New Vatican document due on priestly training

The Vatican is preparing a guideline document on priestly training. The succinct and clear text will appear before the end of the International Year of the Priest in June, said the French curial bishop Jean-Louis Brugues in an interview with the Vatican newspaper, "L´Osservatore Romano“. It will make clear the roll of the priest in church and society and will be produced by the Congregation for Education, of which Brugues is the Secretary

The goal of formation must be to transmit to candidates the joy of priestly office and to strengthen them. For this a optimal formation should be provided which not only presents specialist subjucts but also Christian culture. The social position and tasks of priests in specific countries are different said Brugues. In Africa, Latin America, or in Korea the priest has a very strong social position, very different from the more secularised states. An example would be Italy, according to Brugues, where the church is deeply rooted in the people and very noticeable in society and politics. His confgregation is responsible for 1200 Catholic universities, 2700 seminaries and 250000 Catholic schools. The schools are the best way to introduce the Christian message in the culture of a country as well as the society and to be influential.


Source Radio Vatican