysia, Archbishop Wojciech Zaluski, Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam, the vicar generals, 60 diocesan and religious priests and five resident priests from Myanmar, Nigeria, India, and Korea.