A critical evaluation of John Paul II's phenomenological approach to seminary formation

• Main Author: Naval, Mark Anthony S.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Catholic Church—Clergy—Training of—Technological innovations; Priests; Priests—Education—Technological innovations; Catholic Church. Pope (1978-2005 : John Paul II). Pastores dabo vobis; Philosophy; Religion
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/1424; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2488&context=etd_doctoral
• Institution: De La Salle University

The development of modern technology started to affect and change not only the world but also the mode of human existence. Yet even as these developments continue to unfold, the mystery and hidden nature of man nonetheless persists. This change and development affected too the life of the Church, particularly the priesthood. There is a great crisis in the Church today, that is, the scarcity of priests. The problem is rooted in culture, which governs and shapes the being of the human person and the purpose of Seminary formation in the midst of highly technological modern society. The Church, being conscious and aware of the situations and condition of the human person in the world, feels the urgency of renewing and transforming the ways, means, methods and contents of the formation of priests that will fit and suit the present and current situation. Indeed, there is a great need, not to totally overhaul the present structure, but to align it with his relations with the world. Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) is the best person to be used in this thesis because of his Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, it dealt with and tackled the reform that should be done on the current system of Seminary formation. Through his work “The Acting Person,” he explained and tackled the phenomenological understanding of the human person which is rooted in human consciousness developed through lived-experience. There are salient points in the Acting Person that are present on Patores Dabo Vobis such as transcendence, freedom, spirituality, and conscience. This in turn, made me realize that in Seminary formation, the humanity of the person and not the ideas for the priesthood needs to be formed.