On admission to seminaries: Part II

Photo from RC Vocations: US seminarians in Rome greet the news of the election of Benedict XVI

I recently posted on a new document from the Vatican: Guidelines for the Use of Psychology in the Admission and Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood. The post included remarks made at a press conference by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, the dicastery which oversees seminary education. The whole document can be read here.

Having read the document, I offer below what I find to be its salient elements. Overall, and from a pastor's perspective, I found it to be a helpful document. It reflects much of what was operative, even if in elementary ways, in my own seminary formation. For four years I was on the formation staff of Moreau Seminary at the University of Notre Dame. As a former "formator" (the dicastery's term for those involved in the formation of candidates for ordination) I recognize in the document many of the concerns about candidates that I had as one responsible for recommending or not recommending candidates to their bishops or religious superiors for ordination.

I encourage those interested to read the entire document. For those who might not take the time to do that, the following excerpts might be helpful. The emphasis is added and is my own.

At the conclusion of the excerpts, you'll see I've added one more comment.

…The priestly ministry, understood and lived as a conformation to Christ, Bridegroom and Good Shepherd, requires certain abilities as well as moral and theological virtues, which are supported by a human and psychic – and particularly affective – equilibrium, so as to allow the subject to be adequately predisposed for giving of himself in the celibate life, in a way that is truly free in his relations with the faithful…

The document lists a series of human virtues and relational abilities that are required of the priest, so that his personality * may be “a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity.” These virtues and qualities range from the personality's general equilibrium to the ability to bear the weight of pastoral responsibilities, from a deep knowledge of the human spirit to a sense of justice and loyalty.

* The specific understanding of “personality” in this document refers to affective maturity and absence of mental disorder.

Some of these qualities merit particular attention: the positive and stable sense of one's masculine identity, and the capacity to form relations in a mature way with individuals and groups of people; a solid sense of belonging, which is the basis of future communion with the presbyterium (other priests) and of a responsible collaboration in the ministry of the bishop; the freedom to be enthused by great ideals and a coherence in realizing them in everyday action; the courage to take decisions and to stay faithful to them; a knowledge of oneself, of one's talents and limitations, so as to integrate them within a self-esteem before God; the capacity to correct oneself; the appreciation for beauty in the sense of “splendour of the truth” as well as the art of recognizing it; the trust that is born from an esteem of the other person and that leads to acceptance; the capacity of the candidate to integrate his sexuality in accordance with the Christian vision, including in consideration of the obligation of celibacy…

A priestly vocation involves an extraordinary and demanding synergy of human and spiritual dynamics. The candidate, knowing this, can only draw advantage from an attentive and responsible vocational discernment, aimed at differentiating formation paths according to each individual's needs, as well as gradually overcoming his deficiencies on the spiritual and human levels. The Church has the duty of furnishing candidates with an effective integration of the human dimension, in light of the spiritual dimension into which it flows and in which it finds its completion… In fact, those who today ask admittance to the seminary reflect, in a more or less accentuated way, the unease of an emerging mentality characterized by consumerism, instability in family and social relationships, moral relativism, erroneous visions of sexuality, the precariousness of choices, and a systematic negation of values especially by the media.

Among the candidates can be found some who come from particular experiences – human, family, professional, intellectual or affective – which, in various ways, have left psychological wounds that are not yet healed and that cause disturbances. These wounds, unknown to the candidate in their real effects, are often erroneously attributed by him to causes outside himself, thus depriving him of the possibility of facing them adequately…

The timely discernment of possible problems that block the vocational journey can only be of great benefit for the person, for the vocational institutions and for the Church. Such problems include excessive affective dependency; disproportionate aggression; insufficient capacity for being faithful to obligations taken on; insufficient capacity for establishing serene relations of openness, trust and fraternal collaboration, as well as collaboration with authority; a sexuality identity that is confused or not yet well defined…

A certain Christian and vocational maturity can be reached, including with the help of psychology, illumined and completed by the contribution of the anthropology of the Christian vocation and, therefore, of grace. Nevertheless, one cannot overlook the fact that such maturity will never be completely free of difficulties and tensions, which require interior discipline, a spirit of sacrifice, acceptance of struggle and of the Cross, and the entrusting of oneself to the irreplaceable assistance of grace…

It is possible that the candidate – notwithstanding his own commitment and the support of the psychologist, or psychotherapy – could continue to show himself unable to face realistically his areas of grave immaturity – even given the gradual nature of all human growth. Such areas of immaturity would include strong affective dependencies; notable lack of freedom in relations; excessive rigidity of character; lack of loyalty; uncertain sexual identity; deep-seated homosexual tendencies; etc. If this should be the case, the path of formation will have to be interrupted.
The same is also true if it becomes evident that the candidate has difficulty living chastity in celibacy: that is, if celibacy, for him, is lived as a burden so heavy that it compromises his affective and relational equilibrium…

As the product of 8 years of seminary formation and as one who served for four years on a seminary formation staff, I have no recollection from my student or staff days of the concept of "spiritual paternity" which Cardinal Grocholewski refers to in the press conference noted in my first post on this matter. The cardinal implies that homosexuals cannot be admitted to seminaries because their sexual preference precludes any "spiritual paternity" they might exercise in ministry. The point he seems to be making is that since a homosexual man does not desire marriage to a woman and the possibility of siring offspring, he cannot possibly exercise a "spiritual paternity" of those in his pastoral care. The cardinal implies that although a homosexual man might be free of any sin connected with his sexual preference and although he might be prepared to embrace a chaste, celibate life - that is not enough. He must have the potential for desiring physical paternity.

It should be noted that the cardinal's reference to his question of paternity was raised in the press conference and that, in the document, such reference is only in the 12th footnote, quoting a 2006 address by Benedict XVI:

Footnote no. 12:
In the developing formation process, affective maturity takes on a particular importance; this is an area of development that requires, today more than ever, particular attention. “In reality, we grow in affective maturity when our hearts adhere to God. Christ needs priests who are mature, virile, capable of cultivating an authentic spiritual paternity. For this to happen, priests need to be honest with themselves, open with their spiritual director and trusting in divine mercy” (Benedict XVI, Speech to priests and religious in the Cathedral of Warsaw [25 May 2006], in L'Osservatore Romano [26-27 May 2006], p. 7).

Cardinal Grocholewski spoke of homosexuality in a priest as "a type of wound in the exercise of the priesthood, in forming relations with others. And precisely for this reason we say that something isn’t right in the psyche of such a man."

A number of questions might be addressed to these points of view. I suspect, indeed, I hope they will be.

For the time being I note again that this requirement based on the category of "spiritual paternity" is a new one to me and that, by and large, the document generally addresses some important concerns. Regardless of what might have be their sexual orientation, I'm sure that we recognize in the range of "problems" the document details some descriptive notes of priests we know (and have known) - and love.

-ConcordPastor