THE PRINCIPLES OF FORMATION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD IN OPTATAM TOTIUS, PASTORES DABO VOBIS AND RATIO FUNDAMENTALIS INSTITUTIONIS SACERDOTALIS AS PARADIGMATIC OF HUMAN FORMATION
The Catholic Church has always considered the formation of candidates for the priesthood and the ongoing formation of her clergy among its greatest priorities and concerns, knowing that her overall good and the success of her mission are contingent on a well-formed clergy. Consequently, the Church has invested time and efforts to fashion out time tested principles that guide the formation of her candidates. The position of this paper is that these principles, stated in conciliar and post- conciliar documents, because of the breadth and reach of their formulations, are paradigmatic of and applicable to the formation of the Christian person. These principles, summarized as human, intellectual, spiritual and pastoral, when faithfully domesticated and applied, could also be validly utilized for the formation of any Christian person for the mission of the Church and the good of the society.
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