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PAGE 18 - The Georgia Bulletin, July 19, 1990
Synod Document Singles Out Priests' 'Spiritual Life'
BY CINDY WOODEN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The discussion
document for the 1990 world Synod of Bish
ops says priests need to develop an intense
spiritual life to be effective ministers and
avoid demoralization.
It also says that secular influences and splits
within the Catholic community over changes
following the Second Vatican Council have
led to confusion over the role of priests in
church and society.
Some candidates for the priesthood have
been influenced by secularism, materialism
and sexual promiscuity, it says, and those
influences must be considered when designing
seminary programs.
The synod’s "instrumentum laboris," or
working document, calls for efforts at "human
formation," fostering maturity, responsibility
and fidelity to church teaching.
But the document, which was released at
the Vatican July 13, says the spiritual life of
a priest "takes precedence over every other
aspect" of his life and must be the primary
focus of formation.
The theme for the Sept. 30-Oct. 28 synod is
"The Formation of Priests in the Circumstanc
es of the Present Day."
The world Synod of Bishops meets on the
average every three years to discuss major
themes affecting the universal church. Most of
the delegates are elected by local bishops’
conferences. The last synod, held Oct. 1-30,
1987, dealt with the role of the laity.
The 60-page working document for the
1990 synod is a Vatican compilation of reflec
tions on the theme submitted by bishops,
bishops’ conferences and other church organi
zations. It is a guide for preparation, reflection
and discussion at the synod.
The need for "a specific priestly spirituality,
total and complete," is seen against the back
ground of changes in the church and society
over the past 25 years.
Most of the changes in the church since the
Second Vatican Council have been positive,
the document says, although "improper knowl
edge, bad intent or mistaken interpretation" of
the council’s teaching have led to some prob
lems.
In many countries, the church community is
"polarized" with some people thinking the
changes have been "insufficient," and others
feeling the changes go "beyond what they
consider just."
A more direct challenge for those responsi
ble for formation programs for priests is the
"deep crisis in the minds of some people as to
the identity of the priest, i.e., his function and
place in society," the document says.
"In this situation a priest can become totally
isolated and misunderstood to the point of
becoming deeply demoralized," it says.
The document says associations of priests,
support and collaboradon with religious and
laity, and encouragement from the family are
needed throughout a priest’s life.
"The identity of the priest minister consists
in his participation in the person and mission
of Christ and the priestly manner of (Christ’s)
life continued in the church," it says.
"Permanent commitment, both Christian and
priestly, flows" from a well-developed spiritu
ality and is expressed in the priest’s ministry,
the working document says.
’The great Gospel counsels of poverty,
chastity and obedience find their development,
explanation and unity in spiritual formation
which sees them in light of the paschal mys
tery and pastoral charity," it says.
Helping seminarians understand "the de
mands of the Gospel," requires "a pedagogy of
faith, of the real nature of communion with
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Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, of
self-mortification and of the cross."
Such an understanding leads to "interior
freedom, authentic realization of self, and
fruitfulness in the apostolate," the document
says.
Seminaries and religious formation houses
must impose a disciplined lifestyle on their
students in order to help them mature, it says.
"Human and spiritual maturity does not
come about by selfishly seeking to fulfill
oneself," the document says. "It results from
the gift of self, self-renunciation and the
acceptance of a rule of life."
While the number of candidates for priest
hood is "rapidly increasing" in some countries,
the numbers are dropping dramatically in
Western Europe and North America, it says. ■
"Secularization, the crisis in institutions and
conscience, eroticism and the degrading of
family life" all contribute to the decline, the _
document says.
Catholic Schools To Defy
S. African Racial Quotas •
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNS) -
South Africa’s bishops plan to defy a new
government regulation prohibiting black stu
dent enrollment of 50 percent or more in
Catholic schools located in areas reserved for
whites.
The new regulation was promulgated by the
government June 29. By resisting the ruling,
the 85 schools affected risk losing accredita
tion.
In a statement released July 6, the southern
African bishops’ conference said Catholic
schools will not base their admission policies
on race.
Brother Jude Pieterse, secretary general of
the southern African bishops’ conference, said
July 12 that the church has been fighting for
open schools for years and considers the-
regulation unacceptable.
Brother Pieterse said he had "no idea" how
many black children were enrolled in white
Catholic schools. He said race is not a factor
in enrollments.
By defying the regulation. Catholic schools
could be deregistered with the white-run
government’s Department of Education. That
in turn could place parents of white students at
the affected schools in jeopardy of prosecution
for failing to send their children to an accred-,,
ited school.
Brother Pieterse noted that education is
compulsory for white South African students,
but not for black children.
The alternative is a kind of Catch-22.
"If we register the schools with the black
educational authorities — the Department of.
Education and Training — we run the risk of
falling foul of the Group Areas Act which
does not permit schools for black children in
white areas," the conference official said.
The bishops’ conference has issued a state
ment saying it notes "with astonishment and
dismay" the change in school admissions,
regulations.
"Given the massive crisis in education
South Africa is experiencing, the dire lack of
schooling provision within the black commu
nity, the reform initiatives of the government
under State President F.W. De Klerk and the
government’s growing recognition of the need
to involve parents more directly in the educa
tion of their children, the gazetting of the new
regulation makes no sense at all," the state
ment said.
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