Church leaders must follow divine inspiration, says papal preacher

Published: 2003-12-05

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Like Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, leaders of the Catholic Church must know how to hear and follow divine inspiration, the preacher of the papal household said. "If welcoming inspiration is important for every Christian, it is vital for those who have the task of governing the church," Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa told Pope John Paul II and top Vatican officials. The preacher began his annual series of Advent sermons for the pope and his top aides Dec. 5, saying he would focus on the meaning of Christian holiness by drawing lessons from the life of Mother Teresa. Holiness, he said, "is the response to a call, it is obedience to a divine inspiration evaluated and recognized as such."

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