Editorial

Selecting and forming future priests

Michael Gilchrist

Contents - Mar 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Selecting and forming future priests - Michael Gilchrist St Thérèse's relics make Australian pilgrimage - Mother Teresa OCDM News: The Church Around the World 'Conservation Plan' recommends changes to Toowoomba's Cathedral - Michael Gilchrist North American vocations summit overlooks orthodox success stories - Zenit News Service Former Anglican Bishop of London explains why he became a Catholic - Monsignor Graham Leonard Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration spreads throughout the world - Fr Douglas Harris 'Liturgiam Authenticam', ICEL and the need for improved Mass translations - Anna Silvas The Benedictine medal: a long history of devotion - Fr Fabian Duggan OSB Thoughts of a recent convert to Catholicism - Rett Peaden Letters: Watered-down faith - Teresa Martin Letters: Testimonies - Raymond de Souza Letters: Apology - Fr M. Shadbolt PP Letters: Last straw (letter) - Justin Kearney Letters: Human Rights (letter) - Sr M.B. Eanswythe OSB Letters: Courage Needed (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Sunday obligation - Leo Willems Letters: Forgotten teachings - Mrs Hiske Deschepper Letters: Nicene Creed - Ken Bayliss Letters: Parish libraries? - Bob Cotterall Letters: Indian appeal - Kevin L. Fernandes Letters: Teaching position - Robert Anderson Books: Freedom and Virtue: The Conservative-Libertarian Debate, George W. Carey (ed) - Alex Sidhu (reviewer) Books: Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism, by Paul Vitz - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Books: Living The Catholic Faith, by Archbishop Charles Chaput - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: Fatima Handbook, by Leo Madigan - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: Fr Werenfried - A Life, by Joanna Bogle - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: John Paul II: St Joseph's renewed significance for the Church - Br Christian Moe FSC

Apostolic visitations - arranged by the Vatican Congregation for Education - have been made to almost all the world's seminaries over the past three years. Reports on the visitations were presented at a three-day assembly in February attended by about 30 cardinals and bishops.

During his address to participants, Pope John Paul II pointed out that "the psychological sciences" should be integrated into the framework of a candidate's overall formation, safeguarding the "value of and time dedicated to spiritual guidance."

He emphasised that the formation given in seminaries must be "of the highest level from both an intellectual and spiritual point of view. Candidates must be introduced to the practice of prayer, meditation and personal asceticism."

He continued: "It is especially necessary to nourish the students' joy in their own vocation. Celibacy for the Kingdom of God must be presented as a choice that is eminently favourable to the joyful announcement of the Risen Christ."

The Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, cautioned that the admission of candidates to seminaries should not depend entirely on the judgment of psychologists or psychiatrists. "The challenges of the contemporary world," he said, "call for priests who are more solid in the faith, more united to Christ in prayer, more conscious of the indispensable role they play in the Church, priests who have more courage and more zeal in their pastoral activity."

It is encouraging that the trend in many of Australia's seminaries is already in this direction, while the success of those seminaries and religious houses (see report page 7) that follow these approaches seems a solid vindication of their wisdom and appropriateness.

• Michael Gilchrist: Editor (E-mail - editor@ad2000.com.au)

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 2 (March 2002), p. 2