This Congress aims to offer a unique experience for the ongoing formation of priests, promoting a method that is both practical and methodical. The events, which will take place in the Auditorium of the Conciliazione, are scheduled over a period five days.
Newsroom (04/02/2024 15:00, Gaudium Press) The Dicastery for the Clergy, in collaboration with the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, is organizing the International Convention for the Ongoing Formation of Priests from the 6th to the 10th of February, with the theme “Rekindle the gift of God that is in you” (2 Tim 1:6), in reference to the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis: “The beauty of being disciples today. A unique, integral, community and missionary formation”.
Approximately a thousand people from all continents will take part in the event, with Brazil being the most represented country, followed by Mexico, Italy, Poland and the Philippines. There will also be priests, religious and lay people from countries such as Iceland, Burundi, El Salvador, China, Guatemala, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and 60 other countries.
Starting a Process with Local Churches
This International Agreement, aimed at diocesan, regional and national representatives for the ongoing formation of priests, experts and those interested in this area, aims to begin a collaborative process with all the local Churches, with a view to strengthening the ongoing formation and support of priests. The results of a survey recently sent to all the Bishops’ Conferences will serve as a starting point, together with the contributions of the participants before and during the conference, within the context of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis “The Gift of the Priestly Vocation”, the 2016 basic document on priestly formation.
One of the goals of the congress is to emphasize and share existing good pastoral practices in each individual context, as well as to identify strengths, urgencies and challenges, with a participatory and synodal style.
The congress will begin on Tuesday, February 6, with a day of special formation on the theme “Priests in times of change, in a synodal and missionary Church”.
After the opening of the event and the presentation of the Prefects of the three organizing Dicasteries – Cardinals Lazzaro You Heung Sik, Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle and Claudio Gugerotti – the Congress participants will head to St. Peter’s Basilica for the Eucharistic concelebration presided over by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, at the Altar of the Chair.
In the afternoon, work will resume in the Auditorium with an outline that will be repeated several times over the following days: opening prayer, introduction to the session, video screening of Pope Francis’ words on the topic, followed by presentations; there will be a break for personal reflection, presentation of best practices and group discussions.
Sharing the Beautiful and the Good
Above all, this congress seeks to actively and directly involve all participants, experts and those responsible for formation. All the sessions will include the division into small language groups, in which the facilitators will be able to guide the exchange of experiences and reflections on the proposed themes, allowing authentic participation in a synodal style and active representation. The aim of this congress is also to highlight and share the beauty and good pastoral practices of today, as well as to address the strengths, urgencies and challenges in individual contexts.
With information from Vatican news
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
