A noted theologian, Father Emmanuel Asi, told Catholic priests to be promoters of hope in their pastoral ministry in Pakistan.
The Archdiocese of Lahore held its annual clergy retreat from April 30 to May 3, 2025, at Arooj-e-Mariam Renewal Centre, Lahore.
“Believers of Hope and Heralds of Hope” was the theme of the retreat. The Archdiocesan Fraternity Committee, under the guidance of Archbishop Benny Mario Travas, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Lahore, organized it.
In his talks, Asi drew insights from the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, focusing on “Pilgrimage of Hope.” Pope Francis declared 2025 as the year of jubilee—an event held every 25 years in the Catholic Church.
Asi shared hope as a sustaining virtue in Christian life and priestly ministry. He explained the visionary hope, prophetic hope, and the Beatitudes as seeds of hope.
Asi, executive secretary of Catholic Bible Commission Pakistan (CBCP) since 2002, is a diocesan priest for the Archdiocese of Lahore. He studied Sacred Scriptures at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, from 1977 to 1981.
In his valedictory Mass, Archbishop Travas focused on the quintessence of pastoral ministry—to enable people to have a deeper relationship with Jesus.
The prelate shared three important points for priests to become true heralds of hope:
Encounter with Jesus: A personal relationship with Christ is essential for priests to offer Him to others.
Death Experience: Embracing the cross, like St. Paul, reveals life’s true priorities and enables priests to become messengers of hope, enduring challenges and sufferings for the sake of the Gospel and common good.
Doing God’s Will: Priests are called to bring hope to people in their struggles by doing God’s will here and now.
The retreat was a time of reflection, renewal, and recommitment that enthused priests to return to their parishes as true believers and bold heralds of hope.
The annual retreat served as a powerful reminder of the significance of hope in priestly ministry. They returned to their parishes with a renewed sense of purpose and a more profound understanding of their role as messengers of hope in a world filled with challenges and uncertainties.
The Archdiocese of Lahore nurtures the spiritual growth of its clergy, enabling them to effectively serve Catholics and spread the message of hope. - with input from The Catholics: Lahore Focus
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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