Meeting of Church Heavy-Hitters Calls for ‘Adjustments’ to Priestly Formation

The Tablet ^ | 1/7/20 | Christopher White

[marshmallow]

NEW YORK — A major gathering of ecclesial heavy hitters focusing on the future of the priesthood concluded with a call for a reimagining of priestly formation – one that incorporates the laity and women in the process and better reflects the racial and cultural diversity within the U.S. Church.

The two-day symposium at Boston College took place January 2-3 and was organized around “To Serve the People of God: Renewing the Conversation on Priesthood and Ministry,” a document first published in December 2018, which was the result of a series of seminars sponsored by the college’s Department of Theology and School of Theology and Ministry.

“All consideration of priesthood and ministry must flow from the Second Vatican Council’s affirmation of the Church’s living tradition as it has been received and developed by Pope Francis,” said a communiqué from the conference released on Jan.6. “He has called the Church to missionary discipleship that goes to “the peripheries” and is responsive to the gifts and challenges of contemporary cultures.”

The document goes on to outline ten pastoral recommendations, among them greater human formation in seminaries to “foster authentic psychosexual maturity and integration,” an evaluation process for candidates that allows institutions to “be free to evaluate candidates honestly, without a concern to ‘maintain numbers’ by persevering with unsuitable candidates,” and a call for exploration of new models for ordained ministry.

Some of the strongest language is reserved for the role of women in priestly formation, where organizers noted that women should be included in the faculty of seminaries.

[irishjuggler]

Man, the whole rogues’ gallery were in on this one... Marx, Cupich, Tobin, McElroy, Stowe. Lord, have mercy.

[MSF BU]

The Diocese of Lincoln had a time when they had very many seminarians and even many younger nuns.

[BlessedBeGod]

...“foster authentic psychosexual maturity and integration"...

WTH?

[Bigg Red]

Prayers up for Holy Mother Church.

[hinckley buzzard]

ICYMI, the majority of priests have screwed up sexuality. Many homosexuals. Many Momma’s boys. Many sexual perverts. IDK what the hierarchy can do about it, except face up to the challenge and require rigorous evaluation and vetting of potential priests.

Probably real reform will have to await for the completion of the die-off of the Vatican II generation.

[Rockingham]

The end result will be that portentous rhetoric of uncertain meaning will be endorsed in some manner and then cited by Bergolio and his crew to do whatever they want. Women faculty in seminaries are hard to argue against, but just who will sign up as a priest to sacrifice and evangelize on behalf of a faith defined by murky, feelgood modernism? Or is “the peripheries” just Bergolian code for openly gay priests to be ordained for and to represent the LGBQT crowd?

[Buckeye McFrog]

to “foster authentic psychosexual maturity

If you don't have that by the time you are ready to enter a seminary in your 20's or 30's it is already too late.

[Antoninus]

one that incorporates the laity and women in the process

If you read Goodbye, Good Men you know that this was exactly the formula used to drive good men out of the seminary in the 1970s and 80s. What's old and bad is new and good. Sigh.

Meanwhile, I continue to encourage any young men I encounter who are considering religious vocations to seek out traditional orders. The NO Church is in its death throes and can not be saved. The traditional Church, however, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is and will continue to thrive. Deo Gratias!