Program of Priestly Formation

§97 “It is the Bishop who is primarily responsible for admission to the Seminary and formation for the priesthood."144Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 128." This is expressed in his choice of rector and members of the community of formators, as well as his approval of the seminary Rule of Life. In addition to his administrative responsibilities concerning the seminary, the bishop should “establish a trustful dialogue with seminarians, so as to enable them to be sincere and open.”145Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 128. For this to occur, it is important that bishops spend regular time with seminarians, both in one-on-one meetings and in visits to the seminary.146See CIC, cc. 259 §2, 396-397, 628; CCEO, cc. 205, 356 §2, 420. Similarly, the competent authority of the ecclesiastical entity should foster and promote the vocations of his men preparing for priesthood. The presbyterate, in communion with the diocesan bishop, can serve as companions in helping men to attain formation benchmarks.

§98 The rector, because of his responsibility for the formation program as a whole, must take an active part in the accompaniment of seminarians. The rector is “to be a priest distinguished by prudence, wisdom and balance, someone highly competent,”147Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 134. who is seen as the father of the entire seminary community. It is the rector who sets the tone for the seminary—a tone which must be characterized by trust and mutual respect. “With fraternal charity, he will establish a profound and loyal cooperation with the other formators. He is the legal representative of the Seminary, both ecclesiastically and civilly.”148Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 134. It is the rector who has daily care for supervision of all aspects of formation in the seminary.149See CIC, c. 260. He provides regular (at least annual) reports to the diocesan bishop or competent authority of the ecclesiastical entity on the status of each seminarian. Therefore, while other formators, professors, and specialists will assist the rector in his duties, it is important that he know each seminarian personally.

§99 A seminarian must be assigned to an individual priest formator who is in residence in the seminary. This priest is responsible for accompanying the seminarian through that particular stage of formation. This formator accompanies the seminarian in the external forum and is responsible for personalizing the work of seminary formation for an individual seminarian as well as engaging in the discernment process that oversees the suitability of the seminarian for continuation.150See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 132. The formator is at the service of the mystery of vocation in the seminarian. He helps to discern whether such a call is present and to foster it to its fullness by relating to the man as a shepherd and a father.

§100 Just as Jesus accompanied his Apostles and offered them individual formation along the way, so also “seminarians need to be accompanied in a personal way in the various stages of their journey by those entrusted with the work of formation.”151Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 44. The growth of human formation happens generally in a threefold process of self-knowledge, moving to self-possession, and finally to self-gift, and all this in a context of faith.152See USCCB Committee on Priestly Formation, Spiritual Formation in the Catholic Seminary (1982). This is a gradual process of growth that integrates both the human and spiritual life of the man and leads to a deepening of interior freedom. The growth of interior freedom leads ultimately to a configuration to Christ and thus makes him capable and willing to live the Paschal Mystery of Christ in his own life. The formator accompanies the man in this gradual growth process and assists “the seminarian in becoming aware of his condition, of the talents that he has received, and of his frailties, so that he can become ever more receptive to the action of grace.”153Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 46. This dialogue will involve challenge and encouragement, correction and accountability, as the formator listens to the deeper motives behind the actions of the seminarian and helps him to integrate the various aspects of his life. It will require cultivating in the seminarian attitudes that promote living a life of virtue. It requires truly knowing the seminarian and his particular growth needs. To this end, “it is important that every seminarian be aware of his own life history, and be ready to share it with his formators. This would include especially his experience of childhood and adolescence, the influence that his family and his relatives have exercised upon him, his ability to establish mature and well balanced interpersonal relationships, or his lack thereof, and his ability to handle positively moments of solitude.”154Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 94. Such accompaniment must bring together all the aspects of the human person, allowing him to surrender his whole life to Christ in obedience and interior freedom. “In fact it is only in the crucified and risen Christ that this path of integration finds meaning and completion; all things are united in him (see Eph 1:10).”155Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 29.

§101 The key element in this formative accompaniment is mutual trust. It is essential that “the seminarian should know himself and let himself be known.”156Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 45. This openness is required for real formation to happen. If a man hides his struggles in formation, growth cannot happen. The seminary community should seek to create the conditions that foster this peaceful climate of trust and mutual confidence through relationships marked by “fraternity, empathy, understanding, the ability to listen and to share, and especially a coherent witness of life.”157Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 47. This climate of mutual confidence will be helped by the formators accompanying the seminarians outside of formal meetings in meals, recreation, and other potentially formative experiences. These times can provide excellent opportunities to know the seminarians and provide the formation that comes from witness of life and ordinary encounters. When the seminarian experiences that the priest formators live true fatherhood seeking his good, and that the life of the seminary is marked by a spirit of true fraternity, this trust will not be difficult to establish.158See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 52.

§102 To arrive at the necessary depth of formation, conversations between the formator and the seminarian should normally occur about once a month.159See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 46. Just as it is beneficial for seminarians to remain with the same spiritual director for longer periods of time, it is preferable that one formator work with the seminarian in the external forum throughout each particular stage of formation. When possible it is advantageous for a seminarian to have the same formator for even longer than one stage of formation.

§103 The Church is clear about the importance of the role of this priest formator and the needed formation for it:

The formator must exercise discretion when it comes to the lives of seminarians. Each formator should be possessed of human, spiritual, pastoral and professional abilities and resources, so as to provide the right kind of accompaniment that is balanced and respectful of the freedom and the conscience of the other person, and that will help him in his human and spiritual growth. Moreover, those who are marked out to become formators need a specific preparation and generous dedication to this important task. Formators are needed who can ensure their full-time presence and who, above all else, are witnesses of how to love and serve the people of God, giving themselves without reserve for the Church.160Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 49.

§104 Seminarians must meet regularly with a priest spiritual director, normally biweekly.161See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 107. Spiritual directors must be chosen freely from a list prepared by the coordinator 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 competent authority.162See CIC, c. 239 §2; CCEO, c. 339 §1. In the case of seminarians for an institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life, the formation director or competent authority of the institute or society offers guidance on an appropriate spiritual director for the seminarians under his care.

§105 Seminarians should confide their personal history, personal relationships, prayer experiences, their 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 should give attention to continuity in the seminarian’s spiritual development.

§106 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.

§107 Those priests who engage in 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.163See Ratio Fundamentalis, nos. 132-133.

§108 Care is to 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. Likewise, the spiritual director should be prepared to encourage that a seminarian bring to the external forum characteristics within him which would preclude the freedom to be advanced or ordained.

§109 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 preparation for ordination and that, therefore, one should have passed certain thresholds of spiritual development and commitment at different points in the seminary program (in contrast to the open-ended nature of nonseminary spiritual direction); and an acceptance that a lack of readiness for spiritual direction itself should prompt a seminarian to question his continuance in the seminary and seriously consider withdrawing from the program until he is ready.164For example, see Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders.

§110 Meetings with spiritual directors are to be of sufficient frequency, normally biweekly, and sufficient duration to allow adequate opportunity to assist the seminarian in ongoing vocational discernment, proximate preparation for the reception of ministries and Holy Orders, and formation for celibacy.

§111 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.165See CIC, c. 240 §2; CCEO, c. 339 §3. Although the civil legal requirements might vary from state to state, 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.166See Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, art. 4. 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 takes place not only in the nonsacramental internal forum but also in the sacramental internal forum—then the absolute canonical strictures of the seal of confession hold, and no information may be revealed or used.

§112 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 biweekly. The spiritual director must notify the rector if the director decides to discontinue spiritual direction with any seminarian or if the seminarian discontinues direction with him.

§113 Although priestly formation necessarily includes agents of formation who must be priests, it is essential that a seminarian’s formation be truly ecclesial through the formal participation of lay members of the seminary community. The laity, particularly women, offer insightful recommendations, opinions, and points of view to the rector and community of formators. In addition, families and other communities within the Church are an integral part of the initial stages of formation.

§119 The propaedeutic stage seeks to provide seminarians with the basic groundwork they need to engage in priestly formation. Through no fault of their own, the requisite qualities for formation are often missing in new seminarians. A significant imbalance is present between the lifestyle promoted by contemporary society and priestly formation. There are many generous young men open to a priestly call who nevertheless need more intensive preparation before they are ready to enter into the discipleship stage of formation; thus, a propaedeutic stage prior to the discipleship stage is essential. Indeed, even men who have benefited from stronger formation from family and parish life can still profit from a period of consolidation and growth in prayer, trust, and fraternity. Given that men discern a priestly vocation and apply to a formation program for an ecclesiastical entity from a variety of life circumstances, the propaedeutic stage satisfies the “need to dedicate a period of time to preparation of an introductory nature, in view of the priestly formation to follow or, alternatively, of the decision to follow a different path in life.”171Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59. While the way in which the propaedeutic stage is accomplished in ecclesiastical entities will vary,172For example, in an institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life, the propaedeutic stage is accomplished during the postulancy and/or novitiate. nonetheless, the stage is mandatory for all men in initial formation.

§120 Formation is a lifelong journey. It is important to lay a solid foundation for this journey in the propaedeutic stage, especially in the human and spiritual dimensions, such that the seminarian can thrive in the discipleship, configuration, and vocational synthesis stages of formation. Thus “the propaedeutic stage is an indispensable phase of formation with its own specific character.”173Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59. This stage allows the seminarian to lay a foundation for a new way of life by developing a life of prayer, study, fraternity, and appropriate docility to formation.

§121 “In the formation that is offered, emphasis should be placed on communion with one’s Bishop, with the presbyterate and with the entire particular Church.”174Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 60. Gaining a greater understanding of the local Church and an awareness of the pastoral situations present in one’s ecclesiastical entity will assist the seminarian in discerning his vocation. The propaedeutic stage should also offer an opportunity to develop “the dynamic of self-giving through experiences in the parish setting and charitable works.”175Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59.

§122 Another central goal of the propaedeutic stage is an intense and profound vocational discernment, undertaken within a community.176See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 60. A first discernment was made during the admission process within the diocese by the bishop, pastor, and vocation director. The propaedeutic stage provides for a second discernment of the seminarian who is living a daily community life for at least twelve months. During this time, it should become clear whether he has the qualities and the maturity to integrate the four dimensions of priestly formation going forward. The propaedeutic stage should conclude with the seminarian’s making a firm resolution to dedicate himself to the work of priestly formation or, alternatively, “to follow a different path in life” as a faithful lay Catholic.177Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59. A decision to proceed to priestly formation must always be confirmed by the Church.

§123 Conferences that teach a man how to pray, especially scriptural meditation and the art of lectio divina, are essential to the propaedeutic stage. Time for silence, mental prayer, and spiritual reading will help to lay a solid foundation for future stages of formation and ongoing formation. It is encouraged that men in this stage experience retreats that focus on an ability to discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit, an opportunity to develop a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, and vocational discernment.

§124 The propaedeutic stage must always be the first of the four stages of initial formation.178See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59.

§125 The propaedeutic stage is “not to be less than one year or more than two”;179Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59. the minimum one-year duration of the propaedeutic stage is twelve calendar months (not an academic year). A third year is permissible provided that the overall character of the stage is preserved throughout. A three-year propaedeutic stage presumes two years of full-time academic studies of a general nature (without philosophical studies, which are restricted to the discipleship stage), followed by one year focused on human, spiritual, and pastoral formation. If this option is utilized, the first two years are not considered part of the discipleship stage, which must not begin until the propaedeutic stage has been completed.

