ON-GOING FORMATION AS A PROCESS OF CONVERSION AND GROWTH.
Prof. Rodney Moss, Johannesburg
The on-going formation of clergy, the ministerial priesthood, must first be situated within the general formation of the whole priestly people of God, the common priesthood of all the baptized, for by virtue of the ministerial priesthood, the faithful become aware of and actualise their common priesthood. As we read in the letter to the Ephesians:
And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to
some, prophets; to some evangelists; to some, pastors and
and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in
the work of service, building up the body of Christ.
The Instruction from the Congregation of the Clergy, The Priest, Pastor and Leader of the Parish Community, prioritises the universal call to holiness: "Proclamation of the universality of the call to holiness requires that the Christian life is understood as a following of Christ, or of being conformed to Christ" This means that all formation is a call to conversion, to renewal and involves "prayer, the sacramental life, meditation, silent adoration, talking heart to heart with the Lord…"
In the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests (1994) a substantial portion of the document is devoted to the on-going formation of clergy. This formation is a call to continuous conversion for it must seek "to cover and harmonise all the dimensions of the formation of priests…. such formation must be complete: spiritual, pastoral, human, intellectual, systematic and personalized".
In regard to spiritual formation each priest is urged to develop, in consultation with his spiritual director, a concrete plan of life.
Pastoral formation involves a reflection upon the pastoral plan of the diocese and an exploring and assimilation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for this formation is nothing less than the conversion and formation of the holy People of God. Moreover, pastoral formation according to John Paul 11 needs to be organized "not as something haphazard, but as a systematic offering of subjects, which unfolds by stages and take on precise forms" Even intellectual formation is a process of conversion and authentic formation leading to prayer, communion and pastoral action.
Human formation aims at the practice of human virtues exemplified in good human relations, friendship, love for justice, patience, kindness etc.
Lastly, on-going formation as conversion, needs to personalize the formation of each priest so " there should be an awareness, especially on the part of those responsible, that all priests need to be reached personally, taking care of each one, and not simply having all diverse opportunities available to them".
Finally, on-going formation of clergy as a process of conversion and growth needs to be "enlightened by faith, sustained in hope and rooted in charity".