An historical survey focusing on seminaries training diocesan clergy (this aspect of the Catholic seminary tradition originated with the Council of Trent's seminary decree of 1563) and not priests of religious orders. The author traces the formation of traditions, the Americanist era, and the Roman direction. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The preparation of new priests for ministry currently faces closer scrutiny than at any time since the Reformation, and the importance of effective priestly formation has perhaps never been clearer in the entire history of the Church. In Models of Priestly Formation, some of the world’s leading experts on the topic consider priestly formation since Vatican II, explore current best practices internationally, and imagine what the future of such formation might look like. The book promises to become an essential reference for every person involved in priestly formation and for anyone interested in understanding better how it is carried out and how those who do it think about their task. The eBook edition includes four additional essays.

There are one billion Catholics in the world today, spread over every continent, speaking almost every conceivable language, and all answering to a single authority. The Vatican is a unique international organization, both in terms of its extraordinary power and influence, and in terms of its endurance. Popes come and go, but the elaborate and complex bureaucracy called the Vatican lives on. For centuries, it has served and sometimes undermined popes; it has been praised and blamed for the actions of the pope and for the state of the church. Yet an objective examination of the workings of the Vatican has been unavailable until now. Drawing on more than a hundred interviews with Vatican officials, this book affords a firsthand look at the people, the politics, and the organization behind the institution. Reese brings remarkable clarity to the almost Byzantine bureaucracy of congregations, agencies, secretariats, tribunals, nunciature, and offices, showing how they serve the pope and, through him, the universal church. He gives a lively account of how popes are elected and bishops appointed, how dissident theologians are disciplined and civil authorities dealt with. Throughout, revealing and colorful anecdotes from church history and the present day bring the unique culture of the Vatican to life. The Vatican is a fascinating institution, a model of continuity and adaptation, which remains constant while functioning powerfully in a changing world. As never before, this book provides a clear, objective perspective on how the enormously complex institution surrounding the papacy operates on a day-to-day level, how it has adapted and endured for close to two thousand years, and how it is likely to face the challenges of the next millennium.

John Paul II on the mission and the formation of the priests of the future

Rooted in the documents of Vatican II, the Program of Priestly Formation offers the normative direction for all seminaries in the United States to meet the challenge of priestly formation in the third millennium. The fifth edition, like it predecessor, was shaped by feedback collected during many seminary visitations. the requirements for priestly formation reflect these informative and significant examinations of the current and future needs of seminary formation. the Program of Priestly Formation stands as the normative guide for seminary formation for the twenty-first century, and it sets the horizon for priestly ministry in the years ahead.

Goodbye, Good Men uncovers how radical liberalism has infiltrated the Catholic Church, overthrowing traditional beliefs, standards, and disciplines.

See Pamphlet 5-383 for duplicate copy.