Cardinal Stephen Ameyu has challenged three newly ordained priests to reject pride and self-importance, reminding them that priesthood is a sacred calling to serve the people of God rather than a path to elite status.
Speaking during their ordination, Cardinal Ameyu told the newly ordained priests that the priesthood they had received was not their own but belonged to Jesus Christ, and must therefore be exercised through humility, obedience, forgiveness and service.
“This ministry is not a ministry that we think when we are ordained today, I have reached elite level,” Cardinal Ameyu warned, urging the priests not to expect special treatment because of their new position.
He said the responsibility of priests and bishops is fundamentally to serve the people entrusted to them, stressing that the sacrament of priesthood was instituted for the service of God’s people.
The Cardinal challenged the newly ordained priests to remain humble throughout their ministry, warning that pride and self-praise can undermine their vocation.
He asked them to constantly examine themselves and their relationship with Christ, questioning whether they had become self-centered or failed to understand the humility expected of those serving in the Church.
Ameyu also emphasized forgiveness as a central responsibility of the priesthood. He recounted an encounter with a priest who claimed he could not forgive, describing such a position as incompatible with the ministry of a priest.
He urged the newly ordained priests to be ready to forgive, baptize, confirm, witness marriages and accompany people who are in need of God’s mercy.
“If a priest cannot forgive, how did he reach the altar of Christ?” he questioned.
The Cardinal further warned that the Church’s ministers must take responsibility for their role in society, particularly at a time when South Sudan continues to face conflict and division.
He argued that the continued suffering of people should prompt the clergy to examine whether they are properly carrying out their responsibilities as ministers of God.
“If these people today are still in war, it is because we as clergymen have gone wrong,” Cardinal Ameyu said, calling for renewed commitment to the Church’s mission of serving and transforming communities.
He stressed the importance of obedience, saying obedience in love is essential to the life of the Church, family and other institutions.
Cardinal Ameyu acknowledged that priesthood would be difficult but encouraged them to remain united with Jesus Christ, the Church and their bishop.
He also called on Catholics to play an active role in supporting and correcting their priests, saying the faithful have a responsibility to pray for them and encourage them in their ministry.
Cardinal Ameyu urged the newly ordained priests to remain committed to their calling, but also said that any priest who feels unable to continue serving God’s people should have the courage to acknowledge it.
He said stepping away would be preferable to remaining in the priesthood without genuinely serving the people.
The Cardinal concluded by urging the new priests to make humility a central objective of their priestly formation and ministry, saying that without humility, neither effective Church leadership nor genuine service to the people of God can be sustained.