Program of Priestly Formation 6th edition

THE ONGOING FORMATION OF PRIESTS | 161

The fact is that God continues to call and send forth, revealing his saving plan in the historical development of the priest’s life and the life of the Church and of society. It is in this perspective that the meaning of ongoing formation emerges. Permanent formation is necessary in order to discern and follow this constant call or will of God” within the context of the universal call to holiness of all disciples of Jesus Christ. 470 The configuration stage and the vocational synthesis stage should lay the foundations for the ongoing formation of priests across a lifetime of ministry. This is done in several ways: a. The seminary formation program must be imbued with a vision of life after ordination. “It is particularly important to be aware of and to respect the intrinsic link between formation before ordi nation to the priesthood and formation after ordination.” 471 b. Planning for ongoing formation, and learning how to plan, begins in the seminary. “Long-term preparation for ongoing formation should take place in the major seminary, where encouragement needs to be given to future priests to look forward to it, seeing its necessity, its advantages and the spirit in which it should be undertaken, and appropriate conditions for its realization need to be ensured.” 472 c. It is important that the seminary emphasize to seminarians that ongoing formation is a regular and necessary aspect of the life of priestly ministry. This conviction, imparted to the seminarians and to ecclesiastical entities alike, will encourage them to engage in the process of ongoing formation in all its dimensions—human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. d. The seminary must be vigilant that programs lead to future habits of study, prayer, and formational involvement. e. On occasion, the seminary may provide personnel and resources for transition programs into priesthood. Or it may invite newly ordained and more mature priests back to reflect on their experi ence of transition and to engage in mystagogical catechesis that focuses on the Rite of Ordination and subsequent experiences of 401.

470 Pastores Dabo Vobis , no. 70. 471 Pastores Dabo Vobis , no. 70. 472 Pastores Dabo Vobis , no. 70.