Science and Priestly Formation: Historical Roots and Current Necessity

:  It is no exaggeration to say that an institution can be expected to be as good as its leaders are, especially when it  comes to a comparatively well-organized one like the Catholic Church. From the same line of logic it follows that the leaders can be only as good as  the formation they receive since even a  talented person with a low quality formation can turn out to be a poor leader,  whereas, given a high quality formation, even a mediocre person can make a competent leader. Hence the paramount importance well-run organizations attach to the formation of their young members. No investment, however high, is ever deemed superfluous when it comes to the formation of the new entrants. Although the concept ‘formation,’ being very general and comprehensive, resists any attempt at a precise definition, a basic minimum expectation from a carefully-planned and well-executed formation programme seems to be the moulding of mature and integrated persons capable of responding creatively and responsibly to the legitimate yearnings of the human person, both for oneself and for other fellow humans. Obviously, these yearnings are complex and multi-faceted, comprising the spiritual, physical, psychological, social, etc., dimensions. Any programme should be geared to the development of the talents of the individual persons without compromising the common good of the organization. A good programme should provide the trainees with both formation and information. It should also keep in view the present and future needs, the immediate as well as the remote demands, both at the individual and organizational levels.