Redemptoris Mater (seminary)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Redemptoris Mater Seminary Logo
Redemptoris Mater Seminary Logo
For Pope John Paul II's encyclical Redemptoris Mater, please see Redemptoris Mater.

Redemptoris Mater (Latin: "Mother of the Redeemer") is the name for specific missionary seminaries, that were inspired by the Roman Catholic way of life of the Neocatechumenal Way. These seminaries are distributed worldwide, with more than 1,500 seminarians. More than 1,200 graduates of these seminaries have been ordained to the priesthood.

Contents

[edit] Redemptoris Mater Seminaries

Redemptoris Mater Seminaries are officially described as having a direct relationship to the Neocatechumenal Way, as a Way of maturing towards an adult faith: this Way prepares and awakens its vocations in many young people before they enter the seminary. It accompanies them during their time of formation; once ordained as presbyters it continues to sustain them in their permanent formation within the Neocatechumenal Way, which then becomes a means of evangelisation for the ‘far away’, an instrument for the "implantatio ecclesiae", through the presence of families that accompany them and help them in their mission.[1]

These diocesan seminaries are presented as a fruit of the Second Vatican Council as well as a fruit of the prophetical vision of Pope John Paul II and accept only priestly vocations coming from the Neocatechumenal Way. The idea to establish these seminaries started in Rome, the diocese of the Holy Father, to establish a seminary with these characteristics:

  • international, i.e. with vocations coming from different nations;
  • missionary, i.e. that upon ordination, the priests are available to go wherever the ordinary sends them[2].

In 1988, the first Redemptoris Mater Seminary was erected by Cardinal Poletti, Vicar of the Holy Father in Rome.

Today, 73 Redemptoris Mater Seminaries have been started in the world, which have led to ordain more than 1200 Neocatechumenal priests[3].

[edit] Controversies

Priestly vocations coming from the Neocatechumenal Way enter the "Redemptoris Mater" Seminaries instead of diocesan seminaries because of the specific Neocatechumenal formation (liturgy and catechesis) that is done according to the guidelines of the initiators and that is not available in any other seminary. The Catholic Bishop Conference of Japan, in 1992, issued an opinion stating that "the (Redemptoris Mater) seminary's purpose is not the training of new diocesan priests, but rather the training of new priests for the Neocatechumenal Community"[4]; Bishops "also noted that outside Japan as well, there had been reports of similar problems".

In April 2008, the Japanese Bishops' Conference sent a delegation «to discuss with Pope Benedict XVI "the serious problem" they are having with the Neocatechumenal Way and its seminary in Takamatsu diocese». Peter Takeo Okada, Archbishop of Tokyo, said that "in the small Catholic Church of Japan, the powerful sect-like activity of Way members is divisive and confrontational. It has caused sharp painful division and strife within the Church. We are struggling with all our strength to overcome the problem but feel that if a solution is to be found, the consideration of Your Holiness for the Church in Japan will be of the utmost importance and direly needed".[5] The Bishops told the Pope that they are having "irreconcilable problems with the Neo-Catechumenate"[6].

[edit] Seminaries Redemptoris Mater around the World (2007)

[edit] Football tournaments

In 2007, a Redemptoris Mater Seminarians team won[7] the first edition of the Clericus Cup football tournament.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Historical note on Neocatechumenal Way.
  2. ^ The inspiration is said to come from the Presbyterorum Ordinis, a document of the Vatican II Council, where it is said: "Let priests remember, therefore, that the care of all churches must be their intimate concern. Hence, priests of such dioceses rich in vocations should show themselves willing and ready, with the permission of their own ordinaries, to volunteer for work in other regions, missions or endeavors which are poor in numbers of clergy. To accomplish this purpose there should be set up international seminaries... by means of which, according to their particular statutes and always saving the right of Bishops, priests may be trained and incardinated for the good of the whole Church..." (cfr. chapter 10 of Presbyterorum Ordinis)
  3. ^ NC Way "Redemptoris Mater" priests, while "...legally incardinated in a diocese, often, in fact, exclusively serve the NC Way" (Italian text reads: "Il caso più vistoso è quello del Cammino Neocatecumenale, con più di cinquanta seminari "Redemptoris Mater" in tutto il mondo, dai quali sono usciti migliaia di preti giuridicamente incardinati nelle diocesi ma spesso, di fatto, a servizio esclusivo del Cammino"; source: I sette vizi capitali dei movimenti, secondo "La Civiltà Cattolica").
  4. ^ Bishops Conference makes direct appeal to pope for closure of Takamatsu seminary, on Catholic Bishop Conference of Japan website.
  5. ^ Japanese Bishops Meet Pope For Second Time In Five Months (UCANews - April 29, 2008).
  6. ^ Source: Sunday Catholic News of the Week.
  7. ^ Dal Divino Amore ai Neocatecumenali - Le squadre sante (Il Giornale, 29 May 2007).

This seminary-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This Roman Catholicism-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.