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The Four Pillars of Religious Formation: Intellectual Formation Since the first and fundamental task of intellectual formation is to acquire a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the fullness and completion of God’s revelation and the one Teacher, consecrated religious ought to formally study the Sacred Truths of Catholicism.

By Rev. Brian Mullady, O.P. he third pillar in the context and must speak apos- Program for Priestly For- tolically to people formed in it. Tmation issued for sem- Even the very idea of an objec- inarians by the USCCB is the tive truth is highly suspect in intellectual life. The necessi- contemporary culture. ty of intellectual formation is One can normally presume not only necessary for the life a high school education today of but is also necessary for those entering religious life. with appropriate applications One should ensure that this to the life of religious. This includes a rudimentary under- is because faith is the source standing of what have tradi- of our religious and tionally been called the liberal though perfect living faith en- arts. Though young people to- tails , one cannot love day are well educated in specif- what one does not know. The bishops express this well ic areas of study or computer media, they often lack any for priests: “The first task of intellectual formation is to sense of history, people or of the philosophical limita- acquire a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, tions of the general culture. This is further compound- who is the fullness and completion of God’s revelation ed by a culture which follows a philosophy of nature and the one Teacher” (PPF, 137). Though for priests and of the human person which is directly contrary to this is essential for apostolic ministry and entails many both sound philosophy and doctrine. Even in years of study, religious follow Christ perfectly and so the past, many problems in living the vows, especially need the same personal knowledge. of chastity and obedience have been caused by a lack of authentic ethical philosophy. For this reason, those The Importance of Philosophy in initial and continuing formation must be encouraged The first study essential to religious formation is a to develop at least a basic understanding of logic, the basic study of philosophy. This, of course, for religious nature of objective truth and some metaphