I am getting the impression that the visitations to seminaries, scheduled in the near future in the U.S., were meant to root out homos or child molesters or future sex offenders from the ranks of the seminarians and priesthood. I don’t know how that can be done. Rooting out would not necessarily mean that the remaining “normal” candidates would be an asset to the Church.
We have two problems here; the homos, who are perverts and the “normals” who may not necessarily be holy. Both can be problems to the Church.
When I took up Ascetical Theology as a young priest, I remember learning that the Catholic Faith if lived to the fullest or even a little less than the fullest can solve all human problems. That was why Christ came, to be the answer to all problems, including those just mentioned. If the fullness of the Catholic Faith is applied in the seminary, it should solve any sexual perversion and, at the same time, sanctify the ordinary “normals”. In which case there is no need to exclude such candidates, or any candidate for that matter.
On the other hand, if the fullness of the Catholic Faith is not observed, or is watered down, it will not cure the spiritual illness of sexual perverts nor will it sanctify the normal seminarian….now, that’s a problem. Having a sexual pervert and an unholy priest is like being between the devil and the deep blue sea.
The problem in seminaries and in the Catholic Church is the watering down of the Christian way of life. Where can we find this way of life?…. in the writings of the Fathers of the Church. Christ taught it in its completeness to the Apostles; the Apostles taught it, in turn, to the Fathers of the Church and fortunately the Fathers wrote it down. It is clear that this complete knowledge was not a common possession within the Catholic Church. We see some sputterings of its existence in the Doctors of the Church. Going back to her roots is the very foundation of Vatican II which few noticed, one of whom was Cardinal Ratzinger.
The fullness of the teachings of the Catholic Church is based on the Apostolic Commission at the end of St. Matthew: wherewith Christ commanded His Apostles to ‘Go to all nations, baptizing them, teaching them all My commands and how to observe them.’ Note the last two phrases “to teach all My commands” and “How to observe them.” Of course, Christians know the 10 commandments of GOD though very few can enumerate them in the proper order. Most start with the 6th and 9th and then grope with the rest. Now, here is what I think is wrong with seminaries. They do not teach all the commandments of CHRIST and how to observe them…these commands make up what we call the Spirituality of the Catholic Church.
To know all the commands of Christ and how to observe them are two steps. The Christian, specially the seminarian, must obey them…. this is the third step. Obedience, a broken spirit, humility, submission, to be poor in spirit are many words for – “to be worshippers in spirit and in truth”. Obedience cures all spiritual illnesses. Disobedience could worsen these same illnesses.
Catholic Asceticism, that was mastered by the early monks but forgotten by most modern monks, essentially consist in the removal of vices by acquiring the supernatural virtues. These virtues are infused, not acquired. This is what is forgotten or probably never learned. Pope Benedict mentioned about the method and contents of evangelization. He mentioned the need for proclaiming the Gospel in a “New way.” This “new way,” he called the classical way. It is an old way that sounds “New” to most, as the Old Primitive Church would look very new if seen today. In most seminaries, the contents are dramatically reduced and the method adopted entirely wrong. With the method wrong, there can be no input in the knowledge of the contents. That’s like drinking water through your ears. Nothing goes to the stomach.
Seminaries had this problem for a long time. If saints were ever produced it was because of the saint’s personal efforts. The seminary was not the occasion for the holiness of John Vianney or Padre Pio and neither was the convent the occasion for the holiness of St. Therese of Lisieux or of Mother Teresa.
All may be received into the seminary. The seminary is meant to form good Christians first….who will be ordained later. So the training must be in Christianity. Christianity is meant to discipline the vices or passion and heal the fallen nature of men which are the causes of all these priestly (and laymen) problems. Saint Benedict has the Evangelical mild solution; St. John Cassian has the stronger solution and St. John Climacus had the “intensive care solution”. These three make up the spirituality of the Catholic Church. This solution will only fail if the candidate refuses the medication. But if he takes it he will be certainly healed. Catholicism is not exclusively for “normals.” It is for the worst sinner. To cure a pervert is a cinch…..if he co-operates.
Of course, the ideal situation is for all seminaries to review their spirituality. If there is none, to adapt the mildest spirituality, which is St. Benedict’s. They can stop there. If problems persists, then send the candidate with the perverted tendency to a stricter monastery for reform, etc. , etc. There are still a few of those strict monasteries that can cure such tendencies. Pope Benedict XVI, in one sweeping gesture had hinted on the solution to all the churches’ problem, a return to the monastic observance of St. Benedict. Isn’t this the reason he took the name “Benedict?” (Picture above is a view from St. Benedict’s monastery of Montecassino looking down the valley.)