Formation

The human personality of the priest is to be a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ (PDV 43). The priest is thus to be a man of virtue, demonstrating affective maturity, and reflecting as far as possible the human perfection of Jesus. His life will be marked by genuine human freedom, strong moral character, prudence and discernment, empathy, the ability to listen and to communicate, and the capacity to assume the life of a public person (Program of Priestly Formation, 76). In a concentrated way, human formation will include the spiritual and psychological preparation for a life of healthy and joyful celibate chastity.

The spiritual formation of a priest begins with the foundational call to a life of discipleship and conversion of heart, so that he may live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit (cf. PDV 45). Such a life of communion with God is more than a personal or individual relationship with the Lord; it is always mediated through the Church, which is His Body. The spirituality cultivated in the seminary is therefore specifically priestly: 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. Hallmarks of a seminarian’s mature spiritual life will include a profound devotion to the Holy Eucharist and the liturgical life of the Church, a commitment to regular Confession, spiritual direction, a love for the Holy Scriptures, personal meditation and devotions, a special love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, asceticism and penance, as well as simplicity of life and obedience.

As rational beings, the intellectual life is part of what it means to be human. Each disciple, then, must be a learner, beginning with a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, the fullness and completion of God’s revelation and the one Teacher. Seminary intellectual formation further deepens the catechesis that is a part of every Christian’s formation, since it is destined to be shared in the community of faith, in the Church; it thus has an apostolic and missionary purpose and finality (PPF 137). The seminarian’s intellectual formation will therefore include a more systematic understanding of the mysteries of faith oriented towards priestly ministry, especially preaching. Underlying this theological formation are rigorous academic and intellectual habits that are developed prior to major seminary, as well as a broad education in the liberal arts, culture, communication skills, and especially philosophy that are presumed for the higher sciences.

Pastoral formation is, so to speak, the culmination of the previous three pillars of formation, since the end of the seminary process is to form a man who is capable of standing and acting in the community in the name and person of Jesus Christ as Shepherd of the Church. The priest is to appropriate the “mind of Christ” and communicate the mysteries of faith through his human personality as a bridge, through his personal witness of discipleship rooted in his spiritual life, and through his capacity to articulate the faith which he has come to know and love (cf. PPF 237). In a manner appropriate to those not yet in major seminary, candidates for the priesthood at Saint John Paul II will receive pastoral formation aimed at effective public ministry, a personal synthesis of their formation for pastoral application, and an initiation into various pastoral experiences, especially among the poor and the elderly.