"Keep churches open, hear confessions", Pope Francis tells priests

Pope Francis tells priests: keep churches open, hear confessions

CWN - April 01, 2013

Pope Francis joined a prominent Vatican official and seven priests for lunch on Holy Thursday and emphasized the importance of hearing confessions, according to a priest who was present at the meeting.
Archbishop Giovanni Becciu has a longtime custom of inviting priests to join him for lunch on Holy Thursday – a custom that predates his 2011 appointment as sostituto, the deputy secretary of state responsible for the internal affairs of the Roman Curia. When Pope Francis heard about the meal with the priests, most of whom work with the poor, he said he wanted to attend.
The Pope "said, 'Open the doors of the Church, and then the people will come in … if you keep the light on in the confessional and are available, then you will see what kind of line there is for confession,'" recounted Msgr. Enrico Feroci, the director of Caritas Rome.
"The Pope said he was confident of the need of the people of God for priests to open the doors and allow the people to meet God," Msgr. Feroci added.

Additional sources for this story
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• Pope Francis has lunch with Rome priests (Vatican Radio)
• A fraternal encounter (L'Osservatore Romano)