I. HUMAN FORMATION

74. The foundation and center of all human formation is Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. In his fully developed humanity, he was truly free and with complete freedom gave himself totally for the salvation of the world.⁴⁴ Pastores dabo vobis, no. 5, expresses the Christological foundation of human formation: “The Letter to the Hebrews clearly affirms the ‘human character’ of God’s minister: he comes from the human community and is at its service, imitating Jesus Christ ‘who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin’ (Heb 4:15).”

75. The basic principle of human formation is to be found in Pastores dabo vobis, no. 43: the human personality of the priest is to be a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the human race. As the humanity of the Word made flesh was the instrumentum salutis, so the humanity of the priest is instrumental in mediating the redemptive gifts of Christ to people today.⁴⁵ As Pastores dabo vobis also emphasizes, human formation is the “necessary foundation” of priestly formation.

76. The human formation of candidates for the priesthood aims to prepare them to be apt instruments of Christ’s grace. It does so by fostering the growth of a man who can be described in these ways:

•       A free person: a person who is free to be who he is in God’s design, someone who does not—in contrast to the popular culture—conceive or pursue freedom as the expansion of options or as individual autonomy detached from others⁴⁶

•       A person of solid moral character with a finely developed moral conscience, a man open to and capable of conversion: a man who demonstrates the human virtues of prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice, humility, constancy, sincerity, patience, good manners, truthfulness, keeping his word, and who also manifests growth in the practice of these virtues

•       A prudent and discerning man: someone who demonstrates a “capacity for critical observation so that [he] can discern true and false values, since this is an essential requirement for establishing a constructive dialogue with the world of today”⁴⁷

•       A man of communion: a person who has real and deep relational capacities, someone who can enter into genuine dialogue and friendship, a person of true empathy who can understand and know other persons, a person open to others and available to them with a generosity of spirit. The man of communion is capable of making a gift of himself and of receiving the gift of others. This, in fact, requires the full possession of oneself. This life should be one of inner joy and inner peace—signs of self-possession and generosity.

•       A good communicator: someone who listens well, is articulate, and has the skills of effective communication, someone capable of public speaking

•       A person of affective maturity: someone whose life of feelings is in balance and integrated into thought and values; in other words, a man of feelings who is not driven by them but freely lives his life enriched by them; this might be especially evidenced in his ability to live well with authority and in his ability to take direction from another, and to exercise authority well among his peers, as well as an ability to deal productively with conflict and stress

•       A man who respects, cares for, and has vigilance over his body: a person who pays appropriate attention to his physical well-being, so that he has the energy and strength to accomplish the tasks entrusted to him and the self-knowledge to face temptation and resist it effectively

•       A man who relates well with others, free of overt prejudice and willing to work with people of diverse cultural backgrounds: a man capable of wholesome relations with women and men as relatives, friends, colleagues, staff members, teachers, and as encountered in areas of apostolic work

•       A good steward of material possessions: someone who is able to live a simple style of life and able to “avoid whatever has a semblance of vanity;”⁴⁸ someone who has the right attitude toward the goods of this world, since his “portion and inheritance” is the Lord;⁴⁹ someone who is generous in making charitable contributions and sustaining the poor⁵⁰

•       A man who can take on the role of a public person: someone both secure in himself and convinced of his responsibility who is able to live not just as a private citizen but as a public person in service of the Gospel and representing the Church

77. Human formation comes together in a particular way in the domain of human sexuality, and this is especially true for those who are preparing for a life of celibacy. The various dimensions of being a human person—the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual—converge in affective maturity, which includes human sexuality. Education is necessary for understanding sexuality and living chastely. Those preparing to live out a celibate commitment face particular challenges, especially in today’s cultural context of permissiveness.

78. Education for chastity, a virtue incumbent on all Christians and in a unique way embraced in celibacy, ought to present it as a “virtue that develops a person’s authentic maturity and makes him or her capable of respecting and fostering the ‘nuptial meaning’ of the body”

(Pastores dabo vobis, no. 44). For all Christians, whatever their state of life, chastity cultivates the capacity for authentic self-gift in generative and faithful love. The celibate person renounces the realization of this capacity in marriage but embraces it in a universalizing love extended to all people. At the same time, the celibate commitment requires the development of particular habits and skills of living and relating in order to live the commitment with integrity. “Since the charism of celibacy, even when it is genuine and has proved itself, leaves man’s affections and his instinctive impulses intact, candidates to the priesthood need an affective maturity which is prudent, able to renounce anything that is a threat to it, vigilant over both body and spirit, and capable of esteem and respect in interpersonal relationships between men and women” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 44).

79. Seminary formation in sexuality and celibacy must communicate to priesthood candidates and enable them to appropriate:

•       The physiological and psychological understanding of human sexuality

•       The meaning of the virtue of chastity; this includes a formation in authentic ideals of sexual maturity and chastity, including virginity;⁵¹ it also includes “a proper knowledge of the duties and dignity of Christian marriage, which represents the love which exists between Christ and the Church”⁵²

•       The requisite skills for living chastely: ascetical practice, prudent self-mastery, and paths of self-knowledge, such as a regular personal inventory and the examination of conscience

•       The meaning of celibate chastity, especially the theological rationale that makes clear how it pertains to the logic of the ordained priesthood

•       The means to live celibate chastity well, which include: genuine friendships; priestly fraternity; a mentoring relationship; spiritual direction; priestly asceticism, which honestly reckons with the sacrifices that celibacy entails; and, especially, the sacrament of Penance

•       The spiritual path that transforms the experience of loneliness into a holy solitude based on a “strong, lively, and personal love for Jesus Christ”⁵³

•       A cultural-critical attitude that discerns the positive and negative potentials of mass communications, various forms of entertainment, and technology, such as the Internet

80. In general, human formation happens in a three-fold process of self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and self-gift—and all of this in faith.⁵⁴ As this process unfolds, the human person becomes more perfectly conformed to the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.⁵⁵ The resources for fostering this process of human formation in a seminary context are many. They include:

•       Instruction: The rector and other faculty members offer the seminarians instruction in human formation through conferences, courses, and other educational means.

•       Personal reflection: Seminarians are trained to live life reflectively and to examine, with regularity, their behavior, their motivations, their inclinations, and, in general, their appropriation of life-experience, especially suffering.

•       Community life and feedback: “A seminarian who freely chooses to enter a seminary must also freely accept and respect its terms.”⁵⁶ The general demands and the rewards of life in community expand self-knowledge and self-control and cultivate generosity of spirit. The community’s attachment to the Word of God and the sacramental life provides a reflective mirror that helps individuals know themselves and summons them to a fuller, more human, more spiritual life. A community’s rule of life fosters discipline, self-mastery, and faithful perseverance in commitments.

•       Application to the tasks of seminary life: Human formation develops through interaction with others in the course of the seminary program. This growth happens, for example, when seminarians learn to accept the authority of superiors, develop the habit of using freedom with discretion, learn to act on their own initiative and do so energetically, and learn to work harmoniously with confreres and laity.⁵⁷

•       Formation advisors/mentors and directors: Although the titles may differ, on every seminary faculty, certain members function as formators in the external forum. These formation advisors/mentors and directors should be priests. They observe seminarians and assist them to grow humanly by offering them feedback about their general demeanor, their relational capacities and styles, their maturity, their capacity to assume the role of a public person and leader in a community, and their appropriation of the human virtues that make them “men of communion.” These same formators may, on occasion, teach the ways of human development and even offer some personal mentoring or, at times, coaching. More generally, they offer encouragement, support, and challenge along the formational path. These formators function exclusively in the external forum and are not to engage in matters that are reserved for the internal forum and the spiritual director.

•       Spiritual directors: These priests, functioning in the internal forum, also play a role in the human formation of seminarians.⁵⁸ When they engage in the dialogue of spiritual direction with seminarians, they can be of great assistance in cultivating those virtues of self-reflection and self-discipline that are foundational for human development.

•       Psychological counseling: On occasion, consultation with a psychologist or other licensed mental health professional can be a useful instrument of human formation. Some patterns of behavior, for example, which became set in the candidate’s early family history, may impede his relational abilities. Understanding one’s psychological history and developing strategies to address elements of negative impact can be very helpful in human formation. This kind of counseling or consultation ought to be distinguished from extensive psychotherapy, which may be needed to address deeply entrenched personal issues that impede full functioning of

the person. If such extensive and in-depth therapy is necessary, it ought to take place outside of the seminary context prior to the decision concerning admission; or, if the necessity for such therapy emerges after admission, then the student ought to withdraw from the program and pursue the therapy before being considered for re­admission to the seminary and resuming his advancement to orders.

81. The norms and expectations of human formation for seminarians will, of course, vary according to the age of the person in formation as well as the particular stage of formation. One expects different levels of development in high school, college, pre-theology, and theology. It is advisable for each seminary to develop “markers of human formation” and identify them clearly for faculty and students. Resources for this can be found in Pastores dabo vobis, in the present document, and through a collaborative dialogue among seminary personnel across the nation.

82. It is both possible and necessary to integrate human formation with the other three pillars of formation—the spiritual, the intellectual, and the pastoral. Human formation is linked to spiritual formation by the Incarnate Word and by the fact that grace builds on nature and perfects nature. Human formation is linked to intellectual formation by the cultivation of the human functions of perception, analysis, and judgment. It also contributes to intellectual formation by enabling seminarians to pursue theology as a response to the questions of the human condition. Human formation is finally linked to pastoral formation, which enables a priest to connect with and care for others with his human personality. Conversely, pastoral formation sharpens his human skills and empathic capacities.

NORMS FOR HUMAN FORMATION

Aim of the Human Formation Program

83. Every seminary must have a program of human formation appropriate to the stage of the candidates’ preparation, which seeks to prepare men to be bridges for, not obstacles to, the spread of the Gospel. The identity to be fostered in the candidate is that he becomes a man of communion, that is, someone who makes a gift of himself and is able to receive the gift of others. He needs integrity and self-possession in order to make such a gift. The capacity to be fostered is the affective ability to engage in pastoral leadership with Jesus as the model shepherd.⁵⁹

84. This program must have a clear focus on the ordained priesthood as a vocation that brings the candidates to full human and spiritual potential through love of God and service of others. Through conferences by the rector and by others and through other formation activities, as well as by the theology taught in the academic program, the seminary should make explicit the Church’s doctrinal understanding of the ministerial priesthood on which its programs are based.

