"We can live our priestly ministry well only immersed in the priestly people from whom we come" advised the pope.

"This belonging to the people — do not ever let us feel separate from the journey of the holy, faithful people of God — protects us, sustains us in our struggles, accompanies us in our pastoral concerns and saves us from the risk of becoming detached from reality and feeling omnipotent" the pope said.

"Watch out because this is also the root of every form of abuse" Francis said, commenting on the sense of superiority exhibited by some clergy.

The pope made these remarks during a conference on the continuing education and formation of priests.

More than 1,000 priests and bishops from some 60 countries attended the 3-day meeting. The conference was sponsored by the dicasteries for Clergy, for Evangelisation and for the Eastern Churches.

Speaking at the Vatican audience hall, Pope Francis expressed gratitude for their dedication. The pontiff hoped the conference would inspire the group to rekindle their passion for their vocation and to share it with fellow priests.

In line with the synod's call for priestly formation to remain integrated with community life, the pope underscored the importance of drawing upon the wisdom and contributions of the faithful.

"Remember your roots, your history, the history of your family and the history of your people" he said. "A priest is not born by spontaneous generation; either he is of God's people or he is an aristocrat who ends up neurotic."

Life of service

Pope Francis emphasised the vocation of priests is to serve. He underscored that their formation in service entails more than just imparting knowledge. But, he stressed, it also involves focusing on others, revealing their virtues and complexities, and addressing their needs.

He highlighted the necessity for seminarians and priests to receive similar support, "encouraging their journey, assisting them in discernment, accompanying them in their difficulties and supporting them amid pastoral challenges."

Echoing his frequent call for mercy, Pope Francis urged priests to be forgiving.

"When people come to confession, they come to ask for forgiveness and not to hear a lecture on theology. Please be merciful. Always forgive, because forgiveness has this grace of embracing, of welcoming. I urge you: always forgive."

Sources

UCA News

CathNews New Zealand

The sexual harassment and abuse of seminarians, and the response of seminary leaders, have been at the center of the case of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, whose removal from ministry in June began months of focus on abuse.

Many Catholics share a heightened, even unprecedented, level of concern for the well-being of Catholic seminarians.

They rightly wonder, as well, whether our seminaries can not only screen out potential sexual predators, but also rise to the challenge of preparing for life and ministry men who are emotionally mature, and psychologically and sexually healthy.

This requires training for contemporary American society.

The convergence of these concerns invites a long-needed conversation about reform in American seminaries.

Many of us who have labored in seminary formation for years consider 2018 a watershed moment, in fact, to insist on long-overdue adjustments and enhancements to seminary training.

In retrospect, many of our institutions have too often failed miserably in preparing men for ministry, and many still fall far short of the goal of forming happy, healthy, holy priests.

The church urgently needs new approaches to preparing men for priestly ministry given today's sexualized, secularized culture and the personal challenges facing seminarians.

Young men who feel called to priesthood, although well intentioned, often have enormous gaps in their prior formation and upbringing.

Many lack interpersonal communication skills.

Many need basic formation in Catholic teaching. Not infrequently, they need counseling to discover and deal with trauma: "father wounds," bullying, parental divorce, porn addiction and even sexual abuse. Added to that, they must acquire qualities and pastoral skills before ordination.

Bishops, rectors and seminary formation personnel can too easily believe that the way we're doing formation today is just fine. But if we're honest, we know that in many cases it's not.

Of the approximately 450 men ordained to the Catholic priesthood every year, a small percentage will abandon the ministry within the first few years.

Many others will struggle mightily with challenges for which their seminary formation failed to prepare them.

Typically, our seminaries work like this: Upon a chassis of a heavily academic four-year program, we superimpose elements of human, spiritual and pastoral preparation for ministry.

In addition, seminary life too often unfolds in the confines of old, cavernous, institutional buildings.

Such parameters easily foster isolation, and work at cross purposes to an experience of genuine fraternity and the kind of deep-down formation our men require.

This model of seminary is today highly inadequate, and it's time for bishops to think far outside such boxes.

So what needs to change? Continue reading

• Rev. Thomas Berg is professor of moral theology, vice rector and director of admissions at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. He is the author of "Hurting in the Church: A Way Forward for Wounded Catholics."