When the Lord first called me to the priesthood, I had no idea how one got ready. I knew that priests studied at a seminary, but I had no concept of what that would entail. Only through searching the internet did I first learn what priestly preparation looked like.
One of the most important documents to come from the Vatican in recent memory is Pastores Dabo Vobis. Pope St. John Paul II released this apostolic exhortation in 1992, at the conclusion of a synod where the bishops had been discussing the formation of priests. Recognizing that the universal Church did not have a single standard expectation of how priests were to be trained and prepared, Pope St. John Paul laid down a foundational guidebook for seminaries and dioceses. Though some specifics of the document have been updated in the years since, he set the tone for seminary formation that endures to this day.
The brilliant masterstroke of Pastores Dabo Vobis (which translates as “I will give shepherds to you,” a quote from the Book of Jeremiah) was in identifying four specific areas of development in which all men aspiring to be priests would be trained. Called “pillars” by John Paul (renamed “dimensions” in the years since), he pointed out that, for priests to be effective in parishes and communities, they needed to be specially prepared in four particular aspects of ministry. Thus, for more than 30 years, priestly formation has revolved around ensuring that a man has developed a good sense in four specific areas.
The Spiritual: A priest’s primary job is to bring the words and blessing of God to the people, and the prayers and sacrifices of the people to God. This is done most fully through the sacraments. A priest, standing as mediator between God and His people, in the place of Jesus Christ Himself, must therefore know God well. The seminarian’s spiritual preparation is the very foundation of his future ministry, and he can only bring knowledge of God and connection to Him if he knows Him himself. Therefore, a seminarian must be formed thoroughly in the spiritual life through prayer, the sacraments, devotionals, and spiritual reading.
The Intellectual: A priest must know the faith and be able to transmit it to the people. He must have a solid grasp of theology and Scripture, always being able and ready to communicate and share it. A priest does not have to be the smartest or most scholarly man, but his regular work requires him to understand the faith and explain it. Thus, a seminarian must be educated by a thorough theological curriculum.
The Pastoral: Priests work with people all day long and must have a dedication to caring for the faithful. They must be able to work with the old and the young, families and the unmarried, the sick and the healthy, the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated. They must understand how to lead people to Jesus in various ministerial settings, not just at Sunday Mass. Therefore, pastoral formation helps a seminarian think in terms of being a shepherd to all the people.
The Human: Priests have wounds and weaknesses just like all other men. The seminary is a time of growth and healing for the human behaviors and habits that could potentially block a man from being an effective priest. Seminarians are given formation and assistance in smoothing out the difficulties that might prevent parishioners from entrusting their own spiritual formation to a father who seems wounded or off-putting.
It is my own prediction that Pope St. John Paul’s Pastores Dabo Vobis will one day be considered one of the most seminal Church documents of our age, and that it will have long-lasting effects in ensuring the growth of the Church for generations to come. The priests of tomorrow have many challenges facing them; fortunately, the seminaries of today are equipped to prepare young men to respond generously to future needs with a well-rounded formation aimed at assisting them in serving the people of God.
By Father Jeffrey Ellis