Formacja do kapłaństwa w rozważaniach Jana Pawła II na Anioł Pański przed synodem biskupów w 1990 roku

Both the Synod of Bishops of 1990 which was dedicated to the formation of priests and the Exhortation of John Paul II, “Pastores Dabo Vobis” have had an essential influence on the reorganization of the priestly formation in the Church. During the preparations for the Synod, John Paul II throughout one year, during his Angelus meditations undertook the most important topics concerning the priesthood and the priestly formation. The Pope discussed the challenges and tasks of the priests of today and of the candidates to the priesthood. He pointed to the need of the Church’s prayer for vocations, the role of family and seminary, as preparing communities for the priesthood. He presented some important dimensions of the priesthood such as its Trinitarian nature, its close relationship with Christ and the cooperation of priests with the power of the Holy Spirit. He showed a special relationship of priests with the Mary, Mother of God who is an educator of the priestly vocations and Mother of priests. Then he emphasized that the priests should be men of faith, hope and love, living in fraternal communion and in the unity with God, prayerful, immersed in God’s wisdom. He emphasized that the priests must live radicalism of the Gospel, especially the evangelical counsels: poverty, obedience, chastity of priestly celibacy. Finally the Pope called attention to the activity of priests, which should manifest themselves as collaborators of God, as ministers of reconciliation and of the Eucharist, as men capable for sacrifice, sensible for the suffering and disposed for missionary work.