§126 The propaedeutic stage should not be confined to times in which a university or college is in session. There might be fewer vacation periods during the propaedeutic stage. For example, while a break may be envisioned for the Christmas holidays, the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter might take place within the propaedeutic community. Further, since this period lasts a full year, a set period at the beginning and again at the end of the propaedeutic stage, without any courses for academic credit, would assist in ensuring that the goals of this stage are met.

§127 “It is fitting that the propaedeutic stage be lived in a community distinct from the Major Seminary and, where at all possible, that it should have its own house.”180Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 60. Normally the propaedeutic stage would take place within the ecclesiastical entity, yet it must have an appropriate number of seminarians to support a healthy community. Community life helps the human dimension bear maximum fruit during the propaedeutic stage. These interactions in the normal course of events will contribute to the seminarian’s personal plan of formation in this and future stages. The propaedeutic stage must always be lived in a specific community with a team of priest formators. An individualized, “personal” propaedeutic stage, such as an apprenticeship to a pastor living in a rectory, is no substitute, since it cannot fulfill the objectives proper to this stage. If the propaedeutic stage takes place within the ecclesiastical entity, the priests delegated by the competent authority are charged with the responsibility of accompanying the seminarians so that they meet the appropriate benchmarks.

§128 The propaedeutic stage may take place in a seminary building as long as it remains distinct from the discipleship and configuration stages. The propaedeutic stage must be truly clear and distinct, with its own formators dedicated to this distinct stage.181See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 60. The horarium, scope, and sequence of the propaedeutic stage should be different from the other stages. The propaedeutic stage may have a dress code distinct from that of the discipleship stage, or vice versa. Clerical attire at this stage is premature. Retreats, pilgrimages, and days of reflection may occur more frequently during this stage than in other stages.

§129 A seminarian can earn college credit for some of his general studies during the propaedeutic stage. Such coursework should not exceed nine credit hours per semester, so that the stage’s goals and objectives will be accomplished. Classes proper to the propaedeutic stage’s intellectual formation (e.g., biblical literacy, catechesis, prayer and spirituality) must compose the bulk of the intellectual formation of this stage and can be taken for credit.182See intellectual formation chapter in this document (nos. 260-364). Philosophical studies must not begin until the discipleship stage.

§130 Care must be taken that the number of courses does not lay an excessive burden on the man, which could compromise the integrity of the goals and objectives of the propaedeutic stage.

§131 The propaedeutic stage allows for flexibility in accord with the principles of the Ratio Fundamentalis, adapted to particular needs of seminarians and ecclesiastical entities. The following are options or models to consider.183While a diocesan bishop or major superior may decide initially to observe one of the models indicated, time may reveal that a shift to another of the models would be more beneficial for the seminarian as well as the seminary.

1. For men entering the seminary with college degrees: the propaedeutic stage should last a minimum of one calendar year followed by a discipleship stage of no less than two years.
2. For men entering the seminary who lack undergraduate degrees, there are three proposed models:
1. First, a propaedeutic stage of one year followed by a discipleship stage of three to four years.
2. Second, a propaedeutic stage of two years followed by a discipleship stage of two to three years.
3. Third, a propaedeutic stage of three years followed by a discipleship stage of two to three years. This third model for men entering the seminary who lack undergraduate degrees presumes two years of full-time academic studies of a general nature (without philosophical studies, which are restricted to the discipleship stage), followed by one year focused on human, spiritual, and pastoral formation.

§132 In the discipleship stage, which must not last less than two years,184See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 66. there is a systematic and rigorous formation that has at its core the goal of growing in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the life of meditation and contemplation,185Optatam Totius, no. 8, describes the careful development of spiritual training so that “the students might learn to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit.” as well as the training of one’s character in Christian virtue, so as to lay a solid foundation for future stages. The study of philosophy occurs during the discipleship stage.

§133 Men enter the discipleship stage at varying levels of life, work, and educational experience. Initial formation programs for the discipleship stage should be designed to take these circumstances into account. There are programs designed to meet the needs of young men who have recently completed high school and who may have minimal work and education experience. Other priestly formation programs or variants of programs can be developed to meet the needs of older men who come to the discipleship stage with life, work, and educational experience.186In the past these programs have been referred to as pretheology programs. The term “pretheology” with its inference of academic status is discouraged because it can obscure the integral nature of formation in the discipleship stage. Nevertheless, these men are a distinctive set of seminarians who come to initial formation with more extensive experiences on many levels; a formation program should take these unique circumstances into account.

§134 The seminarian intensely discerns his vocation to the priesthood during the discipleship stage, and thus he can clearly articulate his call and his conviction to be a priest. Having received positive confirmation from formators, the seminarian is advanced into the configuration stage, at which time candidacy is received.187See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 67.

§135 In the configuration stage, the seminarian models his life on the self-donation of Jesus Christ, Shepherd and Servant, as he prepares more immediately for Holy Orders. “This configuration demands that the seminarian enter profoundly into the contemplation of the person of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of the Father, sent as Shepherd of the People of God. It will make the relationship with Christ more intimate and personal and, at the same time, will lead to an awareness and an assumption of priestly identity.”188Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 68. Formation in priestly spirituality involves a heartfelt dedication to his ecclesiastical entity in loving obedience.

§136 The configuration stage demands from the seminarian a great commitment, as it challenges him to acquire a proper priestly spirituality; this includes a greater awareness and personal assumption of priestly identity as he conforms himself to the sentiments and attitudes of the Son, understood as self-offering for the pastoral care of the sheep. Conferral of the ministries of lector and acolyte is appropriate during this stage, marking the progressive deepening of this self-configuration to Christ both liturgically and in catechesis, evangelization, and active service to the poor.189See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 72; CIC, c. 230 §1; USCCB, “Complementary Norms, Canon 230, §1 - Installed Lay Ministries,” (2000).

§137 The vocational synthesis stage begins upon the completion of the configuration stage. It is intended primarily as a time not of evaluation, but of integration and transition. Based on the principle of gradualism as found in the Ratio Fundamentalis, the vocational synthesis stage is a gradual realization of the cleric’s responsibility for the care of souls while he resides full-time in a pastoral setting, usually the parish. The goal of the vocational synthesis stage is to help the deacon make this essential transition before assuming the full responsibilities of priestly life and ministry in the context of his particular ecclesiastical entity. Thus, the vocational synthesis stage is distinct from what is commonly referred to as a “pastoral year.”190See CIC, c. 1032 §2.

§138 The purpose of the vocational synthesis stage is to allow a deacon to enter into the life of a cleric, incorporating the entirety of the formation he has received from the moment of Baptism until his reception of Holy Orders. Rather than “on-the-job training,” this stage is the living of a vocation as an ordained minister, because the diaconate is a new ontological and existential reality. The vocational synthesis stage is not a period of discernment for the priesthood, which began intensely in the propaedeutic stage and was confirmed during the discipleship and configuration stages. The goal is not so much acquiring new pastoral skills— though these certainly will be gained—but more adjusting well to the life of ministry before advancing to priestly ordination. It is about the deacon’s readiness to assume the duties of full-time priestly ministry. Therefore, it is not a question of suitability for Holy Orders, which was judged during the scrutiny prior to diaconate ordination, but a preparation for the final judgment regarding the conferral of the Order of Priesthood which should be made upon the completion of the vocational synthesis stage.191See CIC, cc. 1028, 1030.

§139 The vocational synthesis stage takes place “outside the Seminary building”192Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 75. and “is the time from leaving the Seminary until the subsequent priestly ordination, which obviously is brought about by the conferral of the diaconate.”193Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 74. The vocational synthesis stage takes place within the ecclesiastical entity which the deacon is preparing to serve, since by diaconal ordination the cleric is incardinated into the particular local Church, institute, or society. Thus, another purpose of this stage is the integration of the deacon into the clergy of his diocese, institute, or society, a process that should precede his entrance into the Order of Priests. In this way, the vocation of the deacon is consolidated within a concrete reality, within his own ecclesiastical entity, accompanied by his bishop, superior, presbyterate, religious community, and parish. This provides for a particular formation which most seminaries cannot offer. While every seminary should be capable of forming men to become priests, most seminaries cannot form men to be priests of their own particular ecclesiastical entity.

§140 During this stage, the primary formator of the newly ordained cleric is the pastor of the parish where the deacon is assigned, or the bishop or major superior may delegate another priest of the diocese, institute, or society to fulfill this task. The pastor—who should be an exemplary model of the priesthood,194See Ratio Fundamentalis, nos. 75, 77. aware of his formative task and of his duty to accompany the transitional deacon—should ensure that there are opportunities for discussion of pastoral situations and opportunities for priestly fraternity that will help the deacon transition well to active ministry and ongoing formation.

§141 In this way, the deacon may experience the life of clerical ministry in an environment of openness and dialogue with the pastor, who should accompany him personally and directly regarding his ministerial experiences. This would be accomplished through fraternal and formal exchanges between the deacon and the pastor, such that the preparedness of the deacon for entrance into full priestly life can be evaluated. The trust which has been established and strengthened throughout his years of seminary formation allows him to trust his brothers in ordained ministry, the pastoral team responsible for guiding and evaluating him, and above all his diocesan bishop or the competent authority of his institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life, whose decisions he accepts with docility.

§142 The formation of the deacon in this stage is essentially different from the formation he received in the seminary, in that it involves the accompaniment of the newly ordained cleric to appreciate his new status in the Church as an official representative and a public figure: incorporating, again, all of the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation he has received preceding his entrance into the clerical state. In the vocational synthesis stage, the deacon focuses directly on the needs of the people he is called to serve. He applies what he has learned to pastoral situations and recognizes where he needs and desires ongoing growth. The deacon also seeks to become more integrated into the presbyterate and local Church to which he belongs or in which his institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life is located.

§143 Though the vocational synthesis stage takes place outside the seminary, in some dioceses it may be desirable that deacons be accompanied by formators from the seminary. For example, the deacons could gather at the seminary monthly, once every two months, or quarterly for days of prayer, group reflection, and fraternity in order to process the experience of diaconal ministry and engage in sacramental and pastoral practica. Whatever role the seminary may play, a substantial majority of the deacon’s time should be spent engaged in ministry in his diocese, institute, or society. Virtual technology could also be used by the seminary to assist in this accompaniment.

§144 The minimum duration of the vocational synthesis stage is six months of residence and diaconal ministry in the diocese, institute, or society.

§145 This stage always takes place after the completion of the configuration stage (i.e., the stages are never concurrent). A seminarian petitions for diaconate ordination at the conclusion of the configuration stage or during the vocational synthesis stage.195See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 73. Although CIC, c. 1032 §1, says that “those aspiring to the presbyterate can be promoted to the diaconate only after they have completed the fifth year of the curriculum of philosophical and theological studies,” it does not mandate this practice; CIC specifies the minimum amount of time prior to diaconate ordination. The Ratio Fundamentalis specifies that a man may not petition for orders until the completion of the configuration stage.

