Church needs priests with a God-given vocation - Pope

Pope Francis on Thursday called for priests who are not just "post-fillers" but who have a "God-sent" calling.

"We do not need priests who are just post-fillers but rather people who have a God-sent vocation," Francis told a plenary session of clerical congregations at the Vatican.

"The priesthood is not an office within a bureaucracy, nor is it a matter of religious and liturgical administration," he said.

Young priests are a "major resource" for the Catholic Church, Francis said, underling that young people are drawn to "those who get sincerely involved in their lives, are there for them in a respectful way and listen to them lovingly."

Priests must have "hearts filled with passion and compassion, especially towards the young generation," Francis said.

"The young are often superficially judged as lacking passion and ideals, but they are a resource," the pontiff stressed.