The Catholic Church traces its practices to scriptures in the New Testament and writings of the church fathers. Essentially, the leaders of the community in the early church consisted of the diaconate, the presbytery, and the bishops. The term presbytery was eventually shortened and became the word "priest." The intention of this paper is to explore how the individual becomes a Catholic priest.
The emphasis in the church is on the identification of those individuals who have the vocation for priesthood, and the nurturing of that vocation. As John Paul II asserted in a recent address, the Catholic church views the priesthood as a call that is pure gift from the spirit (Paul II, 1998). It is the responsibility of the individual, in collaboration with family and religious, to determine if a call to the priesthood exists. The initial development of vocation takes place in the family and in the parish setting. Parishes have the responsibility of nourishing each of their young people. Catholic schools and other organizations have particular responsibility in working with young men in order to help them recognize and accept a priestly vocation (Paul VI, 1965).
If there is indication that this call is a real one, then the individual enters into training for the priesthood. This can be extensive. Each country, or rite, has the responsibility of establishing a program of training for the priesthood within a set of general guidelines. The episcopal conferences revise those programs periodically, with the approval of the Apostolic See (Paul VI, 1965).
Priests are trained in seminaries, which are responsible for their ongoing religious formation. Minor seminaries are established to develop the initial elements of vocation, with particular reference to the needs of adolescence and healthy psychology. The coursework should be so arranged that if students choose a different course, they can easily pursue that elsewhere (Paul VI...