From February 1st to 5th, the Center for Priestly Formation has organized a Study Week dedicated to the spiritual formation of the candidates to the priesthood.

Objeto desconocido
With this initiative, the CFS wanted to contribute to the ongoing formation of priests dedicated to the formation of candidates to the priesthood, offering a suitable environment to share their experiences and reflect on proposals from specially qualified rapporteurs in the field.

IV Settimana di studio per formatori di seminari

About eighty participants -rectors, spiritual directors and formators- coming from dioceses of several continents have gathered in the Aula Alvaro del Portillo of the University to deepen and exchange experiences about their work in seminars around the world.

The workshop was inaugurated by S.E.R. Mons. Jorge Carlos Patrón Wong, Jorge Carlos Patron Wong, Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy. Quoting various interventions of Pope Francisco, Mons. Patron said that "there is a need for priests who have the compassionate heart of the Good Shepherd, and thus become channels of the grace and mercy of the Father." For this service to the Christian people, candidates need "a mature personality, a deep spirituality, a strong academic and cultural preparation, a pastoral and missionary sensibility aimed by charity". Hence the importance of spiritual formation, which, in short, "seeks to arouse in candidates for the priesthood desire for holiness." The task of those who have a job at the seminar is therefore to "train the man, the disciple, the priest, in an harmony as integrated as possible between prayer, pastoral and culture."

It has been particularly suggestive the participation of several Bishops who have departed from his own experience as seminary rectors or formators, or the attention paid today to their candidates. Thus, S.E.R. Msgr. Arturo Aiello, Bishop of Teano-Calvi, spoke about education to communion; S.E.R. Msgr. Stefano Manetti, Bishop of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza, focused on communication in spiritual fatherhood; S.E.R. Msgr. Francesco Marino, Bishop of Avellino, spoke about the role of the formator; and S.E.R. Msgr. José María Yanguas, Bishop di Cuenca (Spain), spoke on priestly spirituality.

The other speakers were professors of pontifical universities or priests who work in the formation of priests and seminarians. Msgr. Luis Romera, rector of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, spoke about the anthropological foundations of spiritual formation; Msgr. Guillaume Derville focused his presentation on education to chastity, and Prof. Paul O'Callaghan deepened on the role of spiritual director at the seminary.

There were also conferences about the various dimensions of the piety of the candidates: Eucharistic life (Msgr. Rosario La Delfa), prayer (Prof. Javier Lopez) and penance (Rev. Alfredo Ruiz de Gámiz).

The afternoon sessions had a more practical and interactive orientation, with workshop format, dedicated to books for spiritual formation (moderated by Prof. Laurent Touze), retreats and spiritual exercises (Prof. Javier Canosa) and relations between psychology and spiritual life (Prof. Wenceslao Vial).