§146 Because the mission of the diaconate is oriented toward ministry, rather than academic study, it would be optimal for the seminarian to complete the equivalent of four years of theological studies before petitioning to receive diaconal ordination.196See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 73. Having completed all of his academic requirements, a man can peacefully turn his attention toward diaconal and priestly ministry.

§147 With the foregoing in mind, the following are three flexible models regarding the vocational synthesis stage that meet the requirements of the Ratio Fundamentalis and are adapted to the realities of priestly formation in the United States.

1. Model A. Configuration stage lasting four years: diaconate ordination upon successful completion of the configuration stage (including four full years of theological studies), and vocational synthesis stage lasting at least six months in a parish after leaving the seminary).197See CIC, c. 1031 §1.
2. Model B. Configuration stage lasting three and three-quarters years: diaconate ordination upon successful completion of the configuration stage, and vocational synthesis stage lasting one to three months in the seminary (to complete the four years of theological studies) and then at least six months in a parish after leaving the seminary.
3. Model C. Configuration stage lasting three and one-half years: diaconate ordination upon successful completion of the configuration stage and the equivalent of four years of theological studies, and vocational synthesis stage lasting at least six months in a parish after leaving the seminary.198In this last model, it could be possible for a candidate to take what is equivalent to four years of theological studies, eight semesters, in three and one-half years, possibly using summer sessions. It must be kept in mind that an exaggerated emphasis on the intellectual dimension should not restrict growth in the other three dimensions of formation.

§148 After an initial decision to observe one of the models indicated above for the vocational synthesis stage, time may reveal that a shift to another of the models would be more beneficial for an individual deacon or a particular diocese.

§154 Seminarians are to be fully committed to the life of the seminary community and are to learn how to contribute generously to it and to receive humbly from its resources.

§155 With an eye toward the exercise of future pastoral responsibilities, seminarians should give evidence of an ability to follow a schedule with community prayer at its heart, allowing time for a healthy balance of personal prayer, study, enjoyment of the arts, physical exercise, leisure, and social interaction; seminarians should develop discerning habits in reading, the use of various media, the internet, and entertainment in general.206See Ratio Fundamentalis, nos. 99-100.

§156 Each seminary must have a handbook based on the Program of Priestly Formation, approved by the diocesan bishop or major superior, in which the expectations of the formation program of the seminary are clearly stated. These expectations specify the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral components of that formation program and include a Rule of Life as mandated by the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.207See CIC, c. 243; CCEO, c. 337 §§2-3. The handbook forms the basis of an annual evaluation of the seminarians and is regularly reviewed and updated. In addition to a Rule of Life, the handbook also includes the seminary’s statutes, mission statement, policies and procedures, criteria for admission and ongoing evaluation, process of evaluation, appropriate calendars and schedules, and a description of seminary community roles and house jobs.

§157 A Rule of Life—approved by the diocesan bishop or, in the case of an interdiocesan seminary, the bishops involved—is necessary to regulate day-to-day living and to articulate the common values that give a community integrity and purpose. The Rule adapts the Program of Priestly Formation to particular circumstances and especially determines more precisely the points of discipline that pertain to daily life of seminarians and the order of the community. A Rule of Life addresses the essentials of community living while avoiding excessive detail that would stifle individual initiative or talent. It also seeks to balance freedom, responsibility, accountability, activities, and solitude.

§158 The rector’s conferences are especially helpful in aiding seminarians to interpret rightly their life in common, their discernment of vocation to the priesthood, and the human and spiritual virtues they strive to appropriate.

§159 The expectations and procedures of the evaluation process must be detailed in the handbook and explained clearly to the seminary community by the rector or his delegate each year.

§160 Matters pertaining to celibate and chaste living must be included in the seminary Rule of Life. This Rule should also “cultivate the spirit of poverty in practical ways. . . . through simplicity and austerity of life,”208Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 111. encouraging fasting, almsgiving, and the asceticism demanded by a Christian life and the priestly state. In imitating Christ who “became poor although he was rich” (2 Cor 8:9), the seminarian is able to grow in freedom and is able to develop in his heart a special place for the poor and the weak. The seminary environment itself should foster a simple way of life and a spirit of forthright detachment. Seminarians should be made aware that they are accountable for the proper stewardship of material goods and personal health. The Rule of Life must encourage appropriate respect for those in authority and a mature sense of obedience.

§161 The seminary should create a climate for mutual respect, communication, and collaboration as a contribution to the overall development of the seminarians as they interact with many other individuals and communities as well. Men and women mingle with seminarians in a variety of settings: personal, academic, pastoral, and ecumenical. The interaction of seminarians with seminary administrative staff and service personnel in the seminary community often reveals attitudes toward others in general. Seminarians’ ongoing contact with their own family and parish or ecclesial movement should continue to form a significant dimension of their life. “The community forms the seedbed of a priestly vocation, since the seminarian emerges from it, in order to be sent back to serve it after ordination. The seminarian to begin with, and later the priest, must have a living bond with the community.”209Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 90. The bonds between formators and seminarians and among the seminarians themselves are also important and “must be marked by a sense of fatherhood and fraternity.” Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 52. Seminarians should participate in parish activities and volunteer for service on a regular basis.

§162 The seminary community and individual seminarians should appreciate the presence of a multicultural, multiethnic, and international community within the seminary. This environment provides a mutually enriching dimension to a seminary community and reflects the realities of pastoral life awaiting seminarians. This diversity should also help seminarians develop a quality of adaptability to varied pastoral settings in their future priestly ministry.

§164 The seminary is responsible for the continuing evaluation of seminarians regarding their progress in priestly formation. The process of evaluation must be clearly described in detail in the seminary handbook. The seminary should have a written statement of the criteria used in evaluating seminarians. Such evaluation is primarily the responsibility of the rector and the community of formators. It should also involve the input of the seminarians themselves, their various supervisors, and their peers.

§165 Each seminary must provide a procedure for the evaluation of seminarians. As part of this procedure, each seminary should ensure that seminarians are apprised of their progress as early as possible in their formation, particularly if there are concerns; that the priest formator regularly communicates with the seminarians; that the seminarians have a procedure for responding to matters raised in the evaluation process; that confidentiality, as articulated by the seminary, is observed; and that all doubts are resolved in favor of the Church.210The unity of the good must always be remembered; that is, the good of the Church can never contradict the good of the individual but always implicitly includes it. The process of evaluation should be conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence. It should promote the continued growth of the seminarian in the four dimensions of formation. Each seminarian should be evaluated on the basis of his actual progress and maturation, not on the basis of the mere passage of time.211See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 58.

§166 Seminarians are accountable for all aspects of priestly formation within the four dimensions of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation. This accountability includes participation in spiritual exercises, the spiritual direction program, liturgical exercises, and community life as well as the intellectual and pastoral dimensions of priestly formation. This approach is taken because all the aspects of priestly formation are “intimately interwoven and should not be separated from one another.”212Association of Theological Schools (ATS), The Commission of Accrediting, General Institutional Standards, 3.1.1. “The concept of integral formation is of the greatest importance, since it is the whole person, with all that he is and all that he possesses, who will be at the Lord’s service in the Christian community.”213Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 92.

§167 A seminarian’s self-evaluation can be a valuable instrument. Seminarians should prepare such evaluations with an honest and candid examination of themselves in the areas of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation. They should recognize their strengths and weaknesses, their positive qualities as well as their areas of needed growth. It is the responsibility of the seminarian to show positive qualities that recommend his advancement in formation. This self-evaluation is done best in consultation with a priest formator.

§168 Peer evaluations are recommended as helpful in the evaluation process. Such evaluations must be conducted in a responsible and confidential manner. Seminarians completing peer evaluations should be exhorted to do so with honesty and in a spirit of charity. Positive or negative opinions concerning the suitability of a peer for advancement should be expressed clearly.

§169 The seminary should require an evaluation of a seminarian’s pastoral activities from his appropriate supervisor. This report should give attention to all dimensions of formation.

§170 The evaluative process culminates in a yearly written report from the rector to the diocesan bishop or major superior that provides a clear estimation of the seminarian’s progress in the areas of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation.214See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 204. The annual report should include the results of the vote of the community of formators regarding the seminarian’s advancement, supplying the number of affirmative and negative votes as well as the number of abstentions. Both negative votes and abstentions should be explained.

§171 The annual evaluation should include a well-founded judgment concerning the suitability of the seminarian for advancement to the next year or stage of formation. The evaluation report should be detailed. The qualities listed in Canon Law for promotion to Holy Orders are considered at each stage of advancement: integral faith, right intention, requisite knowledge, good reputation, integral morals and proven virtues, and the requisite physical and psychological health.215See CIC, c. 1029; CCEO, c. 758. The evaluation should provide a judgment of the seminarian’s aptitude for priestly life and ministry as well as an estimation of his capacity to lead a chaste, celibate life. The seminarian’s current stage in formation should be considered in assessing his readiness for advancement. The individual benchmarks pertaining to each stage of formation are presented for each dimension of formation in the chapters that follow. These are to be considered and applied, according to the principle of gradualism, at each stage of formation.

§172 The content of the annual evaluation must be communicated to each seminarian with a signed acknowledgment of having reviewed the evaluation. A written copy may be given to him.

§173 The annual evaluation may be concurrent with the scrutiny required for each liturgical ritual that marks the seminarian’s advancement toward the priesthood, providing clear indications regarding his suitability.216See Scrutinies. The norms of the Church are to be observed regarding admission to candidacy and institution into the ministries of lector and acolyte (Latin Church)217See CIC, cc. 1034-1035; St. Paul VI, apostolic letters given Motu Proprio: Ministeria Quaedam and Ad Pascendum (August 15, 1972). or lower orders (Eastern Catholic Churches).218See CCEO, c. 758 §1, 5°. The proper documentation must be collected for the scrutiny for each stage. The procedures and documentation required prior to ordination to the diaconate and to the priesthood are to be completed.219See CIC, cc. 1050-1052; CCEO, cc. 769-770.

§174 Seminarians must have exercised the ministries of lector and acolyte (Latin Church) or lower orders (Eastern Catholic Churches) for a suitable period of time before ordination to the diaconate (CIC, c. 1035 §1; CCEO, c. 758 §1, 5°). There is to be an interval of at least six months between the conferral of the ministry of acolyte (Latin Church) and ordination to the diaconate (CIC, c. 1035 §2). Prior to ordination to the diaconate, the candidate is to make a canonical retreat (CIC, c. 1039; CCEO, c. 772), take the Oath of Fidelity,220See Acta Apostolicae Sedis (AAS) 81 (1989): 104-106. and make the Profession of Faith (CIC, c. 833, 6°). The candidate is to be at least twenty-three years of age (CIC, c. 1031 §1; CCEO, c. 759). He is to have completed at least five years of philosophy and theology (CIC, c. 1032 §1; CCEO, c. 760); is to have received candidacy, except for vowed members of clerical institutes (CIC, c. 1034); is to be able to articulate the theology and expectations of the diaconate (CIC, c. 1028); and in writing is to petition his diocesan bishop or major superior to be ordained, expressing his free intention and permanent commitment (CIC, cc. 1034 §1, 1036; CCEO, c. 761). The seminary is to certify to the diocesan bishop or major superior that all these requirements have been met (CIC, c. 1050, 1°; CCEO, c. 769, §1 1°). The rector verifies that the candidate for the diaconate accepts the teachings of the Church, prays the complete Liturgy of the Hours (or the Divine Praises, for the Eastern Catholic Churches), attends daily Mass, receives the Sacrament of Penance regularly, and is committed to a life of celibacy.

