1. Among the requests for renunciation made by Jesus to his disciples, there is the one concerning earthly goods, and in particular wealth (cf. Mt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 12:33; 18:22). It is a request addressed to all Christians regarding the spirit of poverty, that is, the inner detachment from earthly goods, detachment that makes one generous in sharing them with others. Poverty is a life commitment inspired by faith in Christ and love for Him. It is a spirit. that also demands a practice, in a measure of renunciation of goods that corresponds to each person's condition both in civil life and in the state in which they find themselves in the Church by virtue of their Christian vocation, whether as an individual or as a member of a particular class of people. The spirit of poverty applies to all; a certain practice in conformity with the Gospel is necessary for each one.

2. The poverty Jesus demanded of the Apostles is a strand of spirituality that could not end with them, nor could it be reduced to particular groups: the spirit of poverty is necessary for everyone, in every place and at every time; to fail to do so would be to betray the Gospel. However, fidelity to the spirit does not imply, either for Christians in general or for priests, the practice of radical poverty with the renunciation of all property, or even the abolition of this human right. The Magisterium of the Church has repeatedly condemned those who advocated this necessity (cf. Denz. 760; 930-931; 1097), seeking to lead thought and practice along a path of moderation. However, it is comforting to note that, in the evolution of the times and under the influence of so many ancient and modern saints, the awareness of a call to evangelical poverty, both in spirit and in practice, in correlation with the demands of priestly consecration, has matured more and more in the clergy. The social and economic situations in which the clergy have found themselves in almost all the countries of the world have contributed to making the condition of real poverty of persons and institutions a reality, even when these by their very nature need many means to be able to fulfil their tasks. In many cases it is a difficult and distressing condition, which the Church tries to overcome in various ways, and mainly by appealing to the charity of the faithful to obtain from them the necessary contribution to provide for worship, works of charity, the maintenance of pastors of souls, and missionary initiatives. But the acquisition of a new sense of poverty is a blessing for priestly life, as for that of all Christians, because it allows one to better adapt to the counsels and proposals of Jesus.

3. Evangelical poverty - it is opportune to clarify this - does not entail contempt for earthly goods, made available by God to man for his life and for his collaboration in the design of creation. According to the Second Vatican Council, the presbyter - like every other Christian -, having a mission of praise and thanksgiving, must recognise and magnify the generosity of the heavenly Father which is revealed in created goods (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 17).

However, the Council adds, Presbyters, while living in the midst of the world must always keep in mind that, as the Lord has said, they do not belong to the world (cf. Jn 17:14-16), and must therefore free themselves from all disordered attachments, in order to acquire "the spiritual discretion that enables them to place themselves in right relationship with the world and earthly realities" (Ibid; cf. Pastores dabo vobis, 30). It must be recognised that this is a delicate issue. On the one hand, "the Church's mission takes place in the midst of the world, and created goods are entirely necessary for man's personal development. Jesus did not forbid his Apostles to accept the goods necessary for their earthly existence. On the contrary, he affirmed their right in this regard when he said in a mission speech: "Eat and drink of what they have, for the worker is worthy of his wages" (Lk 10:7; cf. Mt 10:10). St Paul reminds the Corinthians that "the Lord has ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should live by the gospel" (1 Cor 9:14). He himself insistently prescribes that "those who are instructed in doctrine should share in what they have with those who instruct them" (Gal 6:6). It is right, therefore, that presbyters should have earthly goods and use them "for those purposes for which they can be used, in accordance with the doctrine of Christ the Lord and the guidelines of the Church" (PO 17). The Council did not fail to propose concrete indications in this regard.

First of all, the administration of ecclesiastical goods proper must be ensured 'according to the norms of ecclesiastical laws, and possibly with the help of lay experts'. These goods must always be used for "the ordering of divine worship, the dignified maintenance of the clergy, the support of works of the apostolate and charity, especially for the poor" (Ibid.).The goods procured from the exercise of some ecclesiastical office are to be used first of all 'for one's own honest maintenance and for the fulfilment of the duties of one's state; the remainder is to be used for the good of the Church and for works of charity'. This must be particularly emphasised: the ecclesiastical office cannot be for presbyters - and not even for bishops - an opportunity for personal enrichment or profit for their families. "Priests, therefore, without becoming in any way attached to riches, must avoid all covetousness and abstain from any kind of commerce" (Ibid). In any case, it must be borne in mind that everything, in the use of goods, must be carried out in the light of the Gospel.

