Priest Training in U.S. Rated ‘Satisfactory’

Seminaries that train Roman Catholic priests for U.S. dioceses were characterized as “generally satisfactory” in a Vatican-requested evaluation released Saturday, although a ranking cardinal from Rome said that “confusion” over the teaching authority of the church was found at a few of the schools.

Summarizing the findings of the study in a letter to American bishops, Cardinal William Baum, head of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, said there are “more strengths and accomplishments” than deficiencies.

Baum said, however, that “there would seem to be a number of seminarians who, at the end of their moral theology courses, are either not sure of what the church teaches in a particular matter or think that the church’s teaching is only one theological opinion among a number of other equally valid theological opinions.”

No seminarian should think that the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount or the Catholic Church’s present teaching are not binding, Baum said.

Dissent from church teachings is “not a major characteristic” of the 38 seminaries evaluated, Baum’s letter said. He noted, however, that “in a few cases, we have recommended that the seminary authorities act to re-secure the . . . integrity of the teaching of moral authority.”

Despite the qualifications, church leaders in the United States regarded Baum’s letter as good news at a time when segments of American Catholicism have been anxious about steps Rome has taken to clamp down on dissent.

Pope John Paul II ordered the evaluations in 1981, to assess how norms and decrees of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) were being followed. Bishop John A. Marshall of Burlington, Vt., acted as Vatican representative and organized teams of U.S. bishops and priests to visit seminary campuses.

Baum’s letter, released in Washington, noted that a few cases of dissent in moral theology were reported by the visiting teams, but added that “a more common phenomenon” is what he called confusion over “the Magisterium,” the teaching authority of the church.

Apparently referring to theologians who object to the Vatican’s strict interpretations in sexual ethics, Baum said: “The present errors and debate over the authoritative character of the moral teaching of the church should not be permitted to confuse the seminarian or lead him to think that the teaching of the ordinary Magisterium is somehow non-binding. . . .”