Formacja kandydatów do kapłaństwa w świetle nowego Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis

Abstract

The last Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis was published in1970 and updated in 1985. In the meantime, and particularly under the effectof the rapid changes in the modern world, the historical, socio-cultural andecclesial contexts have changed, in which the priest is called to make manifest the mission of Christ and the Church. This has also led to significantchanges in related matters: the image or the view of the priest, the spiritualneeds of the People of God, the challenges of the new evangelisation, andthe languages of communication, to name just a few. In this situation, it seemed that priestly formation needed to be relaunched, renewed and returned to the centre. On 8 December 2016, therefore, the Congregation for the Clergy published the new Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis,a tool for the formation of priests. It has taken up the contents, methods andapproaches presented so far in the field of formation, updating them andintroducing new elements. The document restates the guidelines offeredin the Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis regarding an integratedformation of seminarians. In this formation, the formators and professors arecalled to demonstrate the close relationship between theology, the spirituallife and the pastoral ministry. This is so in order that the candidate for thepriesthood might become a good shepherd of the People of God and havea compassionate and merciful heart like Christ.