PRIESTLY FORMATION IN THE PRESENT DAY AND CHALLENGES

Authors

  • Cherian Thunduparampil Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome

Keywords:

vocation, family, school, parish, minor, major seminary, ongoing formation, Holy Spirit, spiritual direction

Abstract

The author deliberates on how a vocation to priesthood and priestly ministry is recognized, fostered, judged and promoted today? What are its challenges? He considers the long period of priestly vocational journey and mission of a person dividing it into four stages: i) family and school considered as a single unit - the first seminary; ii) minor seminary; iii) major seminary and finally iv) on going formation. Does the minor and major seminary formation facilitate and orient the candidate to discern beyond all doubts and ambiguity his vocation himself? In the light of the recent meeting of the presidents of all the episcopal conferences in the world convened by Pope Francis to deliberate on how to protect minors in the Church and Vatican Council II’s as well as recent pontiffs’ teaching on vocation and formation, the author reflects on integral formation from a canonical perspective.

Author Biography

Cherian Thunduparampil, Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome

Cherian Thunduparampil CMI, a professed member of the religious congregation, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, was born in 1964 and was ordained priest in 1994. He had his doctorate in Oriental Canon Law from PIO, Rome. Having a diploma in the canonization process from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome, he serves as the postulator for several causes of beatification and canonization. Presently he is also the procurator general of the CMI congregation in Rome. He also teaches Canon Law in DVK, Bangalore and PIO, Rome. Having previously served the Institute of Oriental Canon Law at DVK as its director, he also serves now as professor and as the founder Editor-in-Chief of this journal - Iustitia.

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Published

2020-08-02

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2019): Iustitia: Dharmaram Journal of Canon Law

Section

Editorial