The Goals of Human Formation

85. The qualities to be fostered in a human formation program are: freedom, openness, honesty and flexibility, joy and inner peace, generosity and justice, personal maturity, interpersonal skills, common sense, aptitude for ministry, and growth “in moral sensibility and character.”⁶⁰

86. Candidates should give evidence of having interiorized their seminary formation. Growth in self-awareness and sound personal identity are the hallmarks of a healthy personality that establishes a secure basis for the spiritual life. Such growth may be demonstrated by: sound prudential judgment; sense of responsibility and personal initiative; a capacity for courageous and decisive leadership; an ability to establish and maintain wholesome friendships; and an ability to work in a collaborative, professional manner with women and men, foregoing self-interests in favor of cooperative effort for the common good.

The Candidate for Human Formation

87. Candidates bear the primary responsibility for their human formation. The role of the seminary is to assist them in achieving the aims of the Program of Priestly Formation.

88. The candidate’s human formation in the seminary is very much affected by the character formation he has received in his family, cultural background, and society. Just as the seminary recognizes that the positive qualities of a seminarian’s prior formation can both indicate a vocation and provide a solid foundation for further growth, it should also address possible deficiencies in the candidate’s earlier formation and find means to address them.

89. Human formation programs in the seminary should begin with the assumption that the candidates have the potential to move from self-preoccupation to an openness to transcendent values and a concern for the welfare of others; a history of sound and rewarding peer relationships; an ability to be honest with themselves and with others; and an ability to trust the Church and the agents of formation. Formation programs will not be very effective for those who manifest extreme inflexibility, narcissism, antisocial behavior or any other serious pathology, a lack of sexual integration, a deep and unresolved anger (especially against authority), a deep attachment to a materialist lifestyle, or compulsive behaviors or addictions.

Preparation for Celibacy

90. Preparation for celibacy is one of the primary aims of the human formation program of any seminary. The seminary must have a coordinated and multifaceted program of instruction, prayerful discernment, dialogue, and encouragement that will aid seminarians to understand the nature and purpose of celibate chastity and to embrace it wholeheartedly in their lives. Sexuality finds its authentic meaning in relation to mature love. Seminarians should understand and manifest a mature love as preparation for a celibate life. In doing so, the insights of modern psychology can be a considerable aid. The goal of psychosexual, social, and spiritual

development should be to form seminarians into chaste, celibate men who are loving pastors of the people they serve.⁶¹

91. The rector should hold periodic conferences on this topic, at least on a yearly basis, in which basic attitudinal and behavioral expectations about the practice of celibacy for priests and candidates for the priesthood are detailed. He should clearly delineate the kinds of attitudes and behaviors that are acceptable and praiseworthy and the kinds that are not. He should address the responsibilities, both now and later, of individual seminarians, for themselves and for the common reputation of the community and the priesthood. Clear, concrete terms must be used about the actual meaning of the celibate commitment in the seminary community, and later in priestly ministry, if presentations about the value of celibacy are to be persuasive or taken seriously.

92. Human formation for celibacy should aim toward an affective maturity, which is the ability to live a true and responsible love. Signs of affective maturity in the candidate are prudence, vigilance over body and spirit, compassion and care for others, ability to express and acknowledge emotions, and a capacity to esteem and respect interpersonal relationships between men and women. Therefore, true friendship is an education in affective maturity.

93. To live fully an effective life of celibate chastity requires: (a) a knowledge of one’s sexuality and sexual desires; (b) an acceptance and valuing of one’s sexuality as a good to be directed to God’s service; (c) a lifelong commitment to growth, which means continuously integrating one’s sexuality into a life and ministry shaped and expressed by celibate chastity. Certain habits or skills are necessary instruments on the path to effective and healthy celibate chastity, and these are to be encouraged in seminary programs. Among these habits and skills are: appropriate self disclosure, a cultivated capacity for self reflection, an ability to enter into peaceful solitude, ascetical practices that foster vigilance and self mastery over one’s impulses and drives, and a habit of modesty. An especially important practice is holding all persons in the mystery of God, whether they are encountered in the course of formal ministry or ordinary life. This practice means viewing all persons in God, interceding for them before God, and claiming responsibility to direct them to God.

94. A seminary human formation program should inculcate additional skills for celibate living as care for others, a deepening of the capacity to give and receive love, an ability to practice appropriate self-disclosure, an ability to develop and maintain healthy and inclusive peer friendships, an ability to set appropriate boundaries by choosing not to act on romantic feelings and by developing self-discipline in the face of temptation. A candidate must be prepared to accept wholeheartedly the Church’s teaching on sexuality in its entirety, be determined to master all sexual temptations, be prepared to meet the challenge of living chastely in all friendships, and, finally, be resolved to fashion his sexual desires and passions in such a way that he is able to live a healthy, celibate lifestyle that expresses self-gift in faithful and life-giving love: being attentive to others, helping them reach their potential, not giving up, and investing all one’s energies in the service of the Kingdom of God.

95. The seminary must have written guidelines for admission, evaluation, and community life that spell out its expectations regarding those attitudes, behaviors, and levels of psychosexual maturity that indicate a right mentality, proper motivation, and a commitment to celibate chastity. These guidelines should also specify unacceptable attitudes and behaviors that militate against such a commitment.

96. Any credible evidence in the candidate of a sexual attraction to children necessitates an immediate dismissal from the seminary.

Preparation for a Simplicity of Life

97. Human formation should cultivate a spirit of generosity, encouraging the seminarian to become a man for others and to curb expectations of entitlement. Manifestations of undue materialism and consumerism in the seminarian’s behavior should be confronted and corrected.

98. The formation program should articulate the distinctive qualities of simplicity of life appropriate for one preparing for priestly leadership. Simplicity of life is particularly important in our own age when human needs and desires are so consciously manipulated and exploited. A consumer society often reduces people to things, which are used and then discarded, plunging society more deeply into a world of objects, which ironically seem to possess us. In a consumer society, a right attitude toward the world and earthly goods is easily lost. That is why a seminarian has to be helped to cultivate personal self-discipline and asceticism. It is an important pastoral obligation of all priests who accompany people through the journey of life to acquire a sound and balanced perspective about earthly goods and possessions so that they can impart right attitudes to others.

99. The seminary should foster simplicity of life. Such an attitude is not disparaging of the world but sees it in light of freedom and service. Priests are able to understand correctly “that the Church’s mission is carried out in the midst of the world and that created goods are absolutely necessary for man’s personal progress.”⁶² They can also better appreciate that when the passion for acquisition and possession is curbed, the human capacity for appreciation and enjoyment of the world often is enhanced.

Preparation for Obedience

100. The seminary should articulate appropriate behaviors which manifest a healthy understanding of obedience. The exercise of authority and the response of obedience are works of grace, goodwill, and human effort that play a part in the life of every priest. Seminarians should appreciate and integrate the necessary role that authority and organization play in achieving and maintaining any community’s goals and purposes, as well as recognize the spiritual dimension of authority and obedience in the Catholic Church. Certainly, the pursuit of truth is the aim of all Christians. In that process, seminarians must manifest in heart and mind adherence to the Word of God and the Magisterium.⁶³

101. Seminaries should expect of seminarians a spirit of joyful trust, open dialogue, and generous cooperation with those in authority. As seminarians advance in their training they should be given more opportunity to exercise responsibility and freedom. At the same time, they should understand that accountability is always part of the exercise of freedom.

102. Seminaries should articulate that priestly obedience begins with humble and willing cooperation in seminary life, docility to direction, and wholehearted compliance with the seminary’s policies and programs. This will prepare seminarians to cooperate with their bishop⁶⁴ or superior, especially in the very practical matter of undertaking and faithfully fulfilling whatever sacred duty is given to them.⁶⁵

Resources for Human Formation

103. The rector of the seminary has the responsibility to delineate attitudinal and behavioral expectations regarding all aspects of human formation, especially those which are appropriate to a life of celibacy, a life of simplicity, and a life of obedience.

104. Seminary faculty should provide the guidance and direction necessary to help seminarians meet the challenge of emotional and psychosexual growth. In the area of emotional and personal development the best guidance the seminary faculty can give is the wholesome witness of their own lives. The priest members of the faculty form an important subgroup within the seminary community. Seminarians need the example of outstanding priests who model a wholesome way of life in the challenging circumstances of contemporary society. Regularly coming together for prayer, recreation, and theological reflection encourages growth in priestly fraternity and enables priests to act more effectively as authentic role models. The entire seminary staff, composed of priests, religious, and laity, comprises another significant group, who can model collegiality for the seminarians. Ways to foster the unity of this larger circle should also be developed.

105. The rector or his delegate should make provision for psychological and counseling services. He therefore ensures that those employed as counselors for seminarians are professionally licensed/certified, well versed in and supportive of the Church’s expectations of candidates for the priesthood, especially concerning celibacy, and that they will not encourage behaviors contrary to Church teachings. These services are made available to seminarians for their personal and emotional development as candidates for the priesthood. The counseling that is given should be consistent with the policy and practice of the total seminary program. Counseling is often a helpful tool in the candidate’s human formation. Its role, however, should not be overestimated. While psychology and the human sciences can be resources for human formation, they are not the same as human formation. Seminaries should draw up guidelines for psychologists describing objectively those traits and attitudes that indicate satisfactory progress toward the priesthood and those that indicate a lack of the requisite qualities needed for growth in human formation. The basis for such guidelines are the qualities articulated in this document. Seminarians in need of long-term therapy should avail themselves of such assistance before

entering the seminary, or should leave the program until the therapy has been completed. If such a departure be indicated, there should be no expectation of automatic readmission. A candidate should not be considered for advancement to Holy Orders if he is engaged in long-term psychological therapy. Issues being addressed in counseling should be satisfactorily settled prior to the call to Holy Orders. Clear and prudent guidelines are necessary for fostering the personal, emotional, and psychosexual development of seminarians in the context of a wholesome community.

II. SPIRITUAL FORMATION

106. Human formation leads to and finds its completion in spiritual formation. Human formation continues in conjunction with and in coordination with the spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions of formation. It steadily points to the center which is spiritual formation. “For every priest his spiritual formation is the core which unifies and gives life to his being a priest and his acting as a priest” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 45).

107. The basic principle of spiritual formation is contained in Pastores dabo vobis, no. 45, and is a synthesis of the teachings in Optatam totius: to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. This is the foundational call to discipleship and conversion of heart. Those who aspire to be sent on mission, as the apostles were, must first acquire the listening and learning heart of disciples. Jesus invited these apostles to come to him before he sent them out to others. Saint Augustine alluded to this double identity and commitment as disciple and apostle, when he said to his people, “With you I am a Christian, for you I am a bishop.”⁶⁶

108. To live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit is far more than a personal or individual relationship with the Lord; it is also a communion with the Church, which is his body. The spirituality that belongs to those who are priests or preparing for priesthood is at one and the same time Trinitarian, Christological, pneumatological, and ecclesial. It is a spirituality of communion rooted in the mystery of the Triune God and lived out in practical ways in the mystery of ecclesial communion.

