Problematic Guidelines For Priestly Formation

The Vatican released new guidelines regarding the education and formation of priests.  LifeSiteNews has a nice synopsis, and I now link to the full document "The Gift Of The Priestly Vocation" in pdf format.  It appears to be an update of previously issued guidelines that reflect the teachings of Pope Francis.  An immediate question that comes to mind is that any such guidelines should be reflective of the Teachings of Jesus Christ, which do not change for He Himself is immutable.

As does Mr. Bentz, I too take strong exception to the rather strange and perhaps harmful priorities that the pope seems to be urging for new priests.  If you have the document itself open, please go to page 71 and look at the second paragraph in section 172.  The new priests are expected to promote "climate change" junk science from the pulpits.  While the phrase "climate change" is not specifically mentioned in this document, the reference is clear.  To what else would "emerging planetary crisis" be referring?  And who are these "experts and researchers"?  Well, let's take a look at Laudato Si itself and some of the "research" that occurred.  They include "luminaries" such as Jeffrey Sachs, Hans Schnellnhuber, Naomi Klein, etc - progressives who just happen to be advocates of "population control".  Now is the priest being asked to promote population control?  Not directly, but by what he'll be ordered to do, he will insinuate "population control" sympathies to his congregation, even if he's doing so unwittingly.

We also have to note what is not being said in that document, especially in the context of other current controversies embroiling the Church.  As the LifeSiteNews article states, scant attention is being paid to pro-life and culture of life concerns.  While the document proscribes the ordination of homosexual candidates, it makes no mention of what priests are to do in combating the ever-encroaching homosexual culture that threatens to swallow up more vulnerable people and to demand that homosexual sin not only be accepted but celebrated by everyone.  Since the document does talk of "peace and justice" I do not understand why the priest would not be instructed to do all he can to combat the mortal sin of homosexual conduct.  Again, this deliberate omission must be seen in context: this time, the context of the two sin-nods with the resultant mess known as Amoris Laetitia - or as I call it, Amoralis Lamentia.

As an aside, two other prelates are supporting the dubia issued by the four cardinals: Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia and Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes of Germany.  I pray that more join them and that the dubia receive the responses that they deserve, for the good of all concerned.

The LifeSiteNews piece ends with an opinion of the document being "in general, well-rounded".  That is not reassuring.  Consider the case of one person who secretly hopes to poison another.  Does he/she force the poison upon the intended victim outright, or does he/she administer the poison in some other food?  That food may be good and wholesome in and of itself.  However, those few grains of poison render the whole serving deadly.  So it is with this document.