I.  Priest United to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ in the Economy of Salvation

    The economy of salvation is the work of the Triune God through the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity, through the  life/death/resurrection of Jesus and continued through the Holy Spirit in the Church.  By ordination to the priesthood, the priest cooperates, as man of the Church, and in specific way, in the salvific work of Jesus Christ.  This salvific work includes helping all men and women to satisfy their deepest longings and hungers for full relationship with the Triune God (Evangelization) and building up the Church community (Pastoral). To fulfill the mission and ministry of Jesus, the priest must be faithful to the three-fold ministry of Word, Sacrament and Service.

II.  Priest as Ecclesial Man

    To carry out the ministry and mission of Jesus in Asia, the priest must be an ecclesial man: well grounded in his individual Church (Latin or Oriental Rite); able to form a communion of communities within the Church (parishes, renewal groups, etc.); open to solidarity with other communities (other Churches and ecclesial communities, other religions, people of good will and the poor).

III.  Priest in the Asian Context

    To realize the mission and priestly ministry of Jesus in Asia today, in addition to the traditional understanding of priestly formation according to human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions, we might consider the more Asian images of the priest as the man of mature personality, man of the sacred, man of dialogue and man of humble service.   By man of the sacred is meant that the priest deeply experiences the salvific love of the Triune God and is dedicated to following Jesus ; by man of dialogue is meant an openness and  skill for dialogue with communities both within and outside  the Church ; by man of humble service is meant that, through a lovely attitude, the priest generously serves the Church and all human beings according to the spirit of Christ. These four dimension must be integrated as they are mutually interdependent.

    Although all of the above four dimensions are important and mutually dependent, for priestly formation in Asia, man of the sacred is critically important.  In other Asian religious, holiness is given great value, holy men receive great respect. Priestly holiness is intrinsically linked to and developed through priestly ministry; dedicated ministry enhances holiness and holiness enhances ministry.  Further, this holiness, which is a love for God, for men and women and for nature, is nourished by prayer, deep meditation upon the Word of God, sacramental life and service.

    Formation should keep a focus on Christ as the model of holiness for the priest; we also need role models of zealous, holy priests on the formation staff.  In leading the seminarians toward human maturity and holiness, freedom, discipline and responsibility should go hand and hand.

    In face  of the plurality of religions and cultures of Asia, the priest in Asia needs to develop the ability for polite, respectful dialogue with the vast  majority of Asian people who are not Catholic as well as with people of his own Church communities.  Further, because of the economic and social difficulties of Asian peoples, the priest should approach them as humble servant, concerned for the true development and human promotion of Asia's different nations, with a special concern for the poor.  This dialogue and service should remain open to evangelization, sharing Christ with other communities.

IV.  Process of Formation

    In the process of formation, the following areas should receive important consideration.

    First, the selection of candidates should ensure that each has the proper motivation, human qualities and basic faith life necessary to a future priest; modern techniques can aid in this selection process.

    Second, the selection of formators should be according to a holistic approach – that is, spiritual depth, pastoral/evangelical experience and effectiveness, and academic competence must all be considered.

    Third, all those involved in Seminary training, including the teaching staff, should be considered part of the team of formators. In this context, the leadership role of the Rector and his immediate formation staff is of critical importance in creating an atmosphere of sacredness, dialogue, service.  The priests and people with whom the seminarian does his pastoral work should also be considered formators.

    Fourth, formation should be given in small groups for better personal guidance (with moderator system); and for the sake of fostering human maturity, guided exposure programs should be introduced.

    Fifth, we need an effective program to develop a contextulized curriculum with a system of evaluating this curriculum.

    Sixth, in order to be properly rooted in his own individual Church, seminaries should be provided for each individual Rite.

    Seventh, we need effective ways of evaluating seminarians, as well as the whole seminary system; evaluation of seminarians should include evaluation by self, peer, staff, and people ministered to the spirit of such evaluation should be positive.

V.  Particular Recommendations

1)  A “spiritual year” might be helpful in some areas; timing of this year according to need (after minor seminary, before theology, during theology, etc.)

2) In order to have an opportunity to grow and reflect upon his vocation outside of the Seminary, a regency period between philosophy and theology might be good for some.

3) As has already been suggested by Asian Synod, an Institute for Seminary Formators in Asia, in a place which is accessible to all participants from Asia.  Should be established within three years.

END