The "goodness" of tomorrow's priests will heavily depend on the "quality" of today's educators. Yet, the seminary remains an appropriate and indispensable place to receive a priestly formation that adequately takes into account today's challenges, especially that of a culturally globalized world.

These are some of the conclusions arrived at by the second Week Long Seminar for Seminary Formers, organized from February 6-10 by the Center for Priestly Formation of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross regarding the theme "The Ministry of Direction in Seminaries."

The initiative--which coincided temporally with the Symposium of Bishops and Religious Superiors held at the Gregorian University on the topic of sexual abuse--is a clear manifestation of the Church's desire to offer a response that reaches the heart of the problem: the formation of priestly candidates.

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About 70 seminary educators from around the world attended the meeting: men of the Curia, Bishops in charge of vocations, and university professors with experience in priestly formation. A lively dialog between participants and speakers made possible the clarification of concrete details, as well as the exchange of valuable experiences capable of confronting the challenges found in the contemporary world.

Vocational Discernment and the Selection of Candidates

In his discussion concerning the "Discernment of Suitability for Holy Orders," the Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, H.E. Msgr. Celso Morga explained how defections within the priesthood can undoubtedly be reduced through greater reflection upon a candidate's conditions. “Cultural mobility, social and economic expectations, and conditioning received by the family,” should be taken into account, as well as many “conflicts that could arise from an ideological pastoral mindset"

It is further necessary to adequately discern all of a candidate’s "internal factors," These regard "rigidity of personality, lack of physical or psychological health, intellectual deception or disillusionment with love, drastic conversions, egoism, the fragmentation of religious formation, and lack of self-control…."

Nevertheless, with facts in hand, the Prelate demonstrated how the whole Church saw "a sustained increase in the number of priests," during the ‘80’s. This was coupled with an attention that privileged a "higher quality in their selection," so much so, that in practice "only a third of the seminarians" were ordained.

Msgr. Agostino Superbo, Archbishop of Potenza and Vice President of the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops, presented criteria for selecting priestly candidates. He showed how institutional requirements (the willingness to give oneself fully for the Gospel, human and intellectual qualities favoring disinterested service to others, and an open personality) should be integrated with the good of the young man himself, "who must remain the protagonist of his own biography."

In vocational discernment therefore, it is indispensable to consider "the family and Christian community from which the candidate comes, and to be in continuous dialog with them." It is important to respect both this "preliminary phase" of preparation for the seminary, as well as the prudent use of  "an eventual pause of period of formation” to reflect when that " that can help "overcome difficulties and increase maturity."

The Identikit of Rectors and Formers

Drawing upon the experience he has developed throughout the years, Msgr. Paolo Rabitti, Archbishop of Ferrara-Comacchio, sketched the characteristics that a seminary rector should possess in order to adequately perform his role. He should be "a man of God, complete and well prepared, with a willingness to fully dedicate himself, and an invincible love for Christ and the Church." He must be "transparent, more a father than a teacher, patient and kind, and upright in spirit."

A Rector should also maintain "full cooperation with his Bishop, respect for the priesthood, and a demanding, paternal love for educators." He himself must be "committed to life-long formation."

The identikit of seminary formers on the other hand was presented by the Archbishop of Tacna and Moquegua in Perù, Msgr. Marco Antonio Cortez Lara. He spoke about men who are "firm in the faith, with a strong priestly identity and mature personality." They should be "secure in their own vocation, learned, prudent and wise and open to others." In one word, they are men of "integrity," in such a way that they are "credible for young people" and capable of attracting them "more through the witness of a joyful and authentic life, than by discipline or theoretical teaching."

Formers should be capable therefore, of "working with passion and truth" within the different aspects of pastoral care. Always in contact with the real needs of the faithful, they must know how to transform the seminary into a meeting place for "the whole diocesan presbytery, young and old"  while remaining "open to all of the Church's charismas."

The Seminary Environment

The seminary is "not a mere passing phase, but a time to prepare oneself for the priesthood," stated the Auxiliary Bishop of Milan, Msgr. Mauro Delpini. It is a time "to become capable of easily uniting one's 'life in common' with pastoral charity and future priestly fraternity." For this reason regulation of the seminary must be "unchanging, accepted, and shared--yet, not oppressive, since educative values are not imparted by imposition, but by convincing."

Professor José María La Porte, Dean of the School of Institutional Communications, later explained how much of a healthy life of a seminary depends on the flow of external relationships and internal communications found at every level of decision making. At the same time, Prof. La Porte emphasized the importance of generating trust and avoiding a bureaucratic mentality.

"Loyalty, efficaciousness, and joy" are results that come from a capacity to listen and work in teams, from placing value on small, ordinary things, and from a disposition to confront problems as opportunities and not as annoyances. At the same time, truth within relationships "is what will render every word and action a vehicle of fraternity and life in common." In this way, a seminary will be "characterized by acts of charity” and not become “a school of mere hypocrisy dressed up as diplomacy."

Consideration must also be given to the structures that receive seminarians, explained Professor Fernando Puig. "The house’s external environment should facilitate the exercise of human virtues essential to priestly ministry," he stated. This is achieved mainly through "detachment from temporal goods," and the capacity to "take care of them, enhance them, and place them in the service of others."

The Roman Curia's perspective was also present at the Seminar, offered by both Cardinal Grocholewski, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, and the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Msgr. Juan Ignacio Arrieta. Msgr. Arrieta spoke about authority as service to the Church, and highlighted among the qualities appropriate to pastors "fedelity, prudence, and goodness."