§175 A judgment concerning the suitability of a candidate to receive the diaconate as a transitional step to priesthood includes a judgment concerning his suitability for priestly ministry. It is not possible to admit a candidate to the diaconate in the face of doubts concerning his suitability for the priesthood. For this reason the judgment reached by the scrutiny undertaken with a view to ordination to the diaconate is decisive. If this judgment is positive, it should be changed only in the light of new and grave information in the course of the next scrutiny prior to priestly ordination.221See Scrutinies, no. 11.

§176 Deacons must exercise the diaconal order for a suitable period of time before being ordained to the priesthood (CIC, c. 1032 §2). This vocational synthesis stage “has a twofold purpose: on the one hand it is about being inducted into the pastoral life, with a gradual assumption of responsibilities in a spirit of service; on the other hand it is about making a suitable preparation, with the help of a specific accompaniment, in view of priesthood.”222Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 74. There is to be an interval of at least six months between a seminarian’s ordination to the diaconate and his ordination to the priesthood (CIC, c. 1031 §1). He is to be at least twenty-five years of age and possess sufficient maturity (CIC, c. 1031 §1; CCEO, c. 759 §1). He is to have completed six years of philosophy and theology (CIC, c. 1032 §2; CCEO, c. 760 §2) and is to be able to articulate the theology and expectations of the priesthood (CIC, c. 1028). He is to petition his diocesan bishop or major superior in writing to be ordained, expressing his free intention and permanent commitment (CIC, c. 1036; CCEO, c. 761). The vocation director, the pastor of the parish where the deacon is assigned, or the bishop’s or religious superior’s delegated priest formator is to certify to the diocesan bishop or major superior that all these requirements have been met (CIC, c. 1050, 1°; CCEO, c. 769, 3°). The vocation director, the pastor of the parish where the deacon is assigned, or the bishop’s or religious superior’s delegated priest formator verifies that the candidate for the priesthood is ready to assume the teaching, sanctifying, and governing mission of Christ. Furthermore, he should demonstrate pastoral love for others and faithful obedience, in conformity with Christ.223The diocesan bishop or competent superior may make use of a formation commission, consisting, for example, of the vocation director, the vicar for clergy, other priests, religious, and laity. This commission could provide discernment regarding readiness for priestly ordination at the conclusion of the vocational synthesis stage. The commission should ordinarily proceed by consensus, but the final recommendation to the diocesan bishop or religious superior belongs to the vocation director. Prior to ordination to the priesthood, the candidate is to make a canonical retreat (CIC, c. 1039; CCEO, c. 772) and take the Oath of Fidelity.224See Scrutinies, Enclosure IV.

§177 The final judgment about a seminarian’s admission to candidacy (or perpetual profession, for members of institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life), institution into the ministries of lector and acolyte, and ordination to the diaconate and priesthood belongs to the diocesan bishop or major superior. He must issue his official call in the name of the Church on the basis of a moral certitude that is founded upon positive evidence proving the suitability of a candidate for Holy Orders (CIC, cc. 1052 §1, 1025 §§1-2, and 1029; CCEO, c. 770). The seminary’s evaluations are important in providing this evidence. If such positive evidence is lacking, the seminary must not recommend the advancement of a seminarian.225Regarding moral certitude, “the fundamental principle in this matter consists in the fact that the competent authority must issue the official call in the name of the Church on the basis of a moral certitude that is founded upon positive reasons regarding the suitability of the candidate (c. 1052, §1, with c. 1025, §§1-2, and c. 1029).” Further, “Although the call [to Holy Orders] is a canonical act which pertains to a personal authority it is clear that such an authority ought not proceed merely on the basis of his convictions or intuitions, but should give a hearing to the opinion of persons and councils and not depart from these except on the strength of well-founded reasons (c. 127, §2, 2°).” Scrutinies, nos. 2-3.

§178 Seminarians who lack the positive qualities for continuing in formation should not be advanced in the seminary program. They should be advised to leave the seminary. In these cases an opportunity should be provided for the seminarian to present his self-assessment, including the possibility of others who can speak on his behalf. Seminarians not recommended for advancement should be notified as early as possible and in a constructive manner.

§179 When there is doubt about the readiness of a seminarian for advancement, consideration can be given to a recommendation of a period of probation outside the seminary. The time period involved should be specified, not open-ended. The period of probation should have clearly identified goals and means to assess the achievement of goals. Likewise, appropriate supervision is necessary so that this period away from the seminary might bring about needed growth for the seminarian’s possible return to the seminary. If doubts remain after this period, the seminarian should not continue in formation.

§180 Houses of formation should maintain appropriate collaborative relationships with the administration and professors of universities and colleges to aid in the evaluation of their seminarians.

§202 Every seminary must have a program of human formation appropriate to each stage of formation, which seeks to prepare men to be bridges for, not obstacles to, the spread of the Gospel. The identity to be fostered in the seminarian 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.259See Ratio Fundamentalis, nos. 41, 52. 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.260See ATS, Degree Program Standards, A 2.4.2. See CCEO, c. 346 §2, 8°: “Let them also esteem and cultivate those virtues that are most valued by people and commend the minister of Christ, among which are sincerity, a keen concern for justice, a spirit of poverty, fidelity to one’s promises, good manners, modesty in conversation joined with charity.”

§203 This program must have a clear focus on the ordained priesthood as a vocation that brings the seminarians to full human and spiritual potential through love of God and service of others. Through conferences offered by the rector and 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.

§204 The qualities to be fostered in a human formation program are freedom, openness, honesty, flexibility, empathy, joy and inner peace, generosity and justice, chastity, personal maturity, interpersonal skills, common sense, aptitude for ministry, and growth “in moral integrity and public witness.”261ATS, Degree Program Standards, A 2.4. Following St. Thomas Aquinas, human formation should be understood as education in the human virtues perfected by charity.

§205 Seminarians should give evidence of having interiorized their seminary formation. Growth in self-awareness and a 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, a 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.

§206 Seminarians bear the primary responsibility for their human formation. The role of the seminary is to assist them in achieving the integral human maturity.

§207 The seminarian’s human formation 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 his earlier formation and find means to address them.

§208 Human formation programs in the seminary should begin with the assumption that the seminarians have the potential to move from self-preoccupation to an openness to transcendent values and a concern for the welfare of others. Seminarians should have 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 effective for those who manifest extreme inflexibility, narcissism, antisocial behavior or any serious personality disorders or pathology,262See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 191. a lack of sexual integration, deep and unresolved anger (especially against authority), a deep attachment to a materialist lifestyle, or compulsive behaviors or addictions.

§209 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. 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.263See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 44.

§210 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 seminarians are detailed. He should clearly delineate the kinds of attitudes and behaviors that are acceptable and praiseworthy and the kinds that are not, including an awareness of appropriate boundaries. The rector should address the responsibilities of individual seminarians, both now and later, 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.

§211 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 seminarian are prudence, vigilance over body and spirit, compassion and care for others, an 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.

§212 To live fully an effective life of celibate chastity, in imitation of Christ’s sacrificial love, requires knowledge of one’s own sexuality and rightly ordered sexual desires.264A rightly ordered sexual desire is ordered toward a monogamous, exclusive marriage between a man and woman for the procreation of children. Certain habits or skills are necessary instruments on the path to 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.

§213 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, and 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 seminarian 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. Given the pervasive reality of pornography in today’s culture, each program is to address this problem, as well as the appropriate use of electronic media, with pertinent policies and training in virtue.265ee USCCB, Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography (Washington, DC: USCCB, 2015).

§214 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 run counter to such a commitment.

§215 Any seminarian found to have pathological sexual attraction to minors is to be dismissed from the seminary with no possibility for readmission to the same or another seminary.266See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 191.

§216 Human formation should cultivate a spirit of generosity, encouraging the seminarian to become a man for others and to curb expectations of entitlement; seminarians should learn practical ways of living simplicity of life.267“A right attitude to the world and to earthly goods . . . is of great importance for priests for this reason, 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. Let priests be thankful then for everything that the heavenly Father has given them towards a proper standard of living. However, they ought to judge everything they meet in the light of faith, so that they will be guided towards the right use of things in accordance with God’s will and will reject anything that is prejudicial to their mission.” Presbyterorum Ordinis, no. 17. Manifestations of undue materialism and consumerism in the seminarian’s behavior should be confronted and corrected.

§217 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.268“Already being used to sacrificing willingly and generously what is not needed, they . . . [can] become sincere and credible promoters of true social justice.” Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 111.

§218 The seminary should foster simplicity of life. Such an attitude does not disparage 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.”269Presbyterorum Ordinis, no. 17. 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.

§219 The seminary should articulate appropriate behaviors that 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 theological and spiritual dimension of reverence and obedience in the Catholic Church. Belief with divine and Catholic faith is owed to Divine Revelation, as given by God and proposed by the Church.270See CIC, c. 750 §1; CCEO, c. 598 §1; St. John Paul II, Ad Tuendam Fidem (1990). Doctrine concerning faith or morals, proposed definitively by the Holy Father or the college of bishops, is to be firmly embraced and retained.271See CIC, c. 750 §2; CCEO, c. 598 §2; St. John Paul II, Ad Tuendam Fidem. Additionally, religious submission of the intellect and will is due to doctrine declared by the Holy Father or the college of bishops concerning faith and morals, even if they do not intend to proclaim it definitively.272See CIC, c. 752; CCEO, c. 599. Every bishop is an authentic teacher and instructor of the faith;273See CIC, c. 753; CCEO, c. 600. seminaries should inculcate in each seminarian a capacity to live in communion with his diocesan bishop.

§220 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.

§221 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. Seminarians are not expected to surrender their ecclesial rights to express their opinion or to make known their needs.274CIC, c. 212 §§2-3. This docility will prepare seminarians to cooperate with their bishop275See Presbyterorum Ordinis, no. 7: “Priests for their part should . . . [respect in their bishop] the authority of Christ the supreme Pastor. They should therefore be attached to their bishop with sincere charity and obedience.” or superior, especially in the very practical matter of undertaking and faithfully fulfilling whatever sacred duty is given to them.276See Christus Dominus, no. 28.

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

§223 The community of formators 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 formator can give is the wholesome witness of his own life. 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, consecrated men and women, and lay men and women—constitutes another significant group who can model collaboration for the seminarians. Ways to foster the unity of this larger circle should also be developed.

§224 The rector together with the coordinator of human formation should make provision for psychological and counseling services. He therefore ensures that those employed as counselors for seminarians are professionally licensed or certified; are well versed in and supportive of the Church’s expectations of seminarians, especially concerning celibacy; and will not encourage behaviors contrary to Church teachings. These services are made available to seminarians for their personal and emotional development as they prepare 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 human formation. Its role, however, should not be overestimated. While psychology and the human sciences are resources that can aid the process of human formation, they are not the same as human formation. Seminaries must 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 Program of Priestly Formation. Seminarians in need of long-term therapy should avail themselves of such assistance before entering the seminary or should leave the seminary program until therapy has been completed. If such a departure occurs, there is to be no expectation of automatic readmission. A seminarian 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.

