TITLE III:
SACRED MINISTERS OR CLERICS (Cann. 232 - 293)
CHAPTER I :
THE FORMATION OF CLERICS
Sacred Ministers
Can.
232 It is the duty and the proper and exclusive right of the Church to train
those who are deputed to sacred ministries.
Can.
233 §1 It is the duty of the whole christian community to foster vocations so
that the needs of the sacred ministry are sufficiently met in the entire
Church. In particular, this duty binds christian families, educa tors and, in a
special way, priests, especially parish priests. DiocesanBishops, who must show
the greatest concern to promote vocations, are to instruct the people entrusted
to them on the importance of the sacred ministry and the need for ministers in
the Church. They are to encourage and support initiatives to promote vocations,
especially movements established for this purpose.
§2
Moreover, priests and especially diocesan Bishops are to be solicitous that men
of more mature years who believe they are called to the sacred ministries are
prudently assisted by word and deed and are duly prepared.
Can.
234 §1 Minor seminaries and other institutions of a similar nature promote
vocations by providing a special religious formation, allied to human and
scientific education - where they exist, they are to be retained and fostered.
Indeed, where the diocesan Bishop considers it expedient, he is to provide for
the establishment of a minor seminary or similar institution.
§2 Unless
the circumstances of certain situations suggest otherwise, young men who aspire
to the priesthood are to receive that same human and scientific formation which
prepares their peers in their region for higher studies.
Can.
235 §1 Young men who intend to become priests are to receive the appropriate
religious formation and instruction in the duties proper to the priesthood in a
major seminary, for the whole of the time of formation or, if in the judgement
of the diocesan Bishop circumstances require it, for at least four years.
§2 Those
who lawfully reside outside the seminary are to be entrusted by the diocesan
Bishop to a devout and suitable priest, who will ensure that they are carefully
formed in the spiritual life and in discipline.
Can.
236 Those who aspire to the permanent diaconate are to be formed in the
spiritual life and appropriately instructed in the fulfilment of the duties
proper to that order, in accordance with the provisions made by the Episcopal
Conference:
1° young
men are to reside for at least three years in a special houseunless the
diocesan Bishop for grave reasons decides otherwise,
2° men of
more mature years, whether celibate or married, are toprepare for three years
in a manner determined by the same Episcopal Conference.
Can.
237 §1 Where it is possible and advisable, each diocese is to have a major
seminary; otherwise, students preparing for the sacred ministries are to be
sent to the seminary of another diocese, or an inter-diocesan seminary is to be
established.
§2 An
inter-diocesan seminary may not be established unless the prior approval of the
Apostolic See has been obtained, both for the establishment of the seminary and
for its statutes. Approval is also required from the Episcopal Conference if
the seminary is for the whole of its territory; otherwise, from the Bishops
concerned.
Can.
238 §1 Seminaries which are lawfully established have juridical personality in
the Church by virtue of the law itself.
§2 In the
conduct of all its affairs, the rector acts in the person of the seminary,
unless for certain matters the competent authority has prescribed otherwise.
Can.
239 §1 In all seminaries there is to be a rector who presides over it, a
vice-rector, if circumstances warrant this, and a financial administrator.
Moreover, if the students follow their studies in the seminary, there are to be
professors who teach the various subjects in a manner suitably coordinated
between them.
§2 In every
seminary there is to be at least one spiritual director, though the students
are also free to approach other priests who have been deputed to this work by
the Bishop.
§3 The
seminary statutes are to determine the manner in which the other moderators,
the professors and indeed the students themselves, are to participate in the
rector's responsibility, especially in regard to the maintenance of discipline.
Can.
240 §1 Besides ordinary confessors, other confessors are to come regularly to
the seminary; while maintaining seminary discipline, the students are always to
be free to approach any confessor, whether inside or outside the seminary.
§2 In
deciding about the admission of students to orders, or their dismissal from the
seminary, the vote of the spiritual director and the confessors may never be
sought.
Can.
241 §1 The diocesan Bishop is to admit to the major seminary only those whose
human, moral, spiritual and intellectual gifts, as well as physical and
psychological health and right intention, show that they are capable of
dedicating themselves permanently to the sacred ministries.
§2 Before
they are accepted, they must submit documentation of their baptism and
confirmation, and whatever else is required by the provisions of the Charter of
Priestly Formation.
§3 If there
is question of admitting those who have been dismissed from another seminary or
religious institute, there is also required the testimony of the respective
superior, especially concerning the reason for their dismissal or departure.
Can.
