Education of Preist?

[Montie_Claunch]

What type of Education do Preists need? Is it simply Theology? Do they have to pay for it or does the church pay for it? Do they become a preist before or after Graduation/starting college? What kind of lauguage requirements do they have? Do they have to have a second (or more lauguage)? What all kind of stuff goes into the educating of a preist? Thanks and God bless.

 

[Makaveli]

Priest are not considered “priest” until they are ordained. University is part of the process to get them prepared to become a priest. For requirement of studying a language, i’m not sure, but my guesses are that they would have to take a traditional language associated with the Bible (e.g. Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, Greek, etc…). Remember, becoming a priest is no easy process. They have to become master apologist, they have to master theology, they have to know the Bible like the back of their hand, and they have to be prepared spiritually.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Montie Claunch:

What type of Education do Preists need? Is it simply Theology?

A priest gradutes from the seminary with a Masters in Divinity degree.

Do they have to pay for it or does the church pay for it?

This depends on many things. If the man is wiht a diocese then the seminary may be paid for, or he may have to pay a portion of it. If he is with a religious order then it is paid for. The bachelors degree that is necessary before entering the seminary, for a diosecean priest, is most likely to be paid for by the priest (but not always), with a religious order, some will pay it off others won’t.

Do they become a preist before or after Graduation/starting college?

The seminary is 4 years. At some point during the last year the seminarian is ordained to the diaconate (they become a deacon) and ordination to the priesthood follows graduation but some dioceases hold back the diaconate ordination until the seminarian finishes the seminary.

What kind of lauguage requirements do they have?

I used to think that a bachelors degree was required but, now that I am in formation, I have found out that a bachelors degree is not required to enter a seminary but that seminaries have very strict requriements if one is not had. The only other requirement is 18-24 credit hours of philosophy.

Do they have to have a second (or more lauguage)?

In the USA to get a bachelors degree you are required to have 6 credit hours of a foreign language. Many diocesase and religious orders would like you to have Spanish. In the seminary you will get some liturgical language (the Roman Catholic Church that would be Latin, the Byzantine Church that would be Church Slavonic/Greek).

What all kind of stuff goes into the educating of a preist?

Theology, philosophy, and what ever else a Masters of Divinity requires.

Hope this helps.

 

[mosher]

To add to what ByzCath said you get at least a MDiv. Some receive an MA in Theolog. At the seminary I received a degree in Philosphy and I was working on an MDiv, MA (Systematic Theology) and an STB all at the same time. Some even go so far as to receive an STL while in the seminary.

In short it is higher education in Theology and Formationin Spirituality.

 

[Matthew_P_Baldw]

Dear Montie Claunch,

To be educated as apriest, you must have finished High School, be of reasonable intelligence, pass a phsychological test, physical exam, have various meetings with the Vocations Director and have a final interview with the Archbishop. If living in that diocese all costs are taken carew of and you are given a small stipend. It takes about 7 years at least until you are ordained.

Hope it helps, God Bless
Matthew Baldwin

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Matthew P Baldw:

Dear Montie Claunch,

To be educated as apriest, you must have finished High School, be of reasonable intelligence, pass a phsychological test, physical exam, have various meetings with the Vocations Director and have a final interview with the Archbishop. If living in that diocese all costs are taken carew of and you are given a small stipend. It takes about 7 years at least until you are ordained.

Hope it helps, God Bless
Matthew Baldwin

Matthew, thanks for adding the beginning stuff but please be aware that not all dioceases will take care of all costs.

 

[Matthew_P_Baldw]

Dear David,

I’m sorry! my info was just on the seminary in Melbourne Australia. Our previous bishop George Pell (now a Cardinal) greatly improved our seminary, takes vietneamese refugees, cleared out rampant homosexuality and liberal heretics as well as giving scholarships to a few great potential priests to study in Rome, (had not happened for 30 years. Also how does a Byzantine catholic differ from a Roman,

God Bless
Matthew Baldwin

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Matthew P Baldw:

Dear David,

I’m sorry! my info was just on the seminary in Melbourne Australia. Our previous bishop George Pell (now a Cardinal) greatly improved our seminary, takes vietneamese refugees, cleared out rampant homosexuality and liberal heretics as well as giving scholarships to a few great potential priests to study in Rome, (had not happened for 30 years. Also how does a Byzantine catholic differ from a Roman,

God Bless
Matthew Baldwin

As a Byzantine Catholic I am a member of the Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church, not the Roman Catholic Church.

We follow the Byzantine Rite while the Roman Church follows the Latin Rite.

Here is a link to another thread on this forum that can help you out on this question.

SOPHIA: Eastern & Oriental Catholic Churches sui iuris

 

[Brendan]

Here is the course of study for a priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

aodonline.org/SHMS/Academic+Programs+13375/Master+of+Divinity+5977/Master+of+Divinity±+Course+of+Study.htm

Prior to admission, the applicant has to have a Bachelors degree in Philisophy with 2 years with of Latin.

If the applicant has a degree in another discipline or insufficent Latin, the seminary will educate them prior to full admission.

 

[Joan_M]

It appears that studying for the priesthood outside the US is different.

Here in Trinidad it is similar to in Australia - you do not have to have had a Bachelor’s degree to enter the Seminary.

And, in Trinidad, at least, the diocese does pick up most of the costs - the only costs the Seminarian has is that of some of the books, clothes and pocket money. Once per year, there is a major fundraising event that nets enough to give a small monthly stipend to each Seminarian - enough for them to go to the movies once per week and not much else!!

In Trinidad it takes more young men 9 years - 2 years of pre-seminary (probably because catechetics in the schools and parishes is horribly deficient) and then 7 years of seminary.

It’s a long haul, and many drop out - particularly as seminary life is not easy, and also our regional seminary (it serves the English speaking Caribbean islands and also Suriname) is not the best. :bigyikes: