While Eugene was writing to the Sardinian ambassador to the Holy See, he took the opportunity to ask him to remind the Pope of a project that was close to Eugene\u2019s heart: the formation of good priests in seminaries. Since the Restoration, after the destruction by the Revolution, the Church in France had established a system of seminaries which were producing good results.<\/p>\n
\nDear friend, I beg you to present to the Pope on my behalf this little tribute of my devotedness to his sacred person and to the Holy Apostolic See. Do not forget to assure the Holy Father that he has no more devoted son in France; please tell him that. Ah! If only he wished us to set up a seminary for the secular clergy in Rome in the model of those in France to which we owe reform in morals and the whole brilliance of this Church.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The Oblates were successfully running the major seminary in Marseilles, and Eugene offered the possibility of doing the same at the service of the Pope for the seminarians of the small dioceses surrounding the city of Rome.<\/p>\n
\nLeo XII was not alien to such a project. Questo ci manca (<\/strong>ed: That\u2019s what we are lacking.<\/em>) he said, when he approved the Rules of our Congregation which, among other ministries, includes that one, and, thanks be to God, it is successful.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to the Marquis de Croza, 22 July 1829, EO XIII n. 72<\/em><\/p>\n
Yvon Beaudoin gives the background :<\/p>\n
\u201cFor several years Father de Mazenod had been readying himself to accept an apostolic work like this\u2026 In the new edition of the Rule (1825-1826), clergy reform remained one of the ends of the Congregation, though the direction of seminary was not explicitly mentioned. However, in Father de Mazenod\u2019s December 8, 1825 petition to the Holy Father and in the papal Brief Si tempus umquam by which Leo XII approved the Rule on March 21, 1826, the direction of seminaries was mentioned as a secondary aim of the Institute.\u201d (https:\/\/www.eugenedemazenod.net\/?p=2722<\/a>)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“Your wish to become a priest, or at least your wish to discover if you are being called to be one.\u00a0 And so the question is a serious one, because you have to prepare thoroughly, with clear intentions and an austere formation.”\u00a0 Pope John Paul 2 to seminarians<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While Eugene was writing to the Sardinian ambassador to the Holy See, he took the opportunity to ask him to remind the Pope of a project that was close to Eugene\u2019s heart: the formation of good priests in seminaries. Since … Continue reading