Spiritual - Intellectual - Pastoral
The foundation and center of all human formation is Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. In his fully developed humanity, he was truly free and with complete freedom gave himself totally for the salvation of the world. Pastores Dabo Vobis, 5 expresses the Christological foundation of human formation: 'The Letter to the Hebrews clearly affirms the human character of God's minister: he comes from the human community and is at its service, imitating Jesus Christ 'who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin' (Heb. 4:15).>
The basic principle of human formation is to be found in Pastores Dabo Vobis, 43: the human personality of the priest is to be a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the human race. As the humanity of the Word made flesh was the instrumentum salutis, so the humanity of the priest is instrumental in mediating the redemptive gifts of Christ to people today. As Pastores Dabo Vobis also emphasizes, human formation is the "necessary foundation" of priestly formation.
The human formation of candidates for the priesthood aims to prepare them to be apt instruments of Christ's grace. It does so by fostering the growth of a man who can be described in these ways:
- a person who is free to be who he is in God's design
- a person of solid moral character with a finely developed moral conscience
- a prudent and discerning person
- a man of communion
- a good communicator
- a person of affective maturity
- a man who respects, cares for, and has vigilance over his body
- a man who relates well to others
- a good steward of material possessions
- a man who can take on the leadership role as a public person
Human formation comes together in a particular way in the domain of human sexuality, and this is especially true for those who are preparing for a life of celibacy. The various dimensions of being a human person-the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual-converge in human sexuality.
Education for chastity, a virtue incumbent on all Christians and in a unique way embraced in celibacy, ought to present it as a 'virtue that develops a person's authentic maturity and makes him or her capable of respecting and fostering the nuptial meaning of the body.' (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 44) For all Christians, whatever their state of life, chastity cultivates the capacity for authentic self-gift in generative and faithful love. Celibacy renounces the realization of this capacity in a singular spousal relationship but embraces it in a universalizing love extended to all people. At the same time, the celibate commitment requires the development of particular habits and skills of living and relating in order to live the commitment with integrity. 'Since the charism of celibacy, even when it is genuine and has proved itself, leaves man's affections and his instinctive impulses intact, candidates to the priesthood need an affective maturity which is prudent, able to renounce anything that is a threat to it, vigilant over both body and spirit, and capable of esteem and respect in interpersonal relationships between men and women.' (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 44)
Copyright USCCB Program of Priestly Formation (5th Edition-6th Working Draft)
