Program of Priestly Formation (Ascension)

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Program of Priestly Formation

those employed as counselors for seminarians are well versed in and supportive of the Church’s expectations of seminarians, including a sound understanding and acceptance of Christian anthropology. Priest Formators Priest formators monitor seminarians assigned to them in all four areas of formation, and they assist in the evaluation process. Priest formators must be exemplary in their dedication to the Church and to the ministerial priesthood. Priest formators function exclusively in the external forum and are not to engage in matters that are reserved for the internal forum and the spiritual director. Coordinator of Intellectual Formation “The intellectual formation of the candidates is the responsibility of the Rector and of the community of formators. With the participation of the ‘coordinator of intellectual formation,’ the formators shall ensure the cooperation of the professors and other experts, and shall meet regularly with them, in order to address teaching-related matters, so as to promote more effectively the integral formation of the seminarians.” 511 It is important that the rector and the coordinator of intellectual formation ensure that intellectual coursework is understood by all members of the seminary community as formation and that it is seen as an element integral to the other dimensions of formation; it is not the only or even the primary dimension of formation. In the case of collaborative seminaries, the coordinator of intellectual formation coordinates the academic work of the seminarians at the affiliated college or university.

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The coordinator of intellectual formation, a priest, who can also be the academic dean, normally should possess a terminal degree, and

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511 Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 141.

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