A
atg2
Guest
Hello,what effective screening-process is in place now;that’s different from fifty years ago?
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D
DOShea
Guest
Screening for what? And where (country/region) are you asking about?
A
atg2
Guest
Criminal-Records/Background Checks.,in the USA & UK.
M
Martin_R
Guest
Check he meets the requirements in 1 Timothy 3
blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=1Ti&c=3&t=nltp
Same now as 50 years ago and when it was first written.
J
John92
Guest
Pretty rigorous requirements; recommendations, psychological and physical examinations, etc. etc. etc.
C
crazzeto
Guest
not sure, but just to be a Catechist I had to submit to a criminal background check. I imagine Priests get at least that much these days, maybe more.
B
Brendan
Guest
I was in the Diaconate program, and they use pretty much the same process. Fingerprints taken, full background (FBI, State Police etc…), plus a psychiatric evaluation.
On this plus side, now whenever my wife tells me that I’m nuts, I can pull out that paperwork that says I’m not
On this plus side, now whenever my wife tells me that I’m nuts, I can pull out that paperwork that says I’m not
P
puzzleannie
Guest
no all this paperwork says is that you have never been convicted of being nutsI
On this plus side, now whenever my wife tells me that I’m nuts, I can pull out that paperwork that says I’m not
according to our senior priests, now pushing 80, the process was stricter than getting into the military at that time, and the lengthy prepration and much more rigorous spiritual formation was designed to weed out psychologically unfit seminarians. but I of course am no expert, this is anecdotal
J
JReducation
Guest
There are background checks, psychological testing, a lot of interviews and come see visits. There are also all kinds of references that you need. But the truth is that all these procedures simply prove that you have never been in any kind of trouble. None of them are infallible predictors of the future. In no area of life can we predict the future.
Religious have more stringent formation programs, but these do not apply to diocceses. Most religious communities of women and men require a formation period that can last up to 10 years between the time of aspirancy and final vows. You spend a lot of that time in the formation house, in internships where the formation team can observe you interact in ministry, and in different community houses to observe you interacting with your brothers or sisters. In addition, there is a great deal of exposure to very holy people and some not so holy religious, with whom you have to learn to lvie.
In addition, religious communities have a long formation program on the spiritual life. Diocesan and secular priests are offered these courses as electives. They are not required to study formal courses on spirituality, because they are not religious in vows and will not be religious. They are training to be deacons or priests. Some may have a semester on spirituality, but it’s pretty academic, not like a novitiate where you are disciplined in asceticism, mysticism and prayer. That is not part of the vocation to the priesthood. It is part of the vocation to the religious life. The secular or diocesan priest must develop his own spiritual life with the help of a spiritual director.
In the past, this was enforced on diocesan priests, but there was a problem. Many felt that they were being prepared to live religious life, rather than be parish priests. They felt inadequately prepared for the day to day duties of parish life when they graduated from the seminary. They had a wonderful monastic experience in the seminary, but they were secular men trying to live a religious life. This did not work for most diocdeses. Men who enter a diocese enter because they want to be priests, not because they want to live a consecrated life of a religious. Men who enter a religious order want to be religious and the priesthood is a call within the call, if the community chooses to allow them to be ordained.
This whole thing of screening gets very tricky. Because you have to screen for the future. But you can’t predict the future and you can’t short-change a seminarian by training him to be a religious when he has no call to the consecrated life. His call is to remain a secular man and serve the Church as a priest. Dioceses have to screen with that vision in mind, secular men being prepared for priesthood, not religious life. It can make screening a very difficult job. I don’t envy vocation directors.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
Religious have more stringent formation programs, but these do not apply to diocceses. Most religious communities of women and men require a formation period that can last up to 10 years between the time of aspirancy and final vows. You spend a lot of that time in the formation house, in internships where the formation team can observe you interact in ministry, and in different community houses to observe you interacting with your brothers or sisters. In addition, there is a great deal of exposure to very holy people and some not so holy religious, with whom you have to learn to lvie.
In addition, religious communities have a long formation program on the spiritual life. Diocesan and secular priests are offered these courses as electives. They are not required to study formal courses on spirituality, because they are not religious in vows and will not be religious. They are training to be deacons or priests. Some may have a semester on spirituality, but it’s pretty academic, not like a novitiate where you are disciplined in asceticism, mysticism and prayer. That is not part of the vocation to the priesthood. It is part of the vocation to the religious life. The secular or diocesan priest must develop his own spiritual life with the help of a spiritual director.
In the past, this was enforced on diocesan priests, but there was a problem. Many felt that they were being prepared to live religious life, rather than be parish priests. They felt inadequately prepared for the day to day duties of parish life when they graduated from the seminary. They had a wonderful monastic experience in the seminary, but they were secular men trying to live a religious life. This did not work for most diocdeses. Men who enter a diocese enter because they want to be priests, not because they want to live a consecrated life of a religious. Men who enter a religious order want to be religious and the priesthood is a call within the call, if the community chooses to allow them to be ordained.
This whole thing of screening gets very tricky. Because you have to screen for the future. But you can’t predict the future and you can’t short-change a seminarian by training him to be a religious when he has no call to the consecrated life. His call is to remain a secular man and serve the Church as a priest. Dioceses have to screen with that vision in mind, secular men being prepared for priesthood, not religious life. It can make screening a very difficult job. I don’t envy vocation directors.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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