109. The spirituality cultivated in the seminary is specifically priestly. Through the Sacraments of Initiation, seminarians already share in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ with other members of the Church. They also aspire to become priests who are configured to Christ, Head and Shepherd of the Church, our great high Priest. Therefore, their spirituality draws them into the priestly, self-sacrificial path of Jesus. He is the one whose service finds its high point in giving his life as a ransom for the many.⁶⁷ He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep “so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”⁶⁸ He is the bridegroom who loves his bride, the Church, “and handed himself over for her.”⁶⁹

110. Given these basic dimensions of priestly spirituality that are foundational to the program of spiritual formation in the seminary, the seminary should identify those characteristics and practices that foster its growth. It is a formation that includes:

•       Holy Eucharist: Spiritual formation is first and foremost a participation in public worship of the Church that is itself a participation in the heavenly liturgy offered by Christ, our great high priest. “We have such a high priest, who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.”⁷⁰ The Eucharistic sacrifice is both spiritual sustenance, the Bread of Life, and the transformation of our lives by the power of the self-giving and redeeming love of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. It is the source of pastoral charity, the love that animates and directs those who walk in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep so that they may live. As source and summit of the Christian life, the daily celebration of the Eucharist is the “essential moment of the day.”⁷¹

•       Sacrament of Penance: The Sacrament of Penance fosters the mature recognition of sin, continuous conversion of heart, growth in the virtues, and conformity to the mind of Christ. It is a school of compassion that teaches penitents how to live out God’s compassionate mercy in the world. The frequent celebration of the Sacrament of Penance is aided by the practice of a daily examination of conscience (CIC, 276§2, 5°).

•       Liturgy of the Hours: Through the Liturgy of the Hours, seminarians learn to pray with the Church and for the Church. They unite themselves with the Body of Christ in unceasing praise and petition. This prayer prepares them for their lifelong ministry as priests who pray on behalf of the whole Church. It also cultivates a mind and heart attuned to the whole Body of Christ, its needs, its sufferings, its graces, and its hopes.⁷²

•       Spiritual Direction: A regular meeting (at least once a month) with an approved spiritual director is an essential part of spiritual direction, especially in arriving at the interiorization and integration needed for growth in sanctity, virtue, and readiness for Holy Orders.

•       Bible: Receiving the Word of God proclaimed and preached in the Church or the quiet and personal assimilation of that holy Word in lectio divina enables those in formation to hear God’s communication to them as a transforming challenge and hope. To take on more fully the mind of Christ and to be steadily transformed by the Word of God, the seminarian ought to develop the habit of daily reflection on the Sacred Scriptures, by daily meditation on the lectionary readings and/or other reflective reading of the Scriptures.⁷³

•       Retreats and Days of Recollection: Regular periods of more intensive prayer will be part of the seminary year.

•       Personal Meditation: The habit of daily prayer and meditation enables seminarians to acquire a personalized sense of how God’s salvation has taken hold of their lives and

how they might respond to that great grace. This prayer happens in a context of silence and solitude in which they learn to be attuned to God’s movements in their lives. It grows and develops into a “contemplative attitude” that learns to find God in all things. It matures in such a way that it allows for a balanced and unified rhythm of life in action and contemplation, work and prayer, while providing the future priest with the strength, meaning, and focus he will need in his life.

•       Devotions: Devotional prayer, especially centered on Eucharistic Adoration, the Blessed Virgin Mary—in particular, the rosary—and the saints, assists seminarians in assimilating the mystery of Christ and hearing the invitation to live that mystery in the particular circumstances of their own life. Devotional prayer helps to sustain affective communion with the Lord and his Church. It also helps them to connect with the rich cultural diversity of devotional life in the United States and to appreciate devotional practices of other cultures.

•       Apostolic Dimensions: Spiritual formation also involves seeking Christ in people.⁷⁴ Especially in a seminary context, seminarians are to learn how prayer is to be lived out in service of others, particularly the poor, the sick, sinners, unbelievers, and the stranger, but extended to all in the outreach of charity and mercy, and in the quest for justice. Prayer is apostolic also in the sense that seminarians learn to pray for the needs of those they serve in order to teach others how to pray. Whatever growth and formation in prayer takes place, it is not simply meant for the personal enhancement of the seminarian but as a gift to be given in the course of his priestly mission and ministry for the benefit of the Church—for he is a servant of this body.

•       Asceticism and Penance: Spiritual formation initiates seminarians to a path of voluntary renunciation and self-denial that makes them more available to the will of God and more available to their people. Asceticism and the practice of penance is a path of learning to embrace the cross and, in an apostolic context, a way of rendering priests unafraid to bear their “share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God” (2 Tim 1:8).

•       Obedience: The obedience of those in spiritual formation for priesthood must be characterized by the willingness to hear God who speaks through his Word and through his Church and to answer his call with generosity. It is also a surrender of one’s own will for the sake of the larger mission. In this regard, the candidate for priesthood must develop a growing and deepening solidarity with the Church established by Christ, a solidarity with Church teaching so as to be able to present that teaching with conviction—having appropriated it as true, and a solidarity with ecclesial leadership to strengthen and sustain Church unity.

•       Celibacy: Spiritual formation in celibacy cultivates the evangelical motivations for embracing this commitment and way of life: the undivided love of the Lord, the spousal love for the Church, apostolic availability, and the witness to God’s promises and kingdom.⁷⁵

•       Simplicity of Life: Spiritual formation encourages a simple approach to the material goods of this world. Freed from excessive concern about possessions, priests and

seminarians and, particularly, religious are able to serve in an unencumbered way. To live with evangelical simplicity is to exercise responsible stewardship over God’s creation by using material goods in a way that is both responsive to the call of the Gospel and ecologically responsible. The witness of a genuine simplicity of life is especially important in the context of American affluence. Spiritual directors and mentors/advisors must be sensitive to seminarians’ stewardship of their own, the seminary’s, and the Church’s material resources. Spiritual formation for simplicity of life and stewardship flows directly from striving to have the mind of Christ Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, / did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. / Rather, he emptied himself . . .” (Phil 2:6-7a). This is the Lord Jesus who, again according to Saint Paul, ”for your sake . . . became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9).

•       Reconciliation: Spiritual formation fosters a reconciling spirit in those who aspire to be priests in the spirit of Jesus who prayed that “all might be one.” A peacemaking and nonviolent way of life marks out those who have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.⁷⁶ The power that is entrusted to God’s ministers, a power that takes many forms, must always be used for the good, peaceably, and in a way that expresses the trust invested in God’s priests.

•       Solidarity: The post-synodal exhortation Ecclesia in America identified the critical importance of the path of solidarity for the Church in the American hemisphere. “‘Solidarity is thus the fruit of the communion which is grounded in the mystery of the triune God, and in the Son of God who took flesh and died for all. It is expressed in Christian love which seeks the good of others, especially of those most in need.’ . . . For the particular Churches of the American continent, this is the source of a commitment to reciprocal solidarity and the sharing of the spiritual gifts and material goods with which God has blessed them, fostering in individuals a readiness to work where they are needed.”⁷⁷ This means that seminarians are to have a spiritual formation grounded in Trinitarian communion that leads them to solidarity with others, especially those most in need, a commitment to justice and peace, a reciprocal exchange of spiritual and material gifts, and an authentic missionary spirit expressed in a willingness to serve where needed.

•       Solitude: Spiritual formation must not neglect the art of “being alone with God,” moving the candidate from being alone or lonely to entering a holy solitude in communion with God.

•       Ongoing Spiritual Formation: The final goal of spiritual formation in the seminary is to establish attitudes, habits, and practices in the spiritual life that will continue after ordination. Spiritual formation in the seminary is meant to set the foundation for a lifetime of priestly ministry and spirituality.

111. The development of sound and lasting habits and attitudes in the spiritual life is a challenging process. Intensive spiritual formation experiences, for example, a Spirituality Year Program, a thirty-day retreat, a summer program, etc. are valuable means for facilitating this

process and should be considered for possible inclusion and integration into the seminary program.

112. Spiritual formation needs to be integrated with the other three pillars of formation—the human, the intellectual, and the pastoral. From human formation, spiritual formation assumes that the candidate has a basic relational capacity. In other words, the seminarian is able to enter into significant, even deep, relationships with other persons and with God. He is to be a “man of communion.”

113. Intellectual formation contributes to spiritual formation. The study of the traditions of faith and the experiences of faith among the saints and the people of God serves to deepen one’s own spiritual journey.

114. Pastoral formation is intimately linked with spiritual formation. In the process of spiritual formation, candidates are called to a greater and wider-ranging love of God and neighbor. When they respond positively to this invitation and grow in that love, they find the basis for pastoral and ministerial outreach that culminates in pastoral charity.

115. Since spiritual formation is the core that unifies the life of a priest, it stands at the heart of seminary life and is the center around which all other aspects are integrated. Human, intellectual, and pastoral formation are indispensable in developing the seminarian’s relationship and communion with God and his ability to communicate God’s truth and love to others in the likeness of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd and eternal High Priest.

NORMS FOR SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Prayer

116. The celebration of the Eucharist takes place daily and every member of the community ordinarily participates.⁷⁸ This includes a regularly scheduled Saturday morning Mass and Sunday community Mass. All priests who are not bound to celebrate individually for the pastoral benefit of the faithful should concelebrate at the community Mass in so far as possible.⁷⁹ Priest-faculty members concelebrate when they are present for Mass.

117. The seminary community must schedule the Liturgy of the Hours, especially Morning and Evening Prayer, on a daily basis.⁸⁰

118. The careful preparation and execution of liturgical celebrations should be supervised by the seminary director of liturgy. Because the liturgical life of the seminary shapes the sensitivities and attitudes of seminarians for future ministry, an authentic sense of the holy mysteries should be carefully preserved in all liturgical celebrations along with a care for their beauty and dignity (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, no. 5). The laws and prescriptions of approved

liturgical books are normative. Priest faculty should be particularly observant of the liturgical rubrics and avoid the insertion of any personal liturgical adaptations, unless they are authorized by the liturgical books.⁸¹ The seminary liturgy should also promote in seminarians a respect for legitimate, rubrically approved liturgical expressions of cultural diversity as well as the Church’s ancient liturgical patrimony.⁸² Priest-faculty should always be aware that they have a particular and serious responsibility to model for seminarians the proper way to preside at the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. All other teachers of liturgy as well as directors of music at the seminary are to be supportive of this norm.

119. Instruction should be given concerning the meaning and proper celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours and their benefits for spiritual growth in the seminary and for the communities that seminarians later will serve. Seminarians must be instructed to incorporate progressively all of the hours of the Liturgy of the Hours, beginning with Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, and then the Office of Readings, and, finally, the Daytime Hour and Night Prayer. This entire cycle should be a regular practice of each seminarian at least a year prior to his diaconate ordination.

