Francis asked the priests to be "the image of the poor and the oppressed"

The dad Francisco asked for this Thursday a priests who are "the image of the poor and the oppressed"during the initiation to the Vatican celebrations of Holy Week. "Lucas highlights four great groups who are the privileged recipients of the Lord's anointing: the poor, the prisoners of war, the blind, the oppressed," said the pontiff during the Chrism Mbad.

As part of the celebration of Holy Thursday in the Basilica of San Pedro, Jorge Bergoglio said his preference for the laureates: "Come to us, dear brothers priests, we must not forget that our evangelical models are these people, this crowd with those concrete faces, to which the Lord's anointing improves and quickens. "

"These are the ones who complete and realize the Spirit's anointing in us, who have been anointed to anoint," he told the 50 cardinals and the 70 bishops who accompanied him , in the midst of 1,800 priests.

In addition, the bishop of Rome said: "We have been removed among them and we can without fear identify ourselves to these simple people, they are the image of our soul and the image of the # 39; s Church. " With this ceremony, which marks for Catholics the beginning of the paschal triduum commemorating the pbadion, death and resurrection of Christ, the Pope affirmed that "everyone embodies the unique heart of our people".

"We priests are poor and we would like to have the poor widow's heart when we give alms and we touch the hand of the beggar and look into his eyes," said Bergoglio in a message to inside the Roman Curia.

During his homily, he took the opportunity to reiterate his criticism of "clericalism," which he recounted in a biblical episode in which the disciples sought to "want to ensure food and comfort by ignoring the people".

Francis completed the homily by calling for the conversion of his priests, who encouraged them to "rally to the faith and love of our people". "He who learns to anoint and bless is cured of littleness, abuse and cruelty," he summoned.

This Thursday, the pope will celebrate the rite of foot washing in a prison in the suburbs of Rome on 17 local (12 in Argentina). Tomorrow, he will lead the traditional Via Crucis of the Roman Colosseum with a message that will focus on the complaint. trafficking in human beings at age 21 in the Italian capital.