Program of Priestly Formation 6th edition

THE LIFE OF PRIESTS | 23

life who are called to priesthood exercise that ministry within the context of their institute or society. “In reality, the charism of the religious life, far from being an impulse born of flesh and blood or one derived from a mentality which conforms itself to the modern world, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who is always at work within the Church.” 83 The exercise of priesthood takes on a distinctive quality for a man who belongs to an insti tute of consecrated life or a society of apostolic life, depending upon the Rule of Life, constitution, and charism of a particular institute or society. Nevertheless, the priest always exercises his ministry in union with the diocesan bishop as his co-worker. 84 To a great extent, the deeper identification of those in conse crated life with the charism of their community’s founder is due to their obedience to the directives of the Second Vatican Council. “The up-to date renewal of the religious life comprises both a constant return to the sources of the whole of the Christian life and to the primitive inspira tion of the institutes, and their adaptation to the changed conditions of our time.” 85 Centuries of tradition bear witness to a difference between forma tion for the consecrated life and formation of seminarians for the priest hood. Formation for the consecrated life ordinarily precedes formation for priestly ministry—as an institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life joyfully accepts its responsibility to form a man into its charism, and as the man owns and expresses the joy of the Gospel in the Rule of Life of the institute or constitution of the society—and accompanies a man in deep ening his desire to serve Christ through ministerial priesthood. Aspects of formation to the priesthood that are addressed in the propaedeutic stage are addressed within early stages of consecrated life, that is, candidacy, postulancy, novitiate, and the time of temporary profession when a foun dation is laid for public witness to the evangelical counsels as expressed in a particular institute or society. Nevertheless, the religious institute or society of apostolic life also assumes responsibility for forming the man for Holy Orders according to the mind of the Church and thus recognizing the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral requirements incumbent 47. 48.

83 84 85

Evangelica Testificatio , no. 11. See Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 35.

Perfectae Caritatis , no. 2.