120. Catechesis must be given concerning the Sacrament of Penance and its importance for priestly ministry and life. Communal celebrations of the Sacrament of Penance should be scheduled regularly, especially during Advent and Lent. The seminary must schedule frequent opportunities at various times during the week and encourage the individual celebration of the Sacrament of Penance. The seminary should ensure that other confessors for the Sacrament of Penance are available on a regular basis.⁸³ A priest-faculty member who has sole responsibility for external formation is not to hear seminarians’ confessions, nor may he comment on a seminarian-penitent’s advancement.⁸⁴ Each seminarian is encouraged to have a regular confessor, who ideally is also his spiritual director, with whom he can be completely honest, fully manifesting his conscience, and from whom he can receive ongoing guidance. This is not meant to limit the penitent’s liberty, since he is always free to approach other confessors, whether in the seminary or outside it.⁸⁵

121. The seminary program and spiritual direction should teach seminarians to value solitude and personal prayer as a necessary part of priestly spirituality. Occasions for silence and properly directed solitude should be provided during retreats and days of recollection.⁸⁶ An atmosphere of quiet should be provided within the seminary community on a daily basis to ensure an environment conducive for prayer.

122. Conferences, days of recollection, workshops, and retreats should be well organized and sponsored by the seminary and form a whole and coherent program of spiritual formation. An annual retreat of at least five days must be a part of the theologate program.⁸⁷

123. Guidance and instruction in methods of meditation, contemplation, lectio divina, and daily examen must be provided.

124. Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament must be encouraged. Scheduled hours of eucharistic exposition are particularly desirable to provide for special opportunities for the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the seminary. It is also desirable that seminarians develop a habit of personal visits to the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.

125. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and to the saints must be encouraged.⁸⁸ Opportunities for devotional prayer should be made available and encouraged. The rosary, “a compendium of the Gospel,”⁸⁹ is especially recommended as a means of contemplating Christ “in the school of Mary.”⁹⁰

126. The seminary should sponsor, on appropriate occasions, ecumenical events, including prayer services, with other Christians. Consideration should also be given to interaction with those of other religions.

Spiritual Direction

127. Seminarians should meet regularly, no less than once a month, with a priest spiritual director.⁹¹ Spiritual directors must be chosen from a list prepared by the director of spiritual formation. They should have proper training and adequate credentials for the work. These priests must be approved by the rector and appointed by the diocesan bishop or religious ordinary.⁹² In the case of religious seminarians, the formation director or religious superior offers guidance on an appropriate spiritual director for the seminarians under his care.

128. Seminarians should confide their personal history, personal relationships, prayer experiences, the cultivation of virtues, their temptations, and other significant topics to their spiritual director. If, for serious reason, there is a change of director, the new director ought to give attention to continuity in the seminarian’s spiritual development.

129. The spiritual director should foster an integration of spiritual formation, human formation, and character development consistent with priestly formation. The spiritual director assists the seminarian in acquiring the skills of spiritual discernment and plays a key role in helping the seminarian discern whether he is called to priesthood or to another vocation in the Church.

130. Those priests who do spiritual direction for seminarians must understand and support the full formation program. They also need to be integrated into the priestly community of the

seminary. The spiritual directors are thus aware that they are part of the whole seminary program and community.

131. Care should be taken to ensure that issues of human formation that properly belong to the external forum are not limited to the spiritual direction relationship for their resolution.

132. Because spiritual direction in a seminary context differs from spiritual direction more generally experienced in the Church, the seminary must explain to seminarians the purpose and process of spiritual direction in the seminary. This should include, for example: an understanding that spiritual direction is not an optional possibility but a seminary requirement; a recognition that seminary spiritual direction is concerned not only with the personal spiritual growth of seminarians but also with their preparation for service in the Church as priests; a knowledge that the spiritual direction process must take into account the limited time of the program and preparation for ordination and that, therefore, one ought to have passed certain thresholds of spiritual development and commitment at different points in the seminary program (in contrast to the open-ended nature of non-seminary spiritual direction); and an acceptance that a lack of readiness for spiritual direction itself ought to prompt a student to question his continuance in the seminary at this time and seriously to consider withdrawing from the program until he is ready.

133. Meetings with spiritual directors should be of sufficient frequency and duration to allow adequate opportunity to assist the seminarian in ongoing vocational discernment, proximate preparation for the reception of ministries and orders, and in formation for celibacy.

134. Disclosures that a seminarian makes in the course of spiritual direction belong to the internal forum. Consequently, the spiritual director is held to the strictest confidentiality concerning information received in spiritual direction. He may neither reveal it nor use it.⁹³ The only possible exception to this standard of confidentiality would be the case of grave, immediate, or mortal danger involving the directee or another person. If what is revealed in spiritual direction coincides with the celebration of the sacrament of Penance (in other words, what is revealed is revealed ad ordinem absolutionis), that is, the exchange not only takes place in the internal forum but also the sacramental forum, then the absolute strictures of the seal of confession hold, and no information may be revealed or used.

135. Although the rector may never ask a spiritual director about the content of a seminarian’s conversation, he can expect a spiritual director to confirm that a seminarian sees him at least monthly. The spiritual director should notify the rector if the director decides to discontinue spiritual direction with any student or if the student discontinues direction with him.

III. INTELLECTUAL FORMATION

136. There is a reciprocal relationship between spiritual and intellectual formation. The intellectual life nourishes the spiritual life, but the spiritual also opens vistas of understanding, in accordance with the classical adage credo ut intelligam (‘I believe in order to know’). Intellectual formation is integral to what it means to be human. “Intellectual formation . . . is a fundamental demand of man’s intelligence by which he ‘participates in the light of God’s mind’ and seeks to acquire a wisdom which in turn opens to and is directed towards knowing and adhering to God” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 51, citing Gaudium et Spes, no. 15).

137. The basic principle of intellectual formation for priesthood candidates is noted in Pastores dabo vobis, no. 51: “For the salvation of their brothers and sisters, they should seek an ever deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries.” Disciples are learners. The first task of intellectual formation is to acquire a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the fullness and completion of God’s revelation and the one Teacher. This saving knowledge is acquired not only once, but it is continuously appropriated and deepened, so that it becomes more and more part of us. Seminary intellectual formation assumes and prolongs the catechesis and mystagogia that is to be part of every Christian’s journey of faith. At the same time, this knowledge is not simply for personal possession but is destined to be shared in the community of faith. And that is why it is “for the salvation of their brothers and sisters.” Intellectual formation has an apostolic and missionary purpose and finality.

138. In the seminary program, intellectual formation culminates in a deepened understanding of the mysteries of faith that is pastorally oriented toward effective priestly ministry, especially preaching. This understanding, however, requires previous intellectual formation and academic integrity as foundational. The overall goal of every stage of seminary formation is to prepare a candidate who is widely knowledgeable of the human condition, deeply engaged in a process of understanding divine revelation, and adequately skilled in communicating his knowledge to as many people as possible. Moreover, continuing education after ordination is a necessity for effective ministry.

139. The intellectual formation of the candidate must be directed to the ecclesial dimensions of priestly formation, namely, the teaching office (munus docendi) of the priesthood. The doctrinal, educational, catechetical, and apologetical aspects of a candidate’s training are to prepare the seminarian to be a faithful, loyal, and authentic teacher of the Gospel. As a man of the Church, the priest preaches and teaches in fidelity to the magisterium, particularly the Holy Father and the diocesan bishop. The intellectual formation program must emphasize the intrinsic relationship between the knowledge gained in theological preparation with the ecclesial dimensions of priestly service since the education of a priest is never seen in isolation from the Tradition of the Church.

The Context of Intellectual Formation

140. The context of intellectual formation in the United States at the beginning of the twenty-first century is important to note, because it highlights the specific challenges that both seminaries and seminarians face in the process of intellectual formation. Among the elements of context are the following:

•       Many candidates approach the seminary with significant educational background. They are, however, often narrowly educated, that is, they may have great expertise in a particular area and have a high level of technical training, but lack a wide background. Often lacking is education in the humanities, which would enable them

to study theology effectively and make pastoral connections with the lives of the people whom they will serve.

•       Older candidates approach the seminary with considerable life experience, but they may have lost contact with formal patterns of study in school. Their age may seem to warrant that they be moved through the seminarian program quickly, or that they be given a program that has been reduced in expectations. This latter trend, however, is to be resisted.

•       International candidates may arrive at the seminary with a limited knowledge of the English language as well as a limited understanding of United States culture. These limitations present significant challenges for teaching and learning. Unless there is sufficient familiarity with language and culture, the study of theology will be severely impeded.

•       Candidates coming from a United States cultural context, even though they may be young and have had exposure to the liberal arts in college, may bring with them the limitations of the culture’s understanding of the human person as well as the limitations of a philosophical milieu that is suspicious of enduring, absolute moral values and objective truths. Unless these candidates are grounded in an adequate philosophical and theological anthropology, they will struggle to make sense of their theological studies and its application in pastoral practice.

•       Candidates apply to seminary programs with backgrounds of varied religious experiences and varied levels of catechetical formation.

Stages in Preparation for Theology

141. There are four possible preparatory stages of seminary formation prior to the study of theology and immediate preparation for priestly ordination and ministry. They include: high school seminary, college seminary, cultural preparation programs, and pre-theology. These preparatory phases are explained in the following paragraphs.

High School Seminary

142. In the high school seminary, students acquire the basic skills and knowledge that enable them to pursue higher education. Catechesis should occupy a central position in the program of a high school seminary. This should include a solid foundation in spirituality and Catholic moral values.

143. A good high school education is a value in itself and an important step in the development of a priestly vocation. The primary intellectual goal of a high-school-level seminary program should be a well-rounded secondary education as a preparation for college. Such formation must present the best available academic program, taking into consideration the needs of the student and the multicultural character of today’s Church. It should combine creativity, sound pedagogy, and a concern for academic standards.

144. A good high school education must meet the educational requirements of local and state accreditation agencies. In addition, a high school seminary program should strive for excellence and take the necessary steps for students to achieve it. Good teachers, well-prepared courses, a coherent and well-planned curriculum, which provides remedial courses when necessary, are all elements that comprise a good high school education.

145. The academic program of a high school seminary should be sensitive to the multicultural character of its student body.

College Seminary

146. In the college seminary, students follow a double course of intellectual formation. They first pursue the liberal arts through which they acquire a sense of the great human questions contained in the arts and sciences. They synthesize and organize their study of the liberal arts through the study of philosophy, which also serves as a preparation for the study of theology. This two-fold college program also initiates students to the study of theology that will, of course, be pursued in greater depth in the theologate. A good college seminary program promotes excellence and takes necessary steps for students to achieve it.

