Program of Priestly Formation 6th edition

146 | PROGRAM OF PRIESTLY FORMATION

them. In this way, he begins to have a sense of what his sacramen tal ministry will entail. He will come to appreciate the sacraments as part of his future public ministry for the salvation of souls and understand more clearly how the Church’s sacraments, especially Penance and the Eucharist, nourish and sustain God’s people. c. Ecclesial formation : All pastoral formation, on the universal, diocesan, and parochial levels, must be profoundly ecclesial and missionary in nature. Notwithstanding the specific situation of seminarians of an institute of consecrated life or society of apos tolic life, diocesan seminarians must be familiarized with the local Church that they will serve and especially with the priests, with whom they will be co-workers with the bishop. This dimension of pastoral formation means not only absorb ing information about the local Church and presbyterate but, more importantly, cultivating bonds of affective communion and learning how to be at home in the place where one will serve and with the priests with whom one will serve. 437 Seminarians should see their future priestly assignments as something wider than their own preference and choice and as a sharing in a far wider vision of the needs of the local Church. At the same time, seminarians must understand that their hearts and minds should bear a concern for the Universal Church as well. 438 Lastly, it is necessary that all priests have the heart of mis sionaries. 439 The Church is truest to her identity when she is an evangelizing Church, because the very nature of the Church is missionary. 440 Seminarians must be taught the concern for all Churches and people and should be given an opportunity to become acquainted with the work of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the Missionary Congregations of Religious, the home missions, and the missionary tradition over the centuries. An 437 “The example of priests who have preceded the candidates into the priesthood will be a great help and incentive. This will include the elderly, the pastors who lead the Diocese, as well as the emeritus Bishops. It is a matter of making the ‘pastoral tradition’ of the local Church known and appreciated, the better to ease their future entry into pastoral life, for it is there that they will be incardinated and exercise the ministry.” Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 123. 438 “Seminarians ought to be moved by an authentically Catholic spirit. While loving their own Diocese sincerely, they ought to be open to placing themselves at the service of the Universal Church or of other particular Churches.” Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 123. See CIC, c. 257 §1; CCEO, c. 352 §3. 439 See St. John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio , no. 67. 440 See Second Vatican Council, Ad Gentes Divinitus ( Decree on the Church’s Mission Activity ), in Austin Flannery, ed., Vatican Council II: Volume 1: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents , new rev. ed. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996), no. 2; Evangelii Gaudium , no. 19.