Program of Priestly Formation (Ascension)

PPF 72

Program of Priestly Formation

with these issues, entrance into the discipleship stage should be delayed or denied.

Admission procedures should include an open and frank discussion of the life experiences that applicants bring to the formation program. Their level of insight or self-knowledge and their willingness to address important human issues—such as their interpersonal abilities, evidence of sound peer relationships, their manner of dealing with authority, and their psychosexual development—can be important gauges of their readiness to enter a formation program. If an individual has any significant unresolved human issues, the seminary is well advised to delay admission until greater clarity or resolution is evident. Concerning the capacity to live the charism of celibacy, the applicant is to have lived in continence for a sustained period of time before entering the propaedeutic stage of priestly formation, so that he may give a strong indication to the vocation director and formators of his capacity for continence and self-possession. In discerning the minimal length of this sustained period of time, indicators in the applicant himself— such as age, life experiences, and capacity for growth in psychosexual maturity—should be considered by admissions personnel. Admission procedures should include an evaluation of all internet and social media use, including gaming, by the applicant up to the point of application. It will be necessary for formation personnel to assist the discerner and seminarian with any recommended ongoing support. Any evidence of criminal or compulsive sexual activity or an inclination toward such activity disqualifies the applicant from admission. 117

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117 See Ratio Fundamentalis , no. 202. See also Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People , art. 13.

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