Liberal Arts

147. A sound liberal arts education for candidates preparing for the priesthood provides multiple benefits. The study of the natural world and of humanity in all its historical and cultural diversity represents a significant value in its own right. Such an education encourages intellectual curiosity, promotes critical thought, and fosters disciplined habits of study. A liberal arts education also teaches students to communicate with others in a clear and effective way.

148. A liberal arts education gives students an introduction into the wider range of human learning. Studies in mathematics and natural science, in the social and behavioral sciences, in history, literature, foreign languages—both ancient (Latin and Greek) and modern—communication skills, and the fine arts define the content of a liberal arts curriculum.

149. A liberal education also has a special value as a preparation for the study of theology. The liberal arts have traditionally provided college-level candidates with an understanding of the cultural roots of their faith. By understanding the human sciences, they can comprehend better the world in which God acts. By grasping how faith and culture have interacted in the past, they gain some insight into the working of God’s plan in larger historical events.

150. The curriculum should also strive to take into consideration contemporary issues of the day in intellectual, cultural, social, economic, and political life as they pertain to moral and religious topics. Such an approach stimulates students to deeper study by building on current knowledge and interests. The authentic teaching of the Church on such issues should be clearly and cogently presented. The curriculum should introduce students to the basic teachings of the faith as well as to the richness and diversity of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

151. A liberal arts education normally involves a field of concentrated study. Philosophy has historically been considered the most appropriate area of concentration for college seminarians. Every college seminary should offer philosophy as the preferred major field of study. Other liberal arts may be appropriate fields of concentration for some students. The choice of another major should be evaluated on an individual basis.

Philosophy

152. “The study of philosophy is fundamental and indispensable to the structure of theological studies and to the formation of candidates for the priesthood. It is not by chance that the curriculum of theological studies is preceded by a time of special study of philosophy.”⁹⁴ In priestly formation, at least two full years should be dedicated to the philosophical disciplines.⁹⁵ This can be satisfied in the context of the college seminary program or the two-year pre-theology program.

153. There is an “intimate bond which ties theological work to the philosophical search for truth.”⁹⁶ It is essential that seminarians develop an understanding of the relationship between faith and reason and the relationship and interaction between philosophy and theology. “A proper philosophical training is vital, not only because of the links between the great philosophical questions and the mysteries of salvation which are studied in theology under the guidance of the higher light of faith, but also vis-à-vis an extremely widespread cultural situation which emphasizes subjectivism as a criterion and measure of truth: only a sound philosophy can help candidates for the priesthood to develop a reflective awareness of the fundamental relationship that exists between the human spirit and truth, that truth which is revealed to us fully in Jesus Christ” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 52).

154. The study of philosophy is not just part of intellectual formation, but is also connected to human, spiritual, and pastoral formation. Issues about priestly identity and the apostolic and missionary dimensions of priestly ministry “are closely linked to the question about the nature of truth.” Philosophy serves “as a guarantee of that certainty of truth which is the only firm basis for a total giving of oneself to Jesus and to the Church” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 52).

155. The seminary philosophy program of studies should be balanced, comprehensive, integrated, and coherent. The philosophy program must include substantial studies in the history of philosophy treating ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary philosophy.

•       The study of the history of philosophy helps seminarians understand philosophical issues as they have developed in the Western philosophical tradition and, more particularly, in the Catholic intellectual tradition that has been both shaped by and contributed to the shape of the Western philosophical tradition. The knowledge of philosophy, with its powerful impact on theology and theologians, is necessary in order to appreciate the richness of our theological tradition.

•       At the same time, it prepares seminarians for priestly ministry. By living more reflectively in the historical Catholic intellectual tradition, seminarians are better equipped for their ministry of teaching the faith and better prepared to engage contemporary culture, better prepared for the “evangelization of culture,” which is integral to the new evangelization. In this regard, some treatment of American philosophy or social thought is also helpful for seminarians in understanding the dynamics of contemporary society in the United States.

156. The philosophy program must include the study of logic, epistemology, philosophy of nature, metaphysics, natural theology, anthropology, and ethics:

•       The study of logic helps seminarians to develop their critical and analytical abilities and become clearer thinkers who will be better able rationally to present, discuss, and defend the truths of the faith.

•       The study of epistemology, the investigation of the nature and properties of knowledge, helps seminarians see “that human knowledge is capable of gathering from contingent reality objective and necessary truths,”⁹⁷ while recognizing also the limits of human knowledge. Moreover, it reinforces their understanding of the relationship between reason and revelation. They come to appreciate the power of reason to know the truth and, yet, as they confront the limits of the powers of human reason, they are opened to look to revelation for a fuller knowledge of those truths that exceed the power of human reason.

•       The study of the philosophy of nature, which treats fundamental principles like substance, form, matter, causality, motion, and the soul, provides seminarians a foundation for the study of metaphysics, natural theology, anthropology, and ethics.

•       The study of metaphysics helps seminarians explore fundamental issues concerning the nature of reality and see that reality and truth transcend the empirical. “A philosophy which shuns metaphysics would be radically unsuited to the task of mediation in the understanding of revelation.”⁹⁸ As the seminarian confronts the questions about the nature of being, he gains a deeper understanding and appreciation of God as the source of all being, and gains some sense of how profound is this truth. A strong background in metaphysics also gives him the structure and ability to discuss certain theological concepts that depend on metaphysics for their articulation and explanation.

•       The study of natural theology, which treats the existence of God and the attributes of God by means of the natural light of reason, provides a foundation for the seminarian’s study of theology and the knowledge of God by means of revelation.

•       The study of philosophical anthropology helps seminarians explore “the authentic spirituality of man, leading to a theocentric ethic, transcending earthly life, and at the same time open to the social dimension of man.”⁹⁹ The philosophical study of “the human person, his fulfillment in intersubjectivity, his destiny, his inalienable rights, and his ‘nuptial character’ as one of the primary elements which is expressive of human nature and constitutive of society”¹⁰⁰ provides a foundation for the seminarian’s study of theological anthropology.

•       The study of ethics, which treats general principles of ethical decision-making, provides seminarians with a solid grounding in themes like conscience, freedom, law, responsibility, virtue and guilt. Ethics also considers the common good and virtue of

solidarity as central to Christian social political philosophy. It provides a foundation for the seminarian’s study of moral theology.

157. “Philosophical instruction must be grounded in the perennially valid philosophical heritage and also take into account philosophical investigation over the course of time. It is to be taught in such a way that it perfects the human development of students, sharpens their minds, and makes them better able to pursue theological studies.”¹⁰¹ The philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas should be given the recognition that the Church accords it.¹⁰² Especially in the courses on the history of philosophy, there should be a significant treatment of Saint Thomas’ thought, along with its ancient sources and its later development. The fruitful relationship between philosophy and theology in the Christian tradition should be explored through studies in Thomistic thought as well as that of other great Christian theologians who were also great philosophers. These include certain fathers of the Church, medieval doctors, and recent Christian thinkers in the Western and Eastern traditions.¹⁰³

Undergraduate Theology

158. College-level seminarians should also begin the study of theology, with undergraduate courses that focus on the fundamental beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith. In particular, they should concentrate on those elements of the faith that may have been overlooked or neglected in the students’ earlier religious education and that stand as a presupposition for all forms of graduate theological study. College-level theology courses should study the themes contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, including courses on Catholic doctrine, liturgy and sacraments, Catholic morality, Christian prayer, and Sacred Scripture. All seminarians should be thoroughly acquainted with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its contents as a source for “a full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine” and for “the requirements of contemporary catechetical instruction.”¹⁰⁴

159. From the beginning, students should learn to relate theology to the larger mission of the Church in the public sphere. College-level theology courses are intended as preparation for studies in the theologate, not as a replacement for them.

Cultural Preparation Programs

160. In some dioceses, international candidates have an opportunity to learn the English language and study United States culture as a prelude to their preparation for priestly ministry in

a theologate in the United States. In addition to the study of United States history, culture, and language, these programs may also supplement the seminarians’ college, philosophical, and even pastoral background as a preparation for graduate-level study of theology.

Pre-Theology

161. Pre-theology programs, often organized in conjunction with a theologate or college seminary, prepare seminarians who have completed college but lack the philosophical and theological background and other areas necessary to pursue graduate-level theology. The study of philosophy is central to the academic formation of all pre-theology programs. The philosophical and theological preparation of pre-theology seminarians ought to match the requirements, as described above, for seminarians in a college seminary program, in particular, the 30 credit hours of philosophy. The temptation to abbreviate or circumvent requirements for pre-theology seminarians ought to be strenuously avoided.

162. Besides philosophical and theological studies, the pre-theology program should strive to provide seminarians with an understanding of the historical and cultural context of their faith. Those who begin pre-theology without a solid liberal arts education should be provided a curriculum that supplies for lacunae in this area. The Catholic intellectual tradition (e.g. literature and the arts) should be a part of such a curriculum. Education in rhetoric and communications as well as language study is appropriate for a pre-theology course of studies. Latin and Greek are especially important. The study of Spanish or other languages used where one will serve in pastoral ministry should be included in the course of studies throughout the period of priestly formation, including pre-theology.

Graduate Theology

163. Ultimately, intellectual formation in the seminary program centers on theology as a search for “an ever deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 51). This kind of theological study, which far exceeds a purely technical approach to “religious phenomena,” unfolds in the following ways:

•       Theology in seminary intellectual formation is truly to be fides quaerens intellectum, faith seeking understanding.¹⁰⁵ This direction is not the same as the approach of religious studies or the history of religions. The seminary study of theology begins in faith and ends in faith, as should all true theological inquiry and study.

•       In a seminary or priestly formation context, the study of theology is oriented to one’s own faith and also to the faith of others. In other words, the study of theology is apostolically motivated. “For the salvation of their brothers and sisters they should seek an ever deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 51).

•       At the same time, this study of theology, as we have already noted, enriches and expands the personal faith of the seminarian studying it.¹⁰⁶

•       When theology is studied in the context of priestly formation, it cannot be detached from other human knowledge. In fact, it is to be integrated with other elements of human understanding, especially philosophy and the human sciences.¹⁰⁷

•       The seminary study of theology, because it begins in faith and ends in faith, must also flow from prayer and lead to prayer.¹⁰⁸

•       In a particular way, the theology studied in preparation for priestly ministry must find integration and focus in the liturgy, the celebration of the Mystery of Christ.