4. The same must be said about the presbyter's involvement in profane activities, that is, pertaining to the handling of earthly affairs outside the religious and sacred sphere. The 1971 Synod of Bishops declared that, 'as an ordinary rule, full time must be given to the priestly ministry ... In fact, participation in the secular activities of men is not to be considered as the main purpose, nor can it suffice to express the specific responsibility of priests' (Ench. Vat., IV, 1191).This was a stance taken in the face of the tendency, which had appeared here and there, towards the secularisation of the Priest's activity, in the sense that he could engage, like the laity, in the exercise of a secular trade or profession.

It is true that there are circumstances in which the only effective way to reconnect with the Church a working environment that ignores Christ can be the presence of Priests who exercise a trade in such an environment, becoming, for example, labourers with labourers. The generosity of these Priests is worthy of praise. It should be noted, however, that by taking on profane and secular tasks and positions, the Priest runs the risk of reducing his sacred ministry to a secondary role, or even of eliding it. Because of this risk, which had been reflected in experience, the Council had already emphasised the need for the approval of the competent authority to exercise a manual trade, sharing the living conditions of workers (cf. PO 8). The Synod of 1971 gave, as a rule to be followed, the appropriateness, or otherwise, of a certain commitment to secular work with the aims of the priesthood 'in the judgement of the local bishop with his presbyterate, and after consulting - as far as is necessary - the Episcopal Conference' (Ench. Vat., IV, 1192).

On the other hand, it is clear that there are today, as in the past, special cases in which some particularly gifted and prepared presbyters can carry out an activity in fields of work or culture that are not directly ecclesial. However, every effort must be made to ensure that these remain exceptional cases. And even then, the criterion set by the Synod will always have to be applied if one wishes to be faithful to the Gospel and the Church.

5. We shall conclude this catechesis by turning once again to the figure of Jesus Christ, High Priest, good Shepherd and supreme exemplar of priests. He is the model of the spoliation of earthly goods for the priest who wants to conform to the requirement of evangelical poverty. For Jesus was born and lived in poverty. St Paul admonished: 'From being rich that he was, he became poor for your sake' (2 Cor 8:9). Jesus himself, to one who wanted to follow him, said of himself: "Foxes have their dens and birds of the air their nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" (Lk 9:57). These words manifest a complete detachment from all earthly comforts. It should not be concluded, however, that Jesus lived in misery. Other passages in the Gospels report that he received and accepted invitations to the homes of rich people (cf. Mt 9:10-11; Mk 2:15-16; Lk 5:29; 7:36; 19:5-6), had female co-workers to support him in his financial needs (Lk 8:2-3; cf. Mt 27:55; Mk 15:40; Lk 23:55-56) and was able to give alms to the poor (cf. Jn 13:29). There is no doubt, however, about the life and spirit of poverty that characterised Him.

The same spirit of poverty will have to animate the conduct of the Priest, characterising his attitude, his life and the very figure of a pastor and man of God. It will translate into disinterestedness and detachment from money, in the renunciation of all greed for the possession of earthly goods, in a simple lifestyle, in the choice of a modest dwelling accessible to all, in the rejection of everything that is or even appears to be luxurious, in a growing tendency towards gratuitousness in dedication to the service of God and the faithful.

6. Finally, let us add that, being called by Jesus and according to his example, to "evangelise the poor", "presbyters - as well as bishops - will seek to avoid anything that could in any way lead the poor to stray" (PO 17). Instead, by nourishing in themselves the evangelical spirit of poverty, they will find themselves in a position to show their preferential option for the poor, translating it into sharing, in personal and community works of help, including material help to the needy. It is a witness to the Poor Christ that comes today from so many priests, the poor and friends of the poor. It is a great flame of love lit in the life of the clergy and the Church. If the clergy could sometimes appear in some places among the categories of the rich, today they feel honoured, with the whole Church, to be in the front row among the "new poor". This is great progress in following Christ on the way of the Gospel.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 21 July 1993]