Seminarian Life

[uriel9286]

Hi,

I’ve been admitted into a seminary but I’ve never really served before. I’ve heard something about a seminarian’s canonical rights. What are those? Any tips or links to a seminary handbook or guidelines would be nice. I’m lost in the internet right now.

Thanks.

 

[Greenfields]

Bumping your thread up so that others can reply,God bless.

 

[umamibella]

Congratulations. I have none but just wanted to say I will pray for you.

 

[Cloisters]

I think breaching the subject with the seminary guidance counselor would be a start. Dioceses retain canonists, so ask if there is one who would be willing to speak with you about this.

Blessings,
Cloisters
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/

 

[otjm]

I was in the seminary from 1964 - 1966 in college. No one ever discussed canonical rights.

If you want to know the answer, speak to one of the professors at the seminary. The likelihood of someone on the internet knowing what the reference is approaches zero.

 

[InThePew]

I’ve heard it said that an assistant priest has only two rights: Christian burial and a day off but in the case of seminarians the second doesn’t apply!

Seriously though, I’m a bit confused by your post. Not having served before isn’t really an issue when you’re just starting out (you’ll get the hang of it eventually anyway) and I’m not sure what you mean by canonical rights. Seminarians have the same rights (more or less) as anyone else but there’s no right to be ordained or to be a seminarian for that matter. You do have the right to receive spiritual direction and confession (not to mention an education) but these are more responsibilities on the part of the seminary.

If anything, the best advice I’d give any seminarian is to not be in too much of a hurry - it’s a marathon not a sprint - and to take responsibility for your own formation, looking
for opportunities to equip yourself for future ministry in all areas of formation - spiritual, pastoral, human and academic.

 

[Quasi_Tenebrous]

A legal missive of Quasi Tenebrous:

Relations in Canon Law are based on a system of obligations; the ones a subject gives toward another can be called a duty while the ones a subject receives can be called a right.

Unfortunately, you have no canonical rights as a seminarian unless you are a deacon.

Fortunately, that means you also are not under moral or religious obedience to the bishop.