Program of Priestly Formation (Ascension)

PPF 49

The Life of Priests

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 inspiration of the institutes, and their adaptation to the changed conditions of our time.” 85 Centuries of tradition bear witness to a difference between formation for the consecrated life and formation of seminarians for the priesthood. 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 deepening 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 foundation 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 upon all who are called to ministerial priesthood, and how these exist in addition to the formation for the consecrated life itself. This Program of Priestly Formation outlines the requirements shared by diocesan seminarians and by the men in formation for priesthood who are members of an institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life, while recognizing the different process of formation incumbent both upon those whose primary call is to be of service

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Perfectae Caritatis , no. 2.

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