Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests (Ascension)

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Appendix C: Cultural Considerations in Ongoing Formation

united even as it respected the uniqueness of people’s own languages and identities as Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and so on. The Catholic faith and its convictions provide the motivation to bridge cultural divides and the foundation for respect, even reverence, for differences. CULTURAL ORIENTATION 288 When clergy arrive from other cultures as immigrant or missionary priests, they have a critical need for proper welcome and orientation to life in a new country and culture. This kind of programming, as essential as it may be, does not fall under the heading of “ongoing formation.” The USCCB has already addressed this question at length in the 2014 edition of Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers in the United States . 220 Nonetheless, missionary priests serving in the United States do need to be considered by those planning for ongoing formation. First, missionary priests need opportunities specific to their needs as international priests. Even the most extensive orientation programming needs follow-up and amplification over time. New questions arise in the lived experience of international priests, and further discussion of culture is essential before a priest might be considered for a pastorate. Additionally, general programming needs to be accessible to priests of other cultures and should contribute to building up fraternal understanding and cooperation among priests from different cultural perspectives. CULTURE AND ONGOING FORMATION 289 Three areas of concern center on the power and role of culture in ongoing formation efforts. First, all clergy have a general need for resources for intercultural competency in ministry to the diverse 220 USCCB Committees on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations; Cultural Diversity in the Church; the Protection of Children and Young People; Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers in the United States , 3rd ed. (Washington, DC: USCCB, 2014). The document includes canon law, civil law, psychological considerations, and child and youth protection and safety considerations related to assessing and accepting pastoral ministers, as well as recommen dations related to their reception, orientation, and ongoing formation.

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