•       Because theology studied in light of priestly mission and ministry must be directed to a practical wisdom, it must offer a complete and unified vision of the truths of faith.¹⁰⁹ This wisdom and unified vision, then, is something that can be conveyed in the priest’s preaching, that allows him to bring the Word of God into dialogue with the contemporary human situation.¹¹⁰

•       Because theology is rooted in the Church’s faith and serves the faith of the Church, it must be studied in complete and faithful communion with the Magisterium.¹¹¹

•       Theology studied in a seminary and destined to contribute to the mission of the Church through priestly ministry must necessarily be concerned about restoring Christian unity. Theological studies must impart an adequate grasp of the Catholic principles on ecumenism.¹¹² The ecumenical imperative that flows from the prayer of Christ for his flock and the renewed vision of the Second Vatican Council demand this focus.

•       Theology’s theoretical and practical dimensions in priestly mission and ministry mean that it must be rigorous both academically and pastorally in its orientation.¹¹³

•       Finally, the study of theology must be an initiation into a lifelong study of the truths of faith. If the priest is to be a teacher, he must first be a student who continuously pursues an understanding of the faith to which he commits himself and invites his people.

Integration of Intellectual Formation with the Other Pillars

164. Intellectual formation is closely related to the other three pillars of formation. As it develops the gift of human intelligence and so enables it to be in service to one’s brothers and sisters in faith, intellectual formation complements and guides human formation. Intellectual formation applies not only to a comprehensive understanding of the mysteries of the Catholic faith, but also to an ability to explain and even defend the reasoning that supports those truths. In this way, it provides those who are being formed spiritually with a knowledge of the Lord and his ways which they embrace in faith. Finally, intellectual formation through the study of

theology enables priests to contemplate, share, and communicate the mysteries of faith with others. In this way, it has an essentially pastoral orientation.

NORMS FOR INTELLECTUAL FORMATION

INTELLECTUAL FORMATION—HIGH SCHOOL SEMINARIES: NORMS

165. A well-organized and comprehensive academic curriculum, staffed by competent teachers, is essential.

166. Proper resources and adequate facilities for students and faculty to achieve the ends of sound secondary education should be provided.

167. The linguistic and cultural situation of the students must be taken into consideration in planning and executing the curriculum.

168. The program should provide for the special needs of students of varied cultural heritages.

169. The very reason for their existence presumes that high school seminaries offer an excellent curriculum of religious instruction. In addition to the major themes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, these programs should provide courses in Church history and Catholic social teaching. The goal of this catechesis is to engage the young student in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and call forth a deep commitment to his mission and message to the world.

170. High school seminary religion courses should use only those texts found to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church (by the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for the Implementation of the Catechism).

171. High school seminaries must require a classic college preparatory program. This program should include English, literature, world and American history, mathematics, science, speech, government, music, and art.

172. The study of Latin and Greek represents a valuable component in a serious high school education and is strongly advised. The study of modern languages, especially Spanish, is also strongly advised. For international seminarians, proficiency with the English language is to be encouraged at this level, along with familiarity of United States culture.

173. Academic counseling should be provided in light of college seminary requirements and entrance prerequisites.

174. High school seminaries must have a fully accredited academic program.

INTELLECTUAL FORMATION—COLLEGE SEMINARIES: NORMS

175. College seminarians should earn a bachelor of arts degree from their accredited college seminary. If such a degree is not available from their college seminary, they may earn the degree at a college or university associated with the seminary.

176. A college seminary program must offer courses in philosophy and undergraduate theology or provide for them at a Catholic college or university that possesses a complete curriculum of philosophical and theological studies.

177. Philosophy and theology teachers in college seminaries are expected to make a profession of faith and have a canonical mission.¹¹⁴

178. Sound philosophical formation requires a biennium of study, which is understood in the United States to be at least 30 semester credit hours,¹¹⁵ together with the out-of-classroom work associated with each credit hour traditionally expected in American higher education. The philosophical curriculum must include the study of the history of philosophy (ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary), logic, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of nature, natural theology, anthropology and ethics.

179. A minimum of 12 semester credit hours must be required in appropriate courses of undergraduate theology. These courses should study the themes of the Catechism (doctrine, liturgy and sacraments, morality, prayer) as well as Sacred Scripture.

180. The academic dean and ultimately the rector should be vigilant that the philosophical and theological instruction received at a college/university is consistent with magisterial teaching and the requirements as stated in this Program of Priestly Formation.

181. Programs that utilize colleges and universities for philosophy and theological studies should carefully and consistently monitor the content and quality of those courses. It is essential that philosophical instruction be grounded in the perennially valid philosophical heritage, as well as take into account philosophical investigation over the course of time.¹¹⁶

182. The curriculum of studies of college seminarians must include a grounding in the liberal arts and sciences, including studies in the humanities. Special attention is to be given to classical and foreign languages. A knowledge of Latin and the biblical languages is foundational and should be given the emphasis that the Church accords it.¹¹⁷ Particular attention must be given to ensure that before entering the theologate all seminarians can demonstrate that they have acquired that “knowledge of Latin which will enable them to understand and make use of so many scientific sources and of the documents of the Church,” according to the insistence of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council.¹¹⁸ The study of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures as well as other pastorally appropriate languages and cultures is recommended. In some

cases, an English Language Program (ELP) may form an important part of the program. Since preaching is at the heart of priestly ministry, college seminaries should include courses in writing and speech.

183. Educational standards should not be so rigid or restrictive as to close the door to candidates who are lacking in some dimension of the required educational background. Remedial help should be provided to such students so that their academic deficiencies may be overcome.

184. Excellence in education at the college level demands access to a strong library with print, non-print, and electronic resources, that is professionally staffed, as required by accrediting agencies.

INTELLECTUAL FORMATION—PRE-THEOLOGY: NORMS

185. Because two full years should be dedicated to the philosophical disciplines,¹¹⁹ pre-theology programs should extend for at least two calendar years in length.

186. Sound philosophical formation requires a biennium of study, which is understood in the United States to be at least 30 semester credit hours¹²⁰ together with the out-of-classroom work associated with each credit hour traditionally expected in American higher education. The philosophical curriculum must include the study of the history of philosophy (ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary), logic, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of nature, natural theology, anthropology, and ethics. Seminaries should ensure that the philosophy is appropriate for studying Catholic theology and explore creative curricular strategies so that students can grasp the linkage between philosophical insights and theological frameworks.

187. A minimum of 12 semester credit hours is required in appropriate courses of undergraduate theology, which provide a solid foundation in Catholic doctrine through a thorough study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These courses should study the themes of the Catechism (doctrine, liturgy and sacraments, morality, prayer) as well as Sacred Scripture.

188. Programs that utilize colleges and universities for philosophy and theological studies should carefully and consistently monitor the content and quality of their students’ courses. It is essential that philosophical instruction be grounded in the perennially valid philosophical heritage, as well as taking into account philosophical investigations over the course of time.¹²¹

189. A knowledge of Latin and the biblical languages is foundational and should be given the emphasis that church teaching accords it.¹²² Particular attention must be given to ensure that before entering the theologate all seminarians can demonstrate that they have acquired that “knowledge of Latin which will enable them to understand and make use of the sources of so many sciences and the documents of the Church,” according to the insistence of the Fathers of

the Second Vatican Council.¹²³ The study of Spanish should also be encouraged. Facility with other liturgical and spoken languages may be necessary for those of the Eastern Churches.

190. Paralleling other levels of intellectual formation, pre-theology programs are encouraged to consider offering the civilly-recognized bachelor in philosophy (PhB), a two-year degree program, which presumes a previous bachelor’s degree (preferably in the liberal arts), but does not require a liberal arts component. Such a degree requires regional accreditation.

INTELLECTUAL FORMATION—THEOLOGATES: NORMS

191. At least four full years should be dedicated to graduate theological studies.

192. Graduate theological studies require an appropriate and sound philosophical formation. Those requirements, identified in the norms on college seminaries and pre-theology programs, are prerequisite for theological studies (see nos. 175 to 184 of this document, on admissions).

193. Teachers of theology in seminaries are expected to make a profession of faith and have a canonical mission.¹²⁴

194. The academic curriculum as a whole should have a discernible and coherent unity.

195. The curriculum must reflect the specialized nature of priestly formation and assist seminarians in developing a clear understanding of the ministerial priesthood.

196. Due consideration should be given in theological formation to its pastoral aim. Theological studies should be designed with the pastoral goal in view, recognizing that the pastoral character of priestly formation applies to intellectual formation as well as to the other areas of formation.¹²⁵

197. The core should include Fundamental Theology, the basis of the rational procedure of all theology, and thus, the introduction to the study of theology.¹²⁶

198. The various theological disciplines should recognize Sacred Scripture as foundational and as the point of departure and soul of all theology. ¹²⁷

199. In Scripture, the core should include the study of the Pentateuch, the historical, prophetic and wisdom (especially the Psalms) books of the Old Testament, the Synoptic Gospels and Acts, Pauline and Johannine literature, and the Catholic epistles.

­200. The proper understanding of Sacred Scripture requires the use of the historical-critical method, though this method is not totally sufficient. Other methods that are synchronic in approach are helpful in bringing forth the riches contained in the biblical texts.¹²⁸ The study of Scripture and its interpretation should take into account the preparation of seminarians for the tasks of preaching homilies and applying Scripture to the lives of the Christian faithful.¹²⁹

201. Patristic studies constitute an essential part of theological studies. Theology should draw from the works of the Fathers of the Church that have lasting value within the living tradition of the Church. The core should include Patrology (an overview of the life and writings of the Fathers of the Church) and Patristics (an overview of the theological thought of the Fathers of the Church).¹³⁰

202. In dogmatic theology, the core must include theology of God, One and Three, Christology, Creation, the Fall and the nature of sin, redemption, grace and the human person, ecclesiology, sacraments, eschatology, Mariology,¹³¹ and missiology.¹³² A separate course on Holy Orders, with a thorough study of the nature and mission of the ministerial priesthood including a history and theology of celibacy, is required.

203. The Church enjoins pastors “to neglect nothing with a view to a well-organized and well-oriented catechetical effort” and, since “all pastors have a duty to provide it,” evangelization and catechesis should have a prominent place in the seminary curriculum.¹³³ A sound study of the content and methods of catechesis not only prepares the seminarian for his task as a minister of the Word, but also provides the possibility of a synthetic moment in the curriculum when an integrated unity can be brought to his years of theological study.¹³⁴

204. In moral theology, the core must include fundamental moral theology, medical-moral Ethics, sexual morality, and social ethics.

205. Moral theology should be taught in a way that draws deeply from Sacred Scripture and Tradition, refers to the natural law and absolute moral norms, and gives consideration to the results of the natural and human sciences. The close link between moral, spiritual and dogmatic theology should be evident. The pastoral task of priests as ministers of the Sacrament of Penance should also be kept in mind in the teaching of moral theology.¹³⁵

206. The importance of a clear grasp of the principles of medical-moral ethics cannot be underestimated for the future priest in the contemporary culture. Special attention during his preparation should be given to the fundamental respect for human life from conception to natural death and to the moral evils of and pastoral means of addressing contraception, abortion, and euthanasia.

