Program of Priestly Formation 6th edition

116 | PROGRAM OF PRIESTLY FORMATION

THE PROPAEDEUTIC STAGE

268. The propaedeutic stage is “an ideal opportunity to acquire an initial and overall familiarity with Christian doctrine by studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church .” 337 Teaching new seminarians the basics of priestly identity and spirituality is also a chief aim of the intellectual formation of this stage. Seminarians should obtain an introductory knowl edge of the Bible that equips them to thoughtfully read and pray with Sacred Scripture. Training in intercultural competency, including begin ning to learn a new language to meet the pastoral needs of the diocese, should be included in the intellectual formation of seminarians. Other areas of study that support this broad foundational doctrinal formation could include introduction to the documents of the Second Vatican Council and other principal documents of the Magisterium, intro ductory reading of the Church Fathers and Doctors, and study of the lives the saints and blesseds (especially American saints and blesseds). 338 In addition, intellectual formation could begin to familiarize the seminarian with the great schools of spiritual theology and the spiritual masters. For international seminarians, English-language study (for those for whom English is not the primary language) and an acculturation program should be completed prior to beginning the propaedeutic stage. Continued study of English and acculturation during the propaedeutic stage is also vital. It is helpful, and sometimes necessary, that spiritual direction and some human formation during this stage be provided in the first or primary language of the seminarian to allow for adequate voca tional discernment. 339 269. 270.

PROPAEDEUTIC STAGE BENCHMARKS

271. Gaining an initial understanding of Christian doctrine and anthropology as well as an initial familiarity of the Bible in its various parts are benchmarks that should be reached prior to embarking on

337 Ratio Fundamentalis, no. 59. 338 See Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 157. 339 See Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 27.