The 75-year-old Cape Verdean Cardinal emphasized that Priesthood is not a position of prestige or performance but a vocation of self-giving love rooted in the person of Jesus Christ.
“You are called to be a shepherd, not a functionary. Through concrete acts of service to the poor, the sick, the excluded, and the sorrowful, the people will recognize in you the image of the True Shepherd,” he said.
He called upon the Priest-elect to take the altar where he celebrates the Holy Eucharist as the path of humble service.
“The altar where you will celebrate the Eucharist is inseparable from the floor where you will wash the feet of your brothers. The people want Priests who carry bags, console in silence, arrive first, and leave last,” Cardinal Furtado said.
Warning against the dangers of clericalism, the Cardinal since his elevation in February 2015 said, “Do not play at being a Priest. Do not become a star. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples—follow that gesture faithfully. You are not defined by how many follow you, but by how many wounds you heal. And healing comes with love, not with sterile authority.”
Speaking of the importance of prayer and fraternity, Cardinal Furtado said, “The Priest who does not pray breaks; the Priest who does not serve hardens; the Priest who does not love withers. Pray, serve, love—always.”
He cautioned the Priest-elect against isolation, saying, “You do not belong to yourself. You are Christ’s property, a collaborator with the Bishop, and a brother in the Presbyterate. Walk with your fellow Priests. Support them and allow yourself to be supported. Without fraternity, the ministry sickens. Outside communion, you dry up; within it, you flourish.”
The Cardinal, who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 2004 as Bishop or Cape Verde’s Mindelo Catholic Diocese recognized the fact that Priestly ministry involves trials and personal limitations and urged the Priest-elect to rely on God’s grace and faith in Jesus Christ.
“You are an earthen vessel. Your mission is greater than your strength. But it is in your weakness that Christ will show His strength. Do not hide your limitations—consecrate them. Jesus did not choose the perfect; He chose the available,” he said.
Cardinal Furtado called for perseverance in challenging times, and added, “When you grow tired—and you will—do not run away. Do not hide. Rest in the Lord. Find Him in the Eucharist, in silence, in your brother. Never allow joy to abandon you. Let your life preach before your words do.”