242 §1 In each country there is to be a Charter of Priestly Formation. It is to
be drawn up by the Episcopal Conference, taking account of the norms issued by
the supreme ecclesiastical authority, and it is to be approved by the Holy See;
moreover, it is to be adapted to new circumstances, likewise with the approval
of the Holy See. This Charter is to define the overall principles governing
formation in the seminary and the general norms which take account of the
pastoral needs of each region or province.
§2 The
norms of the Charter mentioned in §1 are to be observed in all seminaries,
whether diocesan or inter-diocesan.
Can.
243 In addition, each seminary is to have its own rule, approved by the
diocesan Bishop or, in the case of an inter-diocesan seminary, by the Bishops
concerned. In this, the norms of the Charter of Priestly Formation are to be
adapted to the particular circumstances and developed in greater detail,
especially on points of discipline affecting the daily life of the students and
the good order of the entire seminary.
Can.
244 The spiritual formation and the doctrinal instruction of the students in a
seminary are to be harmoniously blended. They are to be so planned that the
students, each according to his talents, simultaneously develop the requisite
human maturity and acquire the spirit of the Gospel and a close relationship
with Christ.
Can.
245 §1 Through their spiritual formation students are to be fitted for the
fruitful exercise of the pastoral ministry, and are to be inculcated with a sense
of mission. They are to learn that a ministry which is always exercised with
lively faith and charity contributes effectively to their personal
sanctification. They are to learn to cultivate those virtues which are highly
valued in human relationships, in such a way that they can arrive at an
appropriate harmony between human and supernatural values.
§2 Students
are to be so trained that, filled with love for Christ's Church, they are
linked to the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter, in humble and filial
charity, to their own Bishop as his faithful co-workers and to their brethren
in friendly cooperation. Through the common life in the seminary, and by
developing relationships of friendship and of association with others, they are
to be prepared for the fraternal unity of the diocesan presbyterium, in whose
service of the Church they will share.
Can.
246 §1 The celebration of the Eucharist is to be the centre of the whole life
of the seminary, so that the students, participating in the very charity of
Christ, may daily draw strength of soul for their apostolic labour and for
their spiritual life particularly from this richest of sources.
§2 They are
to be formed in the celebration of the liturgy of the hours, by which the
ministers of God, in the name of the Church, intercede with Him for all the
people entrusted to them, and indeed for the whole world.
§3 Devotion
to the Blessed Virgin Mary, including the rosary, mental prayer and other
exercises of piety are to be fostered, so that the students may acquire the
spirit of prayer and be strengthened in their vocation.
§4 The
students are to become accustomed to approach the sacrament of penance
frequently. It is recommended that each should have a director of his spiritual
life, freely chosen, to whom he can trustfully reveal his conscience.
§5 Each
year the students are to make a spiritual retreat.
Can.
247 §1 By appropriate instruction they are to be prepared to observe celibacy
and to learn to hold it in honour as a special gift of God.
§2 The
students are to be given all the requisite knowledge concerning the duties and
burdens which are proper to the sacred ministers of the Church, concealing none
of the difficulties of the priestly life.
Can.
248 The doctrinal formation given is to be so directed that the students may
acquire a wide and solid teaching in the sacred sciences, together with a
general culture which is appropriate to the needs of place and time. As a
result, with their own faith founded on and nourished by this teaching, they
ought to be able properly to proclaim the Gospel to the people of their own
time, in a fashion suited to the manner of the people's thinking.
Can.
249 The Charter of Priestly Formation is to provide that the students are not
only taught their native language accurately, but are also well versed in
latin, and have a suitable knowledge of other languages which would appear to
be necessary or useful for their formation or for the exercise of their
pastoral ministry.
Can.
250 The philosophical and theological studies which are organised in the
seminary itself may be conducted either in succession or conjointly, in
accordance with the Charter of Priestly Formation. These studies are to take at
least six full years, in such a way that the time given to philosophical
studies amounts to two full years and that allotted to theological studies to
four full years.
Can.
251 Philosophical formation must be based on the philosophical heritage that is
perennially valid, and it is also to take account of philosophical
investigations over the course of time. It is to be so given that it furthers
the human formation of the students, sharpens their mental edge and makes them
more fitted to engage in theological studies.
Can.
252 §1 Theological formation, given in the light of faith and under the
guidance of the magisterium, is to be imparted in such a way that the students
learn the whole of catholic teaching, based on divine Revelation, that they
make it a nourishment of their own spiritual lives, and that in the exercise of
the ministry they may be able properly to proclaim and defend it.
§2 Students
are to be instructed with special care in sacred Scripture, so that they may
acquire an insight into the whole of sacred Scripture.
§3 Lectures
are to be given in dogmatic theology, based always on the written word of God
and on sacred Tradition; through them the students are to learn to penetrate
more deeply into the mysteries of salvation, with St. Thomas in particular as
their teacher. Lectures are also to be given in moral and pastoral theology,
canon law, liturgy, ecclesiastical history, and other auxiliary and special
disciplines, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter on Priestly
Formation.