§246 The celebration of the Eucharist takes place daily, and every member of the community ordinarily participates.310See CIC, c. 246 §1; CCEO, c. 346 §2, 2°; Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 104. In regard to the frequency of the celebration of the Eucharist, those seminaries forming men for Eastern Catholic Churches are to develop a schedule of liturgical services that best represents common liturgical practice in the jurisdictions they serve. 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 insofar as possible.311See General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 114. In like manner, unless excused for a just reason, it is preferable that priests concelebrate when they are present for Mass.

§247 The seminary community must schedule the Liturgy of the Hours (or the Divine Praises, in the Eastern Catholic Churches), especially Morning and Evening Prayers, on a daily basis.312ee CIC, c. 246 §2; CCEO, c. 346 §2, 3°; Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 105.

§248 The careful preparation and execution of liturgical celebrations should be supervised by the seminary coordinator of the 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.313See Ecclesia de Eucharistia, no. 5. The laws and prescriptions of approved liturgical books are normative. Priests are to be particularly observant of the liturgical rubrics and must avoid the insertion of any personal liturgical adaptations, unless they are authorized by the liturgical books.314See Ecclesia de Eucharistia, no. 52. 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.315See Ecclesia de Eucharistia, nos. 49-51; General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 41. Seminaries in the Latin Church should include in their liturgies Gregorian chant, as the chant proper to the Roman Liturgy, as well as the forms of chant in the particular Churches.316See Sacramentum Caritatis, no. 62. Priests 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, including concelebration. All other teachers of the liturgy as well as coordinators of music at the seminary are to be supportive of this norm.

§249 Meditation on Sacred Scripture holds pride of place in the personal prayer regimen of each seminarian, traditionally experienced as lectio divina. Deepening one’s friendship with Jesus Christ necessarily involves daily meditation on the Word of God, in addition to the public prayer and liturgy in the seminary and other forms of private prayer and devotions.317See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 103.

§250 Instruction is to be given concerning the meaning and proper celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours (or the Divine Praises, in the Eastern Catholic Churches) as well as 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 or the Divine Praises, beginning with Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, the Office of Readings, and finally the Daytime Hour and Night Prayer. This entire cycle should be a regular practice of each seminarian for at least a year prior to his diaconate ordination.

§251 Catechesis must be given concerning the Sacrament of Penance and its importance for priestly ministry and life. Communal celebrations of the Sacrament of Penance with individual confession and absolution 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. In addition to regular confessors, the seminary should ensure that other confessors for the Sacrament of Penance are available on a regular basis.318See CIC, c. 240 §1; CCEO, c. 339 §2. A priest who has sole responsibility for external formation is not to hear seminarians’ confessions. Opinions of the spiritual director or confessor of a seminarian may never be sought regarding his advancement. 319See CIC, c. 240 §2; CCEO, c. 339 §3. Each seminarian is encouraged to have a regular confessor, who fittingly is also his spiritual director, with whom he can be completely honest and fully manifest his conscience, and from whom he can receive ongoing guidance.320See CIC, c. 246 §4. This is not meant to limit the seminarian’s liberty, since he is always free to approach other confessors, whether in the seminary or outside it.321See CIC, c. 240 §1; CCEO, c. 339 §2.

§252 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. An atmosphere of quiet should be provided within the seminary community on a daily basis to ensure an environment conducive for prayer.

§253 Conferences, days of recollection, workshops, and retreats should be well organized and sponsored by the seminary and should form a whole and coherent program of spiritual formation. An annual retreat lasting at least five days must take place during the configuration stage.322See CIC, c. 1039; CCEO, c. 772.

§254 Guidance and instruction in methods of meditation, contemplation, lectio divina, daily examen, and meditation on the Fathers of the Church must be provided.323See CIC, c. 246 §3; CCEO, c. 346 §2, 1°; see Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 113.

§255 Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament must be encouraged. Scheduled hours of Eucharistic Exposition are particularly desirable to provide 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.324See Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, nos. 79-81.

§256 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and to the saints must be encouraged.325See CIC, c. 246 §3; CCEO, c. 346 §2, 5°. Opportunities for devotional prayer should be made available and encouraged. The Rosary, “a compendium of the Gospel,”326Pope Pius XII, letter Philippinas insulas to the Archbishop of Manila, AAS 38 (1946): 419. See St. Paul VI, Marialis Cultus (1974), no. 42, www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus.html; Rosarium Virginis Mariae, no. 1. is especially recommended as a means of contemplating Christ in “the school of Mary.”327Rosarium Virginis Mariae, no. 1. Devotion to the other saints, especially St. Joseph, is also an important element of the devotional life of seminarians and priests.328See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 112.

§257 On appropriate occasions, the seminary should sponsor ecumenical events, including prayer services, with other Christians. Consideration should also be given to interaction with those of the Jewish faith and other religions.

§258 The seminary should provide seminarians with training on the proper use of sacramentals, including consecrations, blessings, and reverence for sacred things.329See CIC, cc. 1166-1172.

§259 Seminarians must meet regularly with a priest spiritual director, normally biweekly.330See CIC, c. 246 §4; CCEO, c. 346 §2, 4°. The seminarian freely chooses an available spiritual director from a list prepared by the coordinator of spiritual formation. Spiritual directors should have proper training and adequate credentials for the work. These priests must be approved by the rector and appointed by the competent authority.331See CIC, c. 239 §2; CCEO, c. 339 §1. Spiritual direction should be offered in the language that allows the seminarian to best express himself. In the case of seminarians of an institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life, the formation director or the competent authority of the institute or society offers guidance on an appropriate spiritual director for the seminarians under his care.

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

§271 Gaining an initial understanding of Christian doctrine and anthropology as well as an initial familiarity of the Bible in its various parts are benchmarks that should be reached prior to embarking on philosophical studies in the discipleship stage.340See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 157. Benchmarks related to intellectual formation in preparation for the study of philosophy and theology include basic habits of study, signs of intellectual curiosity, and love of learning. Finally, if necessary, the propaedeutic stage can help to make up for anything that is missing in a seminarian’s general education.341See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59.

§274 A sound liberal arts education for seminarians 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, but above all it aims to hand on the truths about God and his creation that are the foundation of civilization. A liberal arts education also teaches seminarians to communicate with others in a clear and effective way.

§275 A liberal arts education gives seminarians an introduction to the wider range of human learning. Studies in mathematics and natural sciences; in the social and behavioral sciences; in history, literature, foreign languages—both ancient (Latin and Greek) and modern; and in communication skills, music, and the fine arts all define the content of a liberal arts curriculum.

§276 A liberal arts education also has a special value as a preparation for the study of theology. The liberal arts have traditionally provided seminarians 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.

§277 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 seminarians to deeper study by building on current knowledge and interests. The authentic social doctrine of the Church on such issues should be clearly and cogently presented.342See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 172. The curriculum should introduce seminarians to the basic teachings of the faith as well as to the richness and diversity of the wisdom attained in the Catholic intellectual tradition.

§278 All seminarians in the discipleship stage study philosophy. Men who come to the discipleship stage in possession of a broader intellectual formation must engage in the full philosophical intellectual formation program outlined below. The study of philosophy is central to the intellectual formation of seminarians. The temptation to abbreviate or circumvent requirements for seminarians in these circumstances must be avoided.

§279 “The study of philosophy is fundamental and indispensable to the structure of theological studies and to the formation of candidates for the priesthood [or seminarians]. It is not by chance that the curriculum of theological studies is preceded by a time of special study of philosophy.”343Fides et Ratio, no. 62. In priestly formation, at least two full years must be dedicated to the philosophical disciplines, which corresponds to the two-year period of the discipleship stage and composes a major aspect of intellectual formation.344See CIC, c. 250; CCEO, c. 348 §1. The particular focus of intellectual formation, as well as the other dimensions of formation during this period, is to help the seminarian deepen his identity as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

§280 There is an “intimate bond which ties theological work to the philosophical search for truth.”345Fides et Ratio, no. 63. It is essential that seminarians develop an understanding of the relationship between faith and reason and of the relationship and interaction between philosophy and theology, especially the ways they mutually enrich one another. “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.”346Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 52.

§281 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 about 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.”347Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 52.

§282 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 of ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary philosophy.

1. 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, which has been both shaped by and contributed to the shape of the Western philosophical tradition. This historical approach to the study of philosophy aids in the “integration of philosophical studies . . . [through] a specific ‘philosophical methodology.’”348Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 159. The knowledge of philosophy, with its powerful impact on theology and theologians, is necessary in order to appreciate the richness of our theological Tradition.
2. At the same time, philosophy 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, better prepared to engage contemporary culture, and better prepared for the “evangelization of culture” that 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.349For example, see the following resources from the USCCB: Bishops’ Program for Social Reconstruction (1919); The Challenge of Peace (1983); Economic Justice for All (1986); Called to Global Solidarity (1997); Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice (2000); Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good (2001); Strangers No Longer: Together on a Journey of Hope (2003); and Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (2015). Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Bible and Morality: Biblical Roots of Christian Conduct (2008), is also a resource.

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

1. 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.
2. 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,”350Congregation for Catholic Education, The Study of Philosophy in Seminaries (1972). 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; 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.
3. The study of the philosophy of nature—which treats of 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.
4. The study of metaphysics helps seminarians to explore fundamental issues concerning the nature of reality and to 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.”351Fides et Ratio, no. 83. As the seminarian confronts the questions about being itself, 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.
5. The study of natural theology, which treats of 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.
6. The study of philosophical anthropology helps seminarians understand “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.”352See Congregation for Catholic Education, The Study of Philosophy in Seminaries (1972). 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”353Congregation for Catholic Education, Directives Regarding the Formation of Seminarians for Ministry to Marriage and Family (1995), no. 21, www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/priesthood/priestly-formation/upload/marriage.pdf. provides a foundation for the seminarian’s study of theological anthropology.
7. The study of ethics, which treats of 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. Ethics should consider the Church’s social doctrine as central to Christian social political philosophy.354See Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, nos. 160-208. The social encyclicals and other documents foundational to the Church’s rich social doctrine should be utilized in the study of ethics. These principles and documents provide a foundation for the seminarian’s study of moral theology.355See Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (1891); Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno (1931); St. John XXIII, Mater et Magistra (1961); St. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris (1963); Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes (1965); St. Paul VI, Populorum Progressio (1967); St. Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens (1971); St. John Paul II, Laborem Exercens (1981); St. John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987); St. John Paul II, Centisimus Annus (1991); St. John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae (1995); Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est (2005); Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (2009); Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013); Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ (2015).