207. The teaching of sexual ethics must be thorough and unambiguous in its presentation of the authentic teaching of the Church in sexual moral matters—presuming a mature biological and basic social scientific understanding of human sexuality. This is a matter of special import since the seminarian’s formation in celibate chastity includes the intellectual assent to, and embrace of, the Church’s moral teachings in matters of sexuality.

208. The social teaching of the Church must be presented in its entirety with appropriate principles of reflection, criteria for judgment and norms for action. The systematic study of the social encyclicals of the popes is especially recommended.¹³⁶

209. Adequate instruction must be given in professional ethics appropriate to priesthood and priestly ministry.

210. In historical studies, the core should include courses on the history of the Church universal and the history of the Catholic Church in the United States that would be taught in a way which reflects her multicultural origins and ecumenical context. Among historical studies, the study of patristics and the lives of the saints are of special importance.

211. In canon law, the core should include a general introduction to canon law and the canon law of individual sacraments, including but not limited to the Sacrament of Matrimony. Additional courses in canon law, particularly on Books II (“The People of God”) and V (“The Temporal Goods of the Church”) of the Code of Canon Law, and Titles I (“The Rights and Obligations of All the Christian Faithful”), VII (“Eparchies and Bishops”), X (“Clerics”), and XXIII (“The Temporal Goods of the Church”) of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, would assist seminarians in preparing for their pastoral ministry.¹³⁷

212. Studies in spirituality and spiritual direction are to be included. Spirituality studies the Catholic spiritual tradition, provides practical directives for the Christian call to perfection, and proposes principles of discernment for individual as well as group spiritual experiences. This study should also explore the spirituality of various vocations, especially the priesthood and consecrated life. Spiritual Direction teaches the art of fostering the spiritual life of those entrusted to one’s care.

213. In liturgy, the core should include studies in the theological, historical, spiritual, pastoral, and juridical aspects of liturgy.¹³⁸

214. Seminarians must learn to celebrate all of the Church’s sacred rites according to the mind of the Church, without addition or subtraction. Liturgical practica should include the celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments, with particular attention given to the practicum for the Sacrament of Penance. Seminarians should be introduced to the official liturgical books used by the clergy and to the Church’s directives for music, art, and architecture.¹³⁹

215. Homiletics should occupy a prominent place in the core curriculum and be integrated into the entire course of studies. In addition to the principles of biblical interpretation, catechesis, and communications theory, seminarians should also learn the practical skills needed to communicate the Gospel as proclaimed by the Church in an effective and appropriate manner. Seminarians should be taught that “[t]hrough the course of the liturgical year, the homily sets forth the mysteries of faith and the standards of the Christian life on the basis of the sacred text.”¹⁴⁰ Seminarians should also be afforded opportunities to preach outside of Eucharistic celebrations and receive proper assessment. Where appropriate, seminarians should be able to demonstrate a capacity for bilingual preaching.

216. The core should include an introductory course in ecumenism that treats the Catholic Church’s commitment to the principles of ecumenism, the fundamental role of ecumenical dialogue, and current ecumenical issues. In addition, ecumenism should be fully integrated into other courses, thus permeating the theological curriculum. Issues concerning interreligious dialogue also should be discussed. Particularly important is an awareness of the world religions and their relationship to Christianity. This is especially true of Judaism, Islam, and certain Asian religions.

217. Studies in pastoral theology are required and should include treatment of the principles and criteria for pastoral action and provide for theological reflection where seminarians are involved in supervised pastoral placements.¹⁴¹ Pastoral studies should include training in pastoral counseling, where seminarians are to learn how to address concerns brought to them by parishioners for whom they can reasonably offer counsel and how to make appropriate referrals for issues beyond their competence.

218. Due emphasis should be given in the various theological disciplines to the topic of marriage and the family. There should be interdisciplinary cooperation and the curriculum should be organized so that the topic of the family becomes an important dimension of pastoral and intellectual formation.¹⁴²

219. Although various theological schools exist within the Catholic tradition, in accord with church teaching, the significance of Saint Thomas Aquinas as the model and guide for study and research in theology should be recognized.¹⁴³

220. Throughout the academic curriculum, questions of theological methodology should be emphasized so that students learn to evaluate the strengths and limitations of various theological viewpoints in light of the Magisterium of the Church.

221. All methodologies employed must be clear on the distinction and relation between truths revealed by God and contained in the deposit of faith, and their theological mode of expression.¹⁴⁴

222. The normative function of the Magisterium must be presented as Christ’s gift to His Church: the vital, integral, and authoritative voice in the theological enterprise.

223. Courses in theology, history, and liturgy, where appropriate, should include the role and contribution of the Eastern Churches.¹⁴⁵

224. Studies in the belief and practices of other churches, ecclesial communities, or religions may be profitably taught by members of those churches or religions after students have completed the regular course studies on ecclesiology and the Catholic principles on ecumenism, and with respect for the rule that in seminary studies professors of the doctrinal courses should be Catholics.¹⁴⁶ The prescriptions of the Ecumenical Directory (70-81; 192-195) are to be followed.

225. Theological formation in seminaries must clearly respect traditional doctrinal formulations of the faith while recognizing contemporary modes of theological expression and explanation.

226. Theological education for the priesthood should resist any tendency to reduce theology to a merely historical, sociological investigation or a comparative study of religions.

227. The entire academic program should be taught in such a way that it makes seminarians aware that they have a responsibility to continue their theological and pastoral education after ordination.

228. The theological curriculum, both in its planning and its execution, should address the unique needs of a multicultural society. The study of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures as well as other pastorally appropriate languages and cultures is essential for most dioceses and is strongly recommended for all seminarians.¹⁴⁷

229. Throughout the curriculum, the biblical, theological, ethical, and historical foundations of the Church’s teaching on social justice should be highlighted.¹⁴⁸

230. Seminarians should receive an introduction to the principles, methods, and skills of catechesis and teaching. Teaching opportunities may be offered as a part of field education and pastoral placements.

231. In the United States, the first professional degree, master of divinity, is the recognized standard for preparation of students for ordained ministry across the broad spectrum of institutions of graduate theological education. Its curriculum incorporates the requirements of the Program of Priestly Formation. Seminaries in the United States whenever possible should offer a master of arts degree in theology to provide a deeper understanding of the theological disciplines for general educational purposes or for further graduate study. In addition, seminaries are also encouraged to offer the ecclesiastical degrees of bachelor in theology (STB) and the licentiate in theology (STL) either by affiliating with an ecclesiastical faculty or by special arrangement with the Congregation for Catholic Education.

232. Seminaries ought to have degree programs certified by appropriate accrediting agencies. Students should not be excused from pursuing such degrees except for serious reasons. A seminarian is normally expected to obtain the master of divinity and/or the STB degree prior to ordination.

233. As an essential resource for seminarians’ life of study and reflection, the library collection of books and periodicals should be carefully maintained and appropriately expanded. Excellence in education at the theology level demands access to a strong, professionally staffed library with print, non-print, and electronic resources, as required by accrediting agencies.

234. Contemporary pedagogical methods that incorporate technological advances should be encouraged.

235. Diocesan bishops and religious ordinaries should be encouraged to designate students who complete their basic program with honors for further study after sufficient pastoral experience.

IV. PASTORAL FORMATION

236. All four pillars of formation are interwoven and go forward concurrently. Still, in a certain sense, pastoral formation is the culmination of the entire formation process: “The whole formation imparted to candidates for the priesthood aims at preparing them to enter into communion with the charity of Christ the Good Shepherd. Hence, their formation in its different aspects must have a fundamentally pastoral character” (Pastores dabo vobis, no. 57).

237. In virtue of the grace of Holy Orders, a priest is able to stand and act in the community in the name and person of Jesus Christ, Head and Shepherd of the Church. This sacramental character needs to be completed by the personal and pastoral formation of the priest, who appropriates “the mind of Christ,” and effectively communicates the mysteries of faith through his human personality as a bridge, through his personal witness of faith rooted in his spiritual life, and through his knowledge of faith. These elements of formation converge in pastoral formation.

238. The basic principle of pastoral formation is enunciated in Pastores dabo vobis, no. 57, in its citation of Optatam totius, no. 4: “The whole training of the students should have as its object to make them true shepherds of souls after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, teacher, priest, and shepherd.” To be a true “shepherd of souls” means standing with and for Christ in the community, the Christ who teaches and sanctifies and guides or leads the community. The grace to be a shepherd comes with ordination. That grace, however, calls for the priest’s personal commitment to develop the knowledge and skills to teach and preach well, to celebrate the sacraments both properly and prayerfully, and to respond to people’s needs as well as to take initiatives in the community that holy leadership requires.

239. The aim of pastoral formation—the formation of a “true shepherd” who teaches, sanctifies, and governs or leads—implies that such formation must include a number of essential elements:

•       Proclamation of the Word: Pastoral formation needs to emphasize the proclamation of God’s Word, which indeed is the first task of the priest.¹⁴⁹ This proclamation ministry is aimed at the conversion of sinners and is rooted in the seminarian/preacher’s ability to listen deeply to the lived experiences and realities of the faithful. This listening is followed by the preacher’s ability to interpret those lived experiences in the light of Sacred Scripture and the Church’s tradition.¹⁵⁰ Understanding this intersection of God’s Word and human experiences, the seminarian/preacher initiates a lifelong mission and ministry of bringing God’s Word to the world through preaching and teaching. This requires that the seminarian couple the deepest convictions of faith with the development of his communication skills so that God’s Word may be effectively expressed.

•       The sacramental dimension: The celebration of the sacraments is central to the priest’s ministry. Although the seminarian cannot celebrate the sacraments as a priest does, he can accompany priests who do and he can prepare those who participate in them. In this way, he begins to have a sense of what his sacramental ministry will entail. He will come to appreciate the sacraments as part of his future public ministry for the salvation of souls and understand more clearly how the Church’s sacraments, especially the Eucharist, nourish and sustain God’s people.

•       The missionary dimension: All priests are to have the heart of missionaries.¹⁵¹ The Church is truest to her identity when she is an evangelizing Church. This is because the very nature of the Church is missionary.¹⁵² Seminarians should be given an opportunity to become acquainted with the work of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the Missionary Congregations of Religious, the home missions and the missionary tradition over the centuries. An exposure to the Church’s missionary work during the years of formation can be beneficial to the seminarian, his discernment, and his future ministry.

•       The community dimension: Pastoral formation must initiate seminarians to the care, guidance, and leadership that are extended to a community. The pastor is to be a man

of communion and shepherd of a flock. In the United States context of individualism, the concern is that “pastoral formation” and “pastoral care” might otherwise be limited to one-to-one contact. Pastoral ministry is primarily directed to a community and then to individuals within that community.

