Pope St. Pius X (while Bishop of Mantua) :
“A priest must bring his every action, every step, every habit into harmony with the sublimity of his vocation. The priest who at the altar celebrates eternal mysteries, assumes, as it were, a divine form; this he must not relinquish when he descends from the High Mount and departs from the Temple of the Lord. Wherever he is, or in whatever work he engages, he must never cease to be a priest, accompanied by the dignity, gravity and decorum of a priest. He must, therefore, be holy; he must be saintly, so that his words and work express his love, impress his authority, and command respect. Exterior dignity is more powerful than eloquent words…. On the other hand, if he forgets the dignity of his character, if he does not show in his exterior comportment more gravity than seculars, he incurs the displeasure of those very people who applaud his levity but are not slow to despise both him and what he stands for.”
Thank you hallowedground for the quote.
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