§284 “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.”356CIC, c. 251; see CCEO, c. 349 §1. The philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas should be given the pride of place that the Church accords it.357See Optatam Totius, no. 16n36; Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 53; Fides et Ratio, nos. 43-44; CIC, c. 251; CCEO, c. 349 §1. In articulating the mind of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council on this point, the Congregation for Catholic Education, in its document on The Study of Philosophy in Seminaries, observed that “the repeated recommendations of the Church about the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas remain fully justified and still valid. In this philosophy the first principles of natural truth are clearly and organically enunciated and harmonized with revelation. Within it also is enclosed that creative dynamism which, as biographers attest, marked the teaching of St. Thomas and which must also characterize the teaching of those who desire to follow his footsteps in a continual and renewed synthesizing of the valid conclusions received from tradition with new conquests of human thought.” “Philosophy in Seminaries,” Origins 1, no. 39 (March 16, 1972): 659. Especially in the courses on the history of philosophy, there should be a significant treatment of St. Thomas’s 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 the thought 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.358See Fides et Ratio, no. 74.

§285 Seminarians in the discipleship stage, build on the process they began in the propaedeutic stage and engage in 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 stand as a presupposition for all forms of graduate theological study. Theology courses in the discipleship stage should study the themes contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, including courses on Catholic doctrine, liturgy and the 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.”359St. John Paul II, Laetamur Magnopere (In which the Latin Typical Edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Is Approved and Promulgated), in Catechism of the Catholic Church. From the beginning, students should learn to relate theology to the larger mission of the Church in the public sphere. Discipleship stage study is intended as preparation for further study of theology in the configuration stage, not as a replacement for it.

§286 Besides philosophical and theological studies for the intellectual dimension of discipleship stage, formation should provide seminarians with an understanding of the historical and cultural context of their faith. Men who have more extensive prior education but who might not have a full, systematic liberal arts formation 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. In addition, education in rhetoric and communications as well as language study is appropriate. Latin and Greek are especially important, since competence in these languages is necessary for graduate theological studies. The study of Spanish or other pastoral languages should be included in the course of studies throughout the period of priestly formation, including the discipleship stage.

§287 As stated earlier in the propaedeutic stage, international seminarians should complete an acculturation program and receive adequate instruction in the English language (if English is not their primary language), often in an ESL (English as a second language) program of study, prior to beginning the propaedeutic stage. Regional accrediting agencies require adequate proficiency in the English language as demonstrated by a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). In addition to the study of US history and culture and of the English language, these programs may also supplement the seminarians’ academic and pastoral background as a preparation for the study of philosophy and theology.

§288 Seminarians from the mainstream culture of the United States whose native language is English continue the intercultural competency training received during the propaedeutic stage into the discipleship stage, including the continued study of another language to meet the pastoral needs of the ecclesiastical entity.

§289 His study of philosophy helps the seminarian to learn the first truths of the natural order, deepens his understanding of the human person, and gives him the framework upon which to build once he concentrates on the study of theology during the configuration stage. Philosophical insights, language, and concepts will enable him to engage with the pastoral reality of the people he is called to serve. During the discipleship stage, it is important that the seminarian begins to learn how to articulate the Christian understanding of the Creator and his creation, especially the human person, and understands how this differs from the ideologies that have shaped popular conceptions of the human person, the world, and its Creator. As a result of his studies during this stage of formation, the seminarian has the ability to understand the issues surrounding the intersection of faith and modern science, as well as the ability to articulate how faith and science can support one another.360Given the complex nature of the issues surrounding the human person and the intersection of faith and science, as well as other matters, seminaries will benefit from sharing ideas at a national level through organizations such as the National Association of College Seminaries and the National Association of Catholic Theological Schools. In addition to manifesting sufficient philosophical competence for the later study of theology in the configuration stage, the seminarian at the completion of the discipleship stage is also able to demonstrate a working knowledge of Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Given the multicultural reality of the Catholic Church in the United States of the twenty-first century, the seminarian also should possess an adequate knowledge of languages necessary for ministry; the possession of this knowledge, which was introduced in the propaedeutic stage, deepens in this and subsequent stages.

§290 By the completion of the discipleship stage, the seminarian demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly in both the written and spoken word. He is also able to analyze modern and postmodern philosophy relative to basic Church teaching and the perennially valid philosophical heritage that is in harmony with it.

§291 Ultimately, intellectual formation in the seminary program centers on theology as a search for “an ever deeper knowledge of the divine mysteries.”361Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 51. This kind of theological study, which far exceeds a purely technical approach to “religious phenomena,” unfolds in the following ways:

1. Theology in seminary intellectual formation is truly to be fides quaerens intellectum, faith seeking understanding.362See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 53. 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.
2. 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.”363Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 51.
3. At the same time, this study of theology, as we have already noted, enriches and expands the personal faith of the seminarian studying it.364See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 53.
4. 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.365See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 53.
5. The seminary study of theology, because it begins in faith and ends in faith, must also flow from prayer and lead to prayer.366See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 54.
6. 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.
7. 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.367See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 54. This wisdom and unified vision, then, can be conveyed in the priest’s preaching and allow him to bring the Word of God into dialogue with the contemporary human situation.368See USCCB, Fulfilled in Your Hearing: The Homily in the Sunday Assembly (Washington, DC: USCCB, 1982), 13.
8. 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.369See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 55.
9. 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 of ecumenism. 370See Second Vatican Council, Unitatis Redintegratio (1964), nos. 2-4. 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.
10. Theology’s theoretical and practical dimensions in priestly mission and ministry mean that it must be rigorous in its orientation, both academically and pastorally.371See Pastores Dabo Vobis, nos. 55-56.
11. 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.

§292 It is expected that by the end of the configuration stage the seminarian demonstrates a well-established habit and desire to explore the Word of God and theological Tradition. He also can demonstrate the ability to uphold the truths of faith by the light of reason. He demonstrates the ability to integrate academic development with the spiritual and pastoral dimensions (e.g., the growth in knowledge about Jesus Christ deepens his friendship with Christ, his understanding of Christian anthropology influences his approaches to pastoral ministry). He also demonstrates fidelity to the Magisterium in his speech and actions. He can exercise the Ministry of the Word by proclaiming, explaining, and defending the Catholic faith.

§294 As the deacon nears completion of initial formation for the priesthood, the intellectual dimension of formation in this stage focuses on demonstrating competency in pastoral theology and its application in preaching, sacramental and pastoral ministry, and liturgical praxis. Regardless of whether continued meetings or seminars are required during limited visits to the seminary, it is important that the deacon demonstrate a commitment to continued growth in intellectual formation through personal study, workshops, and conferences. It is also important that he recognize and articulate areas for his personal ongoing intellectual growth.374See CIC, c. 279; CCEO, c. 372.

§295 In the intellectual formation of the propaedeutic stage, the seminarians should develop familiarity with Christian doctrine by studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

§296 Intellectual formation will introduce the seminarians to priestly identity in order to aid in vocational discernment.

§297 The material proper to the propaedeutic stage, as expressed above, should form the bulk of the intellectual formation of this stage.

§298 Part-time general education college credits are permitted but never exceed nine credit hours each semester or its equivalent.375The exception could be during the first two years of a three-year propaedeutic stage, where the third year would be free of academics.

§299 Classes proper to intellectual formation during the propaedeutic stage—such as courses on Scripture, catechesis, spirituality, and prayer— may be taken for credit in addition to the part-time general education credits. Courses that aid human formation, such as an introductory applied psychology course or a general physical well-being course, may also be offered for credit.

§300 The formal study of philosophy is not permitted during the propaedeutic stage.

§301 Care must be taken that the academic work does not interfere with the overall tenor of the propaedeutic stage and its objectives.

§302 Men entering the propaedeutic stage with a college degree may still need a more general liberal arts education and hence a longer propaedeutic stage, depending on their academic background.

§303 Seminarians should have or be earning a bachelor’s degree, preferably a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy, from an accredited institution. If such a degree is not available from their seminary, they may earn the degree at a college or university associated with the seminary.

§304 A discipleship stage program must offer courses in philosophy and theology or provide for them at a Catholic college or university that possesses a complete curriculum of philosophical and theological studies.

§305 Philosophy and theology professors should make a Profession of Faith376See CIC, c. 833, 6°. and have a mandate from the diocesan bishop or a canonical mission, dependent upon the canonical nature of the institution.

§306 Sound philosophical formation requires a biennium of study, which is understood in the United States to be at least thirty semester credit hours,377See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 56; Fides et Ratio, no. 62. together with the out-of-classroom work associated with each credit hour traditionally expected in US 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 must ensure that the philosophy is appropriate for studying Catholic theology and explore creative curricular strategies so that seminarians can grasp the relationship between philosophical insights and theological frameworks.

§307 Discipleship stage should extend for at least two calendar years, regardless of previous academic or life experiences

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

§309 The coordinator of intellectual formation and the rector should be vigilant to ensure that the philosophical and theological instruction received at a college or university is consistent with magisterial teaching and with the requirements stated in this document. Ultimately, this obligation devolves upon the diocesan bishop in view of his teaching authority.

§310 Programs that utilize colleges and universities for philosophy and theological studies should carefully and consistently monitor the content and quality of their seminarians’ courses as a preparation for theological studies. “Philosophical instruction must be grounded in the perennially valid philosophical heritage and also take into account philosophical investigation over the course of time.”378CIC, c. 251; see CCEO, c. 349 §1.

§311 Special attention is to be given to classical and foreign languages. A knowledge of Latin and Greek is foundational and should be given the emphasis that the Church accords these languages.379See Optatam Totius, no. 13; CIC, c. 249. Particular attention must be given to ensure that before they enter the theological study of the configuration stage, 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.380Optatam Totius, no. 13. 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 may form an important part of the program. Since preaching is at the heart of priestly ministry, seminaries should include courses in writing and public speaking. Facility with other liturgical and spoken languages may be necessary for seminarians from the Eastern Catholic Churches.

§312 Educational standards should not be so rigid or restrictive as to close the door to men who are lacking in some dimension of the required educational background. Remedial help should be provided to such seminarians so that their academic deficiencies may be overcome. Such assistance should take the form of tutoring, academic advising, and counseling.

§313 Excellence in education at the college level demands access to a strong library that offers print, nonprint, and electronic resources and that is professionally staffed, as required by accrediting agencies.

§314 For men who enter the discipleship stage with a college degree, programs are encouraged to consider offering the civilly recognized bachelor in philosophy (PhB), a two-year degree program that 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.

§315 At least four full years must be dedicated to graduate theological studies.381See CIC, c. 250; CCEO, c. 348 §1. See also Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 154. The second and third models of the configuration stage are exceptions.

§316 Graduate theological studies require an appropriate and sound philosophical formation. Those requirements, identified in the norms on discipleship stage programs, are prerequisites for theological studies.

§317 Philosophy and theology professors in seminaries are expected to make a Profession of Faith382See CIC, c. 833, 6°. For seminaries with ecclesiastical faculties, see also Veritatis Gaudium, no. 27 §1. and have a mandate from the diocesan bishop or a canonical mission, dependent upon the canonical nature of the institution.

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

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

§320 Due consideration should be given to the pastoral aim of theological formation. 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.383See Pastores Dabo Vobis, nos. 55, 57.

§321 The core should include fundamental theology: the basis of the rational procedure of all theology and thus the introduction to the study of theology.384See Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The Theological Formation of Future Priests (1976), nos. 107-113.

§322 The various theological disciplines should recognize Sacred Scripture as foundational: as the point of departure from and as the soul of all theology.385See Dei Verbum, no. 24; Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 113; CIC, c. 252 §2; CCEO, c. 350 §2; Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The Theological Formation of Future Priests, no. 79.

