PROMOTING A SEMINARY FORMATION THAT IS CONTINUOUS WITH THE PRIESTLY MINISTRY
Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Pastores Dabo Vobis, is most renowned for the four areas of priestly formation it proposes. But one who picks up this document and intends to immediately read about these areas might by disappointed. The document first examines the current situation of the priest today and the nature of the priesthood. Only in the fifth of the six chapter work did the work discuss the areas of formation of candidates for the priesthood. The loud message of the structure of this document is that formation of future priests must be attentive to the nature of the priestly ministry and the context where it is to be exercised. Considering the challenges facing the priestly ministry in Nigeria today, especially a religious context characterised by an aggressive pentecostalism and a militant Islam, this paper wishes to show that a sound theological formation, a spirituality that is informed by the great masters of the Catholic tradition motivated by a strong pastoral zeal, marked by sincerity and openness and imbibed in a way that is continuous and not discontinuous with Seminary formation is indispensable for a sound priestly formation today.
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