•       Skills for effective public ministry: Seminarians need to learn how to make available in service to God’s people all the formation that has proceeded (the human, the spiritual, and the intellectual). This means the acquisition of certain skills, for example, an ability to communicate the mysteries of faith in clear and readily comprehensible language¹⁵³ using media appropriate to the social context. At the same time, pastoral formation means more than acquiring skills. It signifies a level of personal development, fitting for a priest who acts in the person of Jesus Christ, Head and Shepherd of the Church. Effective public ministry means, for example, the cultivation of a flexibility of spirit that enables the priest to relate to people across a number of different cultures and theological and ecclesial outlooks. Formation must help the seminarian put on both the mind and heart of Christ, the Good Shepherd.¹⁵⁴

•       A personal synthesis for practical use: Another way of viewing pastoral formation is to see it as a process linking the elements of human, spiritual, and intellectual formation in such a way that they can be put to practical use for others, especially in a parish context.¹⁵⁵ In a parish internship experience, for example, the seminarian draws on the experience before him in the parish and asks how his human, spiritual, and intellectual formation makes a difference. With due attention to the disciplines of the Church, preaching might be one instance of a theoretical, personal, and practical synthesis. In this and other ways, he revisits his formation and views it through the lens of practice, application, and impact.

•       An initiation to various practical, pastoral experiences, especially in parishes: It is important not to sacrifice human, spiritual, and intellectual formation for practical experience. Still, it is essential to cultivate pastoral formation and to enhance and integrate the other dimensions of formation so that the seminarian has opportunities to experience pastoral life firsthand.¹⁵⁶ Seminaries have initiated students into pastoral experiences and reflection on them in a variety of ways: concurrent field placements, pastoral quarters or internships, clinical pastoral education, and diaconate internships. Whatever the setting, it is necessary that it facilitate learning. It is also necessary that there be a guide, mentor, or teacher who accompanies the student and helps him to learn from the experience. In addition, there should be a priest supervisor who helps the student enter into the specifically priestly dimension of the ministry.¹⁵⁷ In these experiences, the student first enters the scene as an observer, then raises questions to understand what is happening, and finally relates it to his other formation. He ought then to practice or try to do what the situation requires. After that, he can profit from supervision which helps him to assess what happened and gives him feedback. A process of theological reflection follows which identifies the faith assumptions and convictions underlying both the situation and the ministerial response. Theological

reflection thus provides an opportunity for personal synthesis, the clarification of motivations, and the development of directions for life and ministry. And the final step, of course, is in fact to return to the ministry or pastoral situation, but now with more knowledge and ability and a better inner sense of direction because of an enriched spiritual life and a more deeply grounded sense of priestly identity. It is the responsibility of the diocesan bishop, religious ordinary, and the rectors to ensure that the Catholic, sacramental dimension of pastoral care is integral to all such programs in which seminarians participate.

•       Cultural sensitivity: Pastoral formation must flow from and move towards an appreciation of the multifaceted reality of the Church.¹⁵⁸ In the United States, this means a genuine appreciation of the diversity that marks the Catholic Church as well as the diversity that typifies this society generally. Seminarians need exposure to the many cultures and languages that belong to the Catholic Church in the United States. They should know how to welcome migrants and refugees pastorally, liturgically, and culturally. Simultaneously, they should assist newcomers to adapt themselves into the mainstream without each one losing their own identity.¹⁵⁹

•       Religious Pluralism: They also need to know, appreciate, and learn how to work within the ecumenical and interfaith context that forms a backdrop for life in the United States and for the Catholic Church in this nation.

•       Formation for a particular presbyterate and a local Church: All pastoral formation must be profoundly ecclesial in nature. One of its principal aims is the familiarization of seminarians with the local Church that they will serve and especially the priests with whom they will be co-workers with the bishop. This dimension of pastoral formation not only means absorbing information about the local Church and presbyterate, but, more importantly, cultivating bonds of affective communion and learning how to be at home in the place where one will serve and with the priests with whom one will serve. Seminarians should see their future priestly assignments as something wider than their own preference and choice, but rather as a sharing in a far wider vision of the needs of the local Church.

•       The poor: If seminarians are to be formed after the model of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came “to bring glad tidings to the poor,” then they must have sustained contact with those who are privileged in God’s eyes—the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering. In the course of these encounters, they learn to cultivate a preferential option for the poor. They also need to become aware of the social contexts and structures that can breed injustice as well as ways of promoting more just contexts and structures.

•       Leadership development: Pastoral formation means that seminarians learn how to take spiritual initiatives and direct a community into action or movement. That leadership also includes a dimension of practical administration. The pastoral formation program should provide opportunities for seminarians to acquire the basic administrative skills necessary for effective pastoral leadership, recognizing that programs of continuing education and ongoing formation will be necessary to equip newly ordained priests to

assume future responsibilities as pastors. Additional leadership skills include: an ability to manage the physical and financial resources of the parish, including educating parishioners about the gospel value of stewardship, and an ability to organize parochial life effectively to achieve the goals of the new evangelization.

•       The cultivation of personal qualities: In the current situation in the United States, parish life is blessed with many people who serve—permanent deacons, men and women religious, professional lay ministers, volunteers, and members of parish and diocesan consultative bodies. To direct others and to work well with them, priests need a number of personal qualities. A seminarian who aspires to serve as a priest needs to cultivate these qualities in the process of pastoral formation. They include: a sense of responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, a spirit of collaboration with others, an ability to facilitate resolution of conflicts, a flexibility of spirit that is able to make adjustments for new and unexpected circumstances, an availability to those who serve and those who are served, and, finally, zeal—or the ardent desire to bring all people closer to the Lord.

240. Pastoral formation depends in great measure on the quality of supervision. To serve as a supervisor of seminarians calls for experience, competence, and generosity. Priests and others who serve as supervisors, mentors, and teachers are an extension of the faculty of the seminary. It is important that this identification with priestly formation become part of the mindset of pastoral staffs that serve to initiate seminarians to pastoral life. When on-site pastoral formation is seen as an integral part of priestly formation, then pastoral staffs must accept a special responsibility in the name of the Church for the direction and help they provide to seminarians. These priests and those associated with them must have certain qualities that include loyal commitment to priestly formation, patience, honesty, an almost instinctive way of thinking theologically in pastoral situations, and a habit of prayer that permeates the ministry.

241. Clearly, pastoral formation not only connects with the other three pillars of priestly formation, in itself it provides a goal that integrates the other dimensions. Human formation enables priests to be bridges to communicate Jesus Christ, a pastoral function. Spiritual formation enables priests to persevere in and give depth to their ministry. Intellectual formation provides criteria and content to ensure that pastoral efforts are directed correctly, properly, and effectively.

NORMS FOR PASTORAL FORMATION

242. Every seminary is required to offer a coordinated program of pastoral formation that forms candidates for the priesthood who are able to support men and women in answering the universal call to holiness.¹⁶⁰

243. The pastoral formation program should be an integral part of the seminary curriculum and accredited as such, but none of its elements should compromise the two years of full-time pre-theology studies or the four years of full-time theological studies.

244. The goals and objectives of the pastoral formation program should be clearly stated and serve as the basis for the evaluation of seminarians in this area. This statement should also include a description of professional ministerial ethics.

245. The director of pastoral formation should be a priest with faculty status, possess the requisite parochial experience and professional expertise, and participate in professional organizations in the area of seminary pastoral formation. The director should model a love for priestly ministry in the Church.

246. The pastoral formation program should provide seminarians with a broad exposure to supervised pastoral service, with primary emphasis on parish ministry.

247. Determinations about the concurrent or intensive residency (on-site) program should be made by the seminary in collaboration with the dioceses or religious institutes or societies it serves. Seminaries and dioceses that make provision for on-site experiences are also responsible for ensuring that these experiences help seminarians develop skills and attitudes that will enhance their future priestly ministry and which, when ecumenical in nature, for example, CPE, are respectful of the Catholic teaching, especially on moral or ethical issues. It is the responsibility of the diocesan bishop, religious ordinary and the rectors to ensure that the Catholic, sacramental dimension of pastoral care is integral to all such programs in which seminarians participate.

248. Supervision, theological reflection, and evaluation are necessary components of an effective pastoral program. Although theological reflection can help the development of pastoral skills, its primary purpose is to interpret pastoral experience or activity in light of Scripture, Church teaching, personal faith, and pastoral practices. Reflection of this kind should become a lifelong habit in priestly ministry.

249. On-site supervisors should be carefully selected with an eye to their dedication to the Church and respect for the priesthood. They should be taught the skills of pastoral supervision and evaluation. In choosing pastoral internships and summer placements and their supervisors, bishops and vocation personnel should consider carefully the particular needs of individual seminarians and the available time and supervisory skills of the supervisors.

250. In addition to on-site supervisors, others collaborating in the various ministries, as well as those served, should be asked to participate in the evaluation of seminarians in ministry.

251. The pastoral formation program should provide the seminarians with experience in working with and for the poor. Participation in ecumenical and interreligious programs of social action and outreach is also helpful.

252. The program should include placements in which seminarians will experience the richness and diversity of the various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups that compose the Catholic Church in the United States. Such placements can also provide opportunities to sharpen language skills.

253. However the pastoral formation program is organized, it must pay attention to the seminarians’ need to root a life of service in personal prayer. Seminarians need supervision in developing the habit of prayer in the context of pastoral activity and in learning to establish a rhythm of life that provides an appropriate balance of prayer, service, study, exercise, and leisure. Priest-supervisors and mentors should be chosen who model this balance in their own life and ministry. Evaluation of seminarians in ministerial placements should include observations leading to a growing accountability in these areas.

254. The seminary should attempt to keep before its diocesan seminarians the prospect of their future incorporation into a particular diocese and its presbyterate. Seminarians should have opportunities and receive encouragement to learn about their diocesan structures and offices as well as to become acquainted with the priests who comprise the presbyterate.

255. Pre-theology programs should include a program for pastoral formation that introduces seminarians, perhaps for the first time, to pastoral activity. Seminarians should be directed by qualified supervisors who are able to provide orientation to pastoral activity, basic skills development, and the beginnings of theological reflection.

256. College seminaries should provide a required program of apostolic activity, under the direction of a qualified director who has faculty status. Evaluation of college seminarians should include consideration of their performance in pastoral formation programs. They should be encouraged to understand the relationship of their apostolic activity to their personal, spiritual, and academic formation as well as their ongoing discernment of a priestly vocation.

257. In high school seminaries, opportunities for Christian service, both within and outside the seminary, should be provided according to a student’s level of maturity in order to develop a capacity for generous self-giving.

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