§323 In Sacred 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.

§324 The proper understanding of Sacred Scripture requires cultivation of a double awareness. On the one hand, “the books of the Old and New Testaments, whole and entire, . . . written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, . . . have God as their author, and have been handed on as such to the Church herself.” On the other hand, “to compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who . . . made full use of their own powers and faculties so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more.”386Dei Verbum, no. 11. “To interpret Scripture correctly, the reader must be attentive to what the human authors truly wanted to affirm and to what God wanted to reveal to us by their words.”387Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 109. See Dei Verbum, no. 12. This means “the reader must take into account the conditions of their [the human authors’] time and culture, the literary genres in use at that time, and the modes of feeling, speaking and narrating then current.”388Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 110.

§325 But if Sacred Scripture is to be taught as Sacred Scripture and not simply as an artifact of human culture, “there is another and no less important principle of correct interpretation, without which Scripture would remain a dead letter: ‘Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written.’”389Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 111, emphasis added; see Dei Verbum, no. 12. “In their work of interpretation Catholic exegetes must never forget that what they are interpreting is the word of God. Their common task is not finished when they have simply determined sources, defined forms or explained literary procedures. They arrive at the true goal of their work only when they have explained the meaning of the biblical text as God’s word for today.”390Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church (1993), III.C.1. This requires (1) attention to “the content and unity of the whole Scripture”; (2) reading of Sacred Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”; and (3) attention to the “analogy of faith.”391Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 112-114. See Dei Verbum, no. 12. Otherwise, the study of Sacred Scripture cannot serve as the “soul of sacred theology,”392Dei Verbum, no. 24. and a dichotomy will arise between the study of Sacred Scripture and the rest of theology. “This dichotomy can create confusion and a lack of stability in the intellectual formation of candidates for ecclesial ministries.”393Verbum Domini, no. 35.

§326 The study of Sacred Scripture and its interpretation should take into account the preparation of seminarians for the tasks of preaching homilies and applying Sacred Scripture to the lives of the Christian faithful.394Because “in the sacred books the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them,” courses in Sacred Scripture must equip seminarians to identify those “divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented” therein (Dei Verbum, nos. 21, 11), so that they can share these riches with those whom they serve.

§327 Patristic studies constitute an essential part of theological studies. Theology should draw from the works of the Fathers of the Church because of their 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).395See Congregation for Catholic Education, Instruction on the Study of the Fathers of the Church in the Formation of Priests (1989); see also Optatam Totius, no. 16.

§328 In dogmatic theology, the core must include theology of the Blessed Trinity, Christology, pneumatology, creation, the Fall and the nature of sin, redemption, grace and the human person, ecclesiology, sacraments, eschatology, Mariology,396See Congregation for Catholic Education, The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation (1988). and missiology.397Missiology may be treated as a separate component or integrated into ecclesiology; it must form an integral part of every treatment of evangelization. See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 171. 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.398See Sacramentum Caritatis, no. 24.

§329 The Church enjoins pastors “to neglect nothing with a view to a well-organized and well-oriented catechetical effort”; and since “all pastors have the duty to provide” them, evangelization and catechesis should have a prominent place in the seminary curriculum.399St. John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae (On Catechesis in Our Time) (Washington, DC: USCCB, 1979), no. 64. 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.400See Optatam Totius, no. 19; CIC, cc. 254, 256; CCEO, c. 352 §§2-3.

§330 In moral theology, the core must include fundamental moral theology, health care ethics, sexual morality, and social doctrine.

§331 Moral theology should be taught in a way that draws deeply from Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium, in particular Veritatis Splendor. The Christian moral life should be presented in light of the new law of the grace of the Holy Spirit, who transforms the human person, gives him a new heart, and enables him to follow the example of Christ and live according to the moral law. Moral theology should treat the path to happiness which consists in following the inspirations and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and living according to the Beatitudes, the virtues, and the moral law, including absolute moral norms.

Therefore, moral theology should illustrate that the ultimate end of graced human acts is the beatitude to which God calls us: a participation in the life of the Blessed Trinity. The inseparable connections among moral theology, Sacred Scripture, spiritual theology, theological anthropology, and dogmatic theology should be evident, with particular attention paid to the synthesis of the Christian moral life in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Moreover, an understanding of the moral sense of Sacred Scripture should be developed401See Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 115-118. to prepare future priests for preaching on Christian morality. The preparation of future priests to be ministers of the Sacrament of Penance should also be kept in mind in the teaching of moral theology. Finally, the contribution of the natural and human sciences to moral theology should be considered.

§332 It is vital that the intellectual dimension in teaching moral theology be integrated with the pastoral dimension in applying moral theology to the lives of the People of God. Pastoral ministry requires more than the presentation of moral principles. Helping seminarians understand this is critical to formation in pastoral charity. Priests are called upon to assist the faithful in the formation of a sound moral conscience in accord with Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and magisterial teaching. This formation will enable each person to grow in authentic prudence and virtuous Christian acts in the midst of difficult and at times oppressive circumstances. The formation of priests in moral theology should intersect with formation in compassionate listening and in thoughtful counseling, with the pastoral goal of gently but consistently fostering the love of God and neighbor. This is especially important in the areas of sexuality and family life.

§333 The importance of a clear grasp of the principles of health care ethics cannot be overestimated 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, in vitro fertilization, abortion, and euthanasia.

§334 The teaching of sexual morality 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. Seminarians must be prepared to engage the contemporary world in dialogue regarding the complex issues of sexual morality and gender ideology. 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 all matters of sexuality.

§335 The social doctrine of the Church must be presented in its entirety with appropriate principles of reflection, criteria for judgment, and norms for pastoral practice. The systematic study of the social encyclicals of the popes is especially recommended.402See Congregation for Catholic Education, Guidelines for the Study and Teaching of the Church’s Social Doctrine in the Formation of Priests (1988), www.humandevelopment.va/content/dam/sviluppoumano/pubblicazioni-documenti/archivio/dottrina-sociale-della-chiesa/orientamenti/ODSI_ENG.pdf. See also Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 172.

§336 Of particular importance today is the need for awareness of the ecological crisis facing the world. Seminarians must be familiar with Church teaching on the subject and be encouraged to experience an ecological conversion, “whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.”403Laudato Si’, no. 217. See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 172.

§337 Adequate instruction must be given in professional ethics appropriate to priesthood and priestly ministry. In the process of this instruction, “seminarians must receive a careful training in the administration of goods, to be carried out according to canonical norms, soberly, with detachment and moral transparency, along with the necessary skill.”404Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 180.

§338 In historical studies, the core should include courses on the history of the Universal Church and the history of the Catholic Church in the United States, taught in a way that reflects the Church’s multicultural origins and ecumenical context. Among historical studies, the study of patristics and the lives of the saints are of special importance.

§339 In Canon Law, the core must include a general introduction to Canon Law and to 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”), V (“The Temporal Goods of the Church”), and VI (“Penal Sanctions in the Church”) of the Code of Canon Law would assist seminarians in preparing for their pastoral ministry. There should also be a general introduction to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, with emphasis on title II (cc. 27-41) regarding Churches sui iuris and rites and on title XVI, chap. 7 (cc. 776-866) on marriage, especially the divergences between the Latin and Eastern Codes in sacramental discipline.405See CIC, c. 256 §1; CCEO, c. 352 §§2-3; Congregation for Catholic Education, On the Teaching of Canon Law to Those Preparing to Be Priests (1975). Seminarians should learn how to make appropriate referrals for issues that are beyond their competence.

§340 Studies in spiritual theology and spiritual direction are to be included. Spiritual theology includes studies in the Catholic spiritual Tradition, provides practical directives for the Christian call to perfection, and proposes principles of discernment. This study should also explore the spirituality of various vocations, especially the priesthood and consecrated life.406See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 169. Spiritual direction teaches the art of fostering the spiritual life of those entrusted to one’s care: “In view of the pastoral care of the faithful, formation in the discernment of spirits and in spiritual direction should receive attention as an integral part of priestly ministry.”407Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 178.

§341 In liturgy, the core should include studies in the theological, historical, spiritual, pastoral, and juridical aspects of liturgy.408See Congregation for Catholic Education, Instruction on Liturgical Formation in Seminaries (1979).

§342 Seminarians must learn to celebrate 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.409See Ecclesia de Eucharistia, no. 5; General Instruction of the Roman Missal, nos. 5-6. Knowledge of sacred art and music should be integrated into liturgical formations so that it “will contribute to the overall formation of seminarians, and provide them with another resource in view of evangelization and pastoral endeavor.”410Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 181.

§343 Homiletics should occupy a prominent place in the core curriculum and should 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 “through 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.”411Praenotanda of the Lectionary for the Mass (1981), no. 24. While the homily is reserved to a priest or deacon,412CIC, c. 767 §1; CCEO, c. 614 §4. The 1997 interdicastery document Instruction on Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priest, §1, states, “The practice, on some occasions, of entrusting the preaching of the homily to seminarians or theology students who are not clerics is not permitted. Indeed, the homily should not be regarded as a training for some future ministry” (www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/laity/documents/rc_con_interdic_doc_15081997_en.html). seminarians should be afforded opportunities to preach outside of Mass and receive proper assessment. Examples of these opportunities could include seminarians giving reflections in their pastoral assignments to parish groups like youth groups or fraternal organizations, as well as offering meditations at communal devotions.413See CIC, c. 766; USCCB, “Complementary Norms, Canon 766 - Lay Preaching” (2002). Where appropriate, seminarians should be able to demonstrate a capacity for bilingual preaching.

§344 The core curriculum should include an introductory course in ecumenism that treats of 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 should also be discussed.414See Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms of Ecumenism (1993). See also Second Vatican Council, Unitatis Redintegratio and Nostra Aetate (1965); St. John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint; Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, The Ecumenical Dimension of the Formation of Those Engaged in Pastoral Work (1997) and “The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable”: Rom 11:29 (2015); and Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Dialogue in Truth and Charity: Pastoral Orientations for Interreligious Dialogue (2014). Seminarians should learn about the religious traditions present in the United States.

§345 Studies in pastoral theology are required, should include treatment of the principles and criteria for pastoral action, and should provide for theological reflection where seminarians are involved in supervised pastoral placements.415See Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 57; Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The Theological Formation of Future Priests, nos. 102-106. Pastoral studies should include training in pastoral counseling, in which 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.

§346 Due emphasis should be given in the various theological disciplines to the topics of consecrated life,416See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 169. marriage, and the family. There should be interdisciplinary cooperation, and the curriculum should be organized so that these topics become an important dimension of pastoral and intellectual formation.417See Congregation for Catholic Education, Directives on the Formation of Seminarians Concerning Problems Related to Marriage and the Family (1995).

§347 Although various theological schools exist within the Catholic Tradition, in accord with Church teaching, the significance of St. Thomas Aquinas as the model and guide for study and research in theology must be recognized.418See Optatam Totius, no. 16n36; CIC, c. 252 §3.

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

§349 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.419See International Theological Commission, On the Interpretation of Dogmas (1989).

§350 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.

§351 Courses of theology, ecclesiology, spirituality, and history should include the development and nature of the Eastern Churches.420See CCEO, c. 41; Congregation for Catholic Education, Circular Letter Concerning Studies of the Oriental Churches (1987).

