Summary

                                                                                                                                                

        A SUMMARY OF CHAPTER VIII OF THE RATIO FUNDAMENTALIS INSTITUTIONIS SACERDOTALIS TITLED CRITERIA AND NORMS.

By: Nwabuisi JohnPaul

Introduction

Priestly formation is aimed at equipping a candidate aspiring towards the Catholic Priesthood through a continuing conversion of heart, mind, and soul that would enable the candidate carry on an effective ministry in serving God and his people. It is holistic, integral process that involves the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral development of the candidate in formation. Priestly formation takes place essentially in a seminary. It is different from the regular secular education. Hence, it is not called seminary education but seminary formation.

This brings to fore the importance and indispensable place of the seminary; since the seminary is the bedrock for the formation of future priests. The type of training they receive will tell much on the type of priests they would become. So, the Congregation for the Clergy deems it fit to dedicate Chapter VIII of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis titled Criteria and Norms, to delineate on the laws, modus operandi of Seminaries, in admission, departure, health and scrutiny’s of seminarians in the seminary. This way all seminaries in the world have a guide to ensure that the goals of priestly formation are imbued in the candidates for the Catholic Priesthood. The goal of this paper is to give a summary of Chapter VIII of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis titled Criteria and Norms.

Various Forms Of Seminary: The Seminary is a community; a community with a sufficient number of vocations and formators to ensure a formative community, having obtained the approval of the Congregation for the Clergy regarding erection of a seminary. Here quality education should be given to the seminarians and the financial viability of the institution must be considered. In situations where these conditions are not met, seminarians may be entrusted to Seminaries of another particular church.

Seminarians sent to pursue their studies in institutes outside the seminary deserve particular attention by attaching them to a suitable priest who will diligently ensure that discipline and the four areas of formation are ingrained in them.

Admission, Dismissal And Departure From The Seminary: The Bishop is solely responsible for the admission of candidates for the Priesthood, assisted by the community of formators who assess the candidate in the four areas of formation. In this regard, the church has every right to the medical and psychological reports of candidates to ensure their suitability for the Priesthood.

Physical Health: The seminarian through his medical reports must show that he is suitable and medically fit for the ministry. Reports on any treatment or ailment should be communicated to the Bishop and Rector of the seminary who solely have the prerogative to such information. However, all these are to be done within the civil and ecclesiastical legislation of each country which are in consonance with established laws and norms of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Psychological Health: The Church cannot have candidates who suffer from one pathology or the other to be admitted to the seminary. This can be factually known through psychological reports of the candidates, so the help of experts must be sought in this regard. The contribution of this experts are necessary because they aid the formators know the candidates better and know what area to assist them in. So, on admission to the seminary, the seminarian must report to the Bishop and the Rector about any past psychological problems.

Dismissal: The community of formators have the prerogative to dismiss a seminarian after having consulted the Bishop. This dismissal is predicated on the circumstances that led to the decision and the synthesis of the discernment carried out. A written copy of this should be sent to the Bishop and the other copy should be appropriately documented.

Seminarians Coming From Other Seminaries Or Institutes Of Formation: This requires a thorough and careful discernment for readmission of seminarians who have been dismissed or left the seminary or House of formation for another. During this process, the seminarian must present to the Bishop a report containing his personal journey and the situation that led to his departure. These information should also be related to the Rector of the seminary he seeks to be readmitted to.

Persons With Homosexual Tendencies: The Magisterium of the Church does not allow the ordination to the Holy Orders or admittance to the seminary, candidates who have homosexual tendencies. However, those who begin to experience or feel such transitory homosexual tendencies while in the seminary must be open and sincere about this. They are to work hard to ensure that it is gone three years before ordination to diaconate. The roles of Spiritual Directors of seminaries is highly emphasized as they are very instrumental here. Nonetheless, if a seminarian hides this difficulty and proceeds to ordination, he portrays a deceitful attitude which is not in tandem with the personality of Christ; the eternal High Priest. Seminarians are to be reminded that the right to sacred ordination belongs to the Church and the Church has sets the standard for its suitability to the ministerial priesthood.

The Protection Of Minors And The Accompaniment Of Victims: Seminarians who must have been abused in the past should be given suitable accompaniment and they themselves must not in any way have engaged in such problematic behavior. Seminars, lectures, should be held to provide seminarians with the adequate information of this evil. Nonetheless, Bishops have the onus to establish a dialogue with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to suggest ways and measures of averting any future occurrence of the abuse of minor and vulnerable adults.

The Scrutinies: Scrutinies as discussed here, refers to the various process and requirements for ordination. It involves a discernment of the suitability and moral certainty of candidates for the priesthood. Candidates are judged on the iter of priestly formation. The scrutinies aim to verify the actual presence of the qualities of an ideal Priest, thus in cases of doubt, the Bishop is to defer giving his approval in conferring sacred ordination.

The Ratio, outlines a number of reports required to aid the scrutiny process in order to ensure that there are no irregularities or impediments. All these are to be checkmated with the listed Codes of the Canon Law outlined in the Ratio. If a candidate defaults in any, the candidate should not be ordained. Nevertheless, bishops have the final authority to either call or deny a seminarian ordination. In this regard, Bishops are encouraged to follow and respect the recommendations from the reports of the seminary about their candidates. The decision taken by the Bishop to either ordain or express refusal should be in form of a decree in which he states the reasons for his decisions.

Relevance to me as a Seminarian:

1.     I have come to understand that there are various forms of seminaries with their rules and obligations which are to be obeyed. So I am to keep the laws formulated by the Bishops in my own seminary.

2.     I have come to understand that the Church has the right to sacred ordination, and that the Church sets the required feat to be achieved before being ordained.

3.     I have also learnt that I am to be very sincere, open and docile in my course of formation.

4.     I have also learnt that people who practice or promote the gay-culture cannot be ordained to the Priesthood.

5.     I have also learnt that I am to be of good behavior since all aspects of my evaluation; psychological, medical and school reports are necessary.

6.     I have also learnt that I am not allowed to abuse any minor or take advantage of a vulnerable adult.

7.     I have also learnt that I must be of good health, through medical checks, going out for games and labour which are avenues to exercise my body.

8.     During the course of the summary, I have been exposed to the requirements and the things to avoid in order to be ordained.

9.     If I have had any psychological problems in the past I am to inform my Bishop and the Rector to ensure that I am helped properly.

10.  I am to listen to sexuality talks just like the one we have with Prof. MC Asuzu as I am equipped with the necessary information to appreciate my sexuality and love all with an affective maturity.

Conclusion: In the course of this summary, we have been able to see the efforts of the Congregation for the Clergy in ensuring that the Church gets the right individuals for the ministerial priesthood. This brings to the fore, the importance and place of priestly vocation. Thus, I am to appreciate my priestly vocation by keeping to the norms accepted in my seminary and in the course of my formation. As a Seminarian I must be docile, open and sincere, thus allowing myself to be configured to Christ the eternal High Priest. Thus, the theme of our academic/formation year is “Priestly Vocation: The journey of formation as configuration to Christ.” This way the goal of the course ‘Christian Maturity’ is fulfilled as I come to grow into the image and likeness of Christ.