VATICAN - Study Seminar for Bishops - Cardinal Scola speaks on formation in Seminaries and institutes of theology: “The formation of candidates to the priesthood is not among the many tasks assigned to the Bishop”

Vatican City (Fides Service) - In his address to the newly appointed Bishops from mission territories taking part in the Seminar organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Cardinal Angelo Scola, Patriarch of Venice said: “Formative responsibility cannot be limited to ensuring that priests are prepared professionally”, the horizon must extend to the life of priests to make sure that formation is not merely “the elaboration of a path of contents and techniques which enable the person to fulfil a role”.
Speaking about the responsibility of the bishop with regard to formation in seminaries and institutes of theology the Cardinal said “only a type of formation which recognises in the Christian community the educational subject can prevent places of formation (Seminaries and institutes of theology) from becoming places which are separated from the life of the people...the bishop, as shepherd of the Particular Church, always the image of the universal Church, is called to guarantee the eminent ecclesial nature of specific places for priestly formation”.
With regard to dangers threatening formation Cardinal Scola mentioned clericalism, or “a priestly life style restricted to a place separated from the concrete life- pulse of the Christian community. In this case the ministry is understood and above all lived as a sort of offering of services to consumers who remain strangers for the priest who ends up assuming schematic attitudes of dominion”. This is why, Seminaries and institutes of theology “must be places of authentic communion”, and must be modelled mainly on the educational dynamic of the family: “On the one hand paternal and maternal authority is proposed personally and on the other this fosters the freedom of the son who is personally involved and learns to love and to work. Too often today Christian communities model their life on that of a business company.”
Focussing on the type of formation offered to the future priest the Cardinal dwelt on certain aspects such as confrontation with present day culture in which religions appear to be inter-changeable, collaboration between seminaries and institutes of theology, inculturation of the faith and interreligious dialogue .
At the end of this address Cardinal Scola mentioned briefly ongoing formation: “priestly formation can never be considered to be accomplished...The duty of Bishops to provide ongoing formation for their presbyters must also be a shouldering of responsibility for every priest’s striving for holiness”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 15/9/2004; Righe 31 - Parole 387)