§352 Studies in the beliefs and practices of other Churches, ecclesial communities, or religions may be profitably taught by members of those Churches or religions after seminarians have completed the regular course studies on ecclesiology and the Catholic principles on ecumenism, and with respect for the rule that in seminary studies the professors of the doctrinal courses should be Catholics.421See Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism. The prescriptions of the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (nos. 70-81, 192-95) and The Ecumenical Dimension in the Formation of Those Engaged in Pastoral Work are to be followed.

§353 The expansion of communications technology and social media is a phenomenon that must be taken into account in the intellectual formation of seminarians. “Considering the ample attention given by the Magisterium to the theme of social communications, and the promising area of evangelization found in the ‘new media,’ Seminaries must develop a specific awareness in seminarians in this regard.”422Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 182; see CIC, c. 666.

§354 Theological formation in seminaries must clearly respect traditional doctrinal formulations of the faith while recognizing contemporary modes of theological expression and explanation that accord with the doctrine of the faith. Contemporary expressions are always to be presented with due deference for the Tradition and in continuity with it.423Pope Benedict XVI provides a helpful principle regarding contemporary expressions of the faith: “On the one hand, there is an interpretation that I would call ‘a hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture’; it has frequently availed itself of the sympathies of the mass media, and also one trend of modern theology. On the other, there is the ‘hermeneutic of reform,’ of renewal in the continuity of the one subject-Church which the Lord has given to us. She is a subject which increases in time and develops, yet always remaining the same, the one subject of the journeying People of God.” Address to the Roman Curia Offering Them Christmas Greetings, December 22, 2005, www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2005/december/documents/hf_ben_xvi_spe_20051222_roman-curia.html.

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

§356 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.424See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 56.

§357 The theological curriculum, in both its planning and its execution, should address the unique needs of a multicultural society, which entails not only the study of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures, but also direction regarding such matters as approved Marian apparitions and the lives of those Americans who have been canonized or beatified.425See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 157. Seminaries should offer resources for attaining proficiency in pastorally appropriate languages.426See USCCB, Encuentro and Mission: A Renewed Pastoral Framework for Hispanic Ministry (Washington, DC: USCCB, 2002), 55.

§358 Throughout the curriculum, the biblical, theological, ethical, and historical foundations of the Church’s teaching on social justice should be included.427See Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

§359 Seminarians must receive an introduction to the principles, methods, and skills of catechesis and teaching.428See CIC, cc. 528, 773, 776-777. Teaching opportunities may be offered as a part of field education and pastoral placements. In addition, seminarians should be given a doctrinal understanding of popular piety to teach them “to distinguish what belongs to the inculturation of the Gospel and constitutes a real treasure for the Church.”429Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 179.

§360 In the United States, the first professional degree, a 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 may 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 may also offer the ecclesiastical degrees of bachelor of sacred theology (STB) and the licentiate in sacred theology (STL) either by affiliating with an ecclesiastical faculty or by special arrangement with the Congregation for Catholic Education.

§361 Seminaries should have degree programs certified by appropriate accrediting agencies. Seminarians 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.

§362 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 graduate level demands access to a strong, professionally staffed library with print, nonprint, and electronic resources, as required by accrediting agencies.

§363 Contemporary pedagogical methods that incorporate technological advances should be encouraged.

§364 Diocesan bishops and major superiors should be encouraged to designate seminarians who complete their basic program with honors for further study after sufficient pastoral experience.

365 The intellectual dimension of the vocational synthesis stage should focus on the practical application of theology needed for sacramental and pastoral ministry as well as preaching and teaching. The deacon will have completed his formal theological study and turned a greater focus to ministerial practice. Nevertheless, he is to cultivate the practice of ongoing study in theology and other vital disciplines.

§409 The diocesan bishop or the major superior oversees the implementation of the Decree on the Training of Priests and this Program of Priestly Formation, and he ensures that the seminary statutes correspond to Canon Law. The diocesan bishop or major superior discharges these responsibilities personally and through the seminary board(s), the rector, and the rest of the seminary community. He is to visit the seminary regularly and exercise vigilance over it and the formation of his seminarians. A relationship of trust between the diocesan bishop or major superior and the rector will help to ensure that the bishop or major superior does not “undermine the Rector and other formators in the discernment of the vocations of the candidates and their adequate preparation.”482Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 128. He should encourage and support the rector and the rest of the seminary community in their dedication to this apostolate.483See CIC, c. 259 §2; CCEO, cc. 336 §1, 356 §2. Bishops and major superiors are encouraged to be generous in offering priests to serve in seminaries who exemplify the qualities that seminarians would be well-suited to emulate.

§410 The diocesan bishop or major superior ensures that the seminary offers a program in accord with the mind of the Church—including an approved written Rule of Life.

§411 It is essential that frequent and open communication be maintained among ecclesiastical authorities, the rector, and the rest of the seminary community to discuss the changing needs of the Church, the progress of seminarians, and developments in the seminary program.

§412 At times, seminarians for the diocesan priesthood may attend seminaries owned and operated by institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life and not by a diocese. In such instances, the local diocesan bishop has canonical responsibility for the welfare of all diocesan seminarians in attendance there.484See USCCB Committee on Priestly Formation, Relationship of the Local Ordinary (Bishop) to the Seminary Owned and Operated by Religious (1981). Accordingly, he should be in regular communication with the seminary rector and be accorded a voice in the governance of the seminary.

§413 The formation of seminarians preparing for the priesthood in institutes of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life is the responsibility of each institute or society and is regulated by the constitutions and other canonical legislation or directives pertaining to them, as well as by the directives of this Program of Priestly Formation.

§414 Most seminaries sponsored by some form of consecrated life are collaborative ventures of several religious institutes or societies. Responsibility for the canonical form of governance belongs to those who hold ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The statutes of such institutions must be approved by the competent authority. The Holy See must approve priestly formation centers formed by a number of religious institutes or societies.

§415 A variety of structures is legitimately used in the governance of seminaries in the United States. In situations with multiple boards, the bylaws of each should establish the clear jurisdiction and purpose of each board or corporation. Care is to be taken to guarantee that the bylaws of these corporations and boards are canonically proper and in accord with civil law, providing for suitable ecclesiastical oversight.

§416 An advisory board can provide a valuable service to the seminary by offering wise counsel to the diocesan bishop or major superior on governance of the seminary in accord with Church law, this Program of Priestly Formation, and the standards of the seminary’s accrediting agency.

§417 Members of the board should represent the clergy, religious, and laity who share a concern for priestly formation in all its dimensions. They should be selected from the local Churches and from the religious institutes or societies that the seminary serves. The board should reflect the multicultural composition of the Church in the region and of the dioceses or eparchies it serves.

§418 Boards should have a well-articulated policy and an active practice of board development, so that board members can fulfill their responsibilities more effectively. This policy should include a provision for the regular evaluation of the board’s own performance.

§419 When seminary boards have fiduciary responsibility for the seminary, the members should be well prepared for that role and discharge their responsibility effectively.

§420 The process used to form governance policy485“Governance policy” in this document refers to those norms, laws, and decrees that strictly speaking flow from the rights and obligations inherent in the authority of the diocesan bishop or major superior. Administrative policies are the responsibility of those deputed for the internal operation of the seminary, particularly the rector. Administrative policy means operational rules, regulations, and procedures that implement the mission and governance policy approved by the diocesan bishop or major superior. should be clearly defined by the diocesan bishop or major superior in consultation with the seminary board(s) and the rector. The process should clearly identify the scope of governance authority and responsibility, while protecting the principle of subsidiarity and avoiding intrusion into administrative matters of the seminary.

§421 The most important administrative policy is the mission statement of the seminary. Each mission statement must incorporate a clear understanding of and commitment to the formation of men for the ministerial priesthood. It is also important for the seminary to respond to the priorities of local Churches and the communities it serves through the establishment of appropriate policies.

§422 Proposals regarding governance policy are often initiated at the level of the seminary community where concrete needs and problems occur. After review by the seminary leadership, policy proposals of major importance are presented by the rector to the seminary board and to the appropriate ecclesiastical authority, for approval and promulgation as particular legislation. Consultation of the seminary community, including seminarians themselves, should be characteristic of policy making in seminaries.

§430 All seminary leaders should be conscious that they are forming seminarians and modeling for them pastoral leadership and collaboration within a community. The exercise of authority should be clearly seen as service. Leadership is always relational:

1. It values the life and potential of each member of the community.
2. It nurtures and challenges growth in members of the community in accord with the Gospel and the Tradition of the Church.
3. It models mature Christian behavior.
4. It values interior responsibility over simple external conformity.
5. It enables others to be of service to the community.
6. It respects and values the dignity of others.
7. It is always a ministry of love.
8. It promotes communication within the seminary community and between the seminary and the ecclesiastical entities it serves.
9. It operates by the principle of subsidiarity.
10. It follows doctrinal and canonical principles related to the sound stewardship of resources, respect for donor intent, and the observance of all social teaching and employment laws.492See CIC, cc. 1267 §3, 1286 1°; CCEO, cc. 1016 §1, 1030, 1°.

§431 Policies governing the seminary should be made by the appropriate authorities in an atmosphere of trust and understanding. While adhering to the goals of priestly formation, the leadership of the seminary community should respond appropriately to the needs and suggestions of seminarians. They should foster initiative as well as individual and group responsibility by observing the principles of subsidiarity and collaboration, while demonstrating forthright and confident leadership. Seminary leaders have a unique opportunity to serve as models for seminarians.

§432 Seminaries may use different titles to describe necessary seminary community leadership roles. Whatever the determination of titles, the functions described below are needed for an effective priestly formation program. In keeping with the unique nature and purpose of the seminary, major posts within the seminary community are normally assigned to priests. All seminary leaders should have adequate preparation and the experience necessary to carry out the responsibilities they are assigned. They should understand the mission of the Church and seminary and be supportive of it.

§433 Seminary leaders bear a special responsibility for planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating the implementation of this Program of Priestly Formation in their respective institutions.

Rector Vice-Rector Coordinator of Spiritual Formation Spiritual Directors Coordinator of Human Formation Priest Formators Coordinator of Intellectual Formation Coordinator of Pastoral Formation

§459 Priest formators are assisted by permanent deacons, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful who, in addition to their outstanding “human qualities and competence in their field,” are people of profound faith. They provide “valuable and professional assistance” in the work of priestly formation.513Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 146.

§460 Seminarians benefit from the mentorship of specialists who are permanent deacons, consecrated men and women, and laypersons.514See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 143. Specialists serve as mentors only according to their proper expertise. They offer recommendations, opinions, and points of view to the rector and formation team, without making a formal judgment as to the suitability of the seminarians for the priesthood or advancement to the next stage of formation.515See Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 146. Seminaries should seek ways to fully integrate these mentoring relationships into the communal life of the seminary so that they have a genuine impact on the formation of the seminarians. These relationships add another facet of accompaniment to priestly formation distinct from spiritual direction and external formation advising, which are always done by priests.

Academic Dean Librarian Development and Public Relations Officer Business Manager

Conditions of Service Organization Doctrinal Responsibility