Can.
253 §1 The Bishop or the Bishops concerned are to appoint as teachers in
philosophical, theological and juridical subjects only those who are of
outstanding virtue and have a doctorate or a licentiate from a university or
faculty recognised by the Holy See.
§2 Care is
to be taken that different professors are appointed for sacred Scripture,
dogmatic theology, moral theology, liturgy, philosophy, canon law and church
history, and for other disciplines which are to be taught by their own
distinctive methods.
§3 A
professor who seriously fails in his or her duty is to be removed by the
authority mentioned in §1.
Can.
254 §1 In their lectures, the professors are to be continuously attentive to
the intimate unity and harmony of the entire doctrine of faith, so that the
students are aware that they are learning one science. To ensure this, there is
to be someone in the seminary who is in charge of the overall organisation of
studies.
§2 The
students are to be taught in such a way that they themselves are enabled to
research various questions in the scientific way appropriate to each question.
There are, therefore, to be assignments in which, under the guidance of the
professors, the students learn to work out certain subjects by their own
efforts.
Can.
255 Although the whole formation of students in the seminary has a pastoral
purpose, a specifically pastoral formation is also to be provided there; in
this the students are to learn the principles and the techniques which,
according to the needs of place and time, are relevant to the ministry of
teaching, sanctifying and ruling the people of God.
Can.
256 §1 Students are to be carefully instructed in whatever especially pertains
to the sacred ministry, particularly in catechetics and homiletics, in divine
worship and in a special way in the celebration of the sacraments, in dealing
with people, including non-catholics and unbelievers, in parish administration
and in the fulfilment of other tasks.
§2 The
students are to be instructed about the needs of the universal Church, so that
they may have a solicitude for encouraging vocations, for missionary and
ecumenical questions, and for other pressing matters, including social
problems.
Can.
257 §1 The formation of students is to ensure that they are concerned not only
for the particular Church in which they are incardinated, but also for the
universal Church, and that they are ready to devote themselves to particular
Churches which are beset by grave need.
§2 The
diocesan Bishop is to ensure that clerics who intend to move from their own
particular Church to a particular Church in another region, are suitably
prepared to exercise the sacred ministry there, that is, that they learn the
language of the region, and have an understanding of its institutions, social
conditions, usages and customs.
Can.
258 In order that the students may also by practice learn the art of exercising
the apostolate, they are in the course of their studies, and especially during
holiday time, to be initiated into pastoral practice by suitable assignments,
always under the supervision of an experienced priest. These assignments,
appropriate to the age of the student and the conditions of the place, are to
be determined by the Ordinary.
Can.
259 §1 It belongs to the diocesan Bishop or, in the case of an inter-diocesan
seminary, to the Bishops concerned to determine those matters which concern the
overall control and administration of the seminary.
§2 The
diocesan Bishop or, in the case of an inter-diocesan seminary, the Bishops
concerned, are frequently to visit the seminary in person. They are to oversee
the formation of their students, and the philosophical and theological
instruction given in the seminary. They are to inform themselves about the
vocation, character, piety and progress of the students, in view particularly
to the conferring of sacred orders.
Can.
260 In the fulfilment of their duties, all must obey the rector, who is
responsible for the day to day direction of the seminary, in accordance with
the norms of the Charter of Priestly Formation and the rule of the seminary.
Can.
261 §1 The rector of the seminary is to ensure that the students faithfully
observe the norms of the Charter of Priestly Formation and the rule of the
seminary; under his authority, and according to their different positions, the
moderators and professors have the same responsibility.
Can.
262 The seminary is to be exempt from parochial governance. For all those in
the seminary, the function of the parish priest is to be discharged by the
rector of the seminary or his delegate, with the exception of matters
concerning marriage and without prejudice to the provisions of can. 985.
Can.
263 The diocesan Bishop must ensure that the building and maintenance of the
seminary, the support of the students, the remuneration of the teachers and the
other needs of the seminary are provided for. In an inter-diocesan seminary
this responsibility devolves upon the Bishops concerned, each to the extent
allotted by their common agreement.
Can.
264 §1 To provide for the needs of the seminary, the Bishop can, apart from the
collection mentioned in can. 1266, impose a levy in the diocese.
§2 Every
ecclesiastical juridical person is subject to the levy for the seminary,
including even private juridical persons, which have a centre in the diocese.
Exception is made for those whose sole support comes from alms, or in which
there is actually present a college of students or of teachers for furthering
the common good of the Church. This levy should be general, proportionate to
the revenue of those who are subject to it and calculated according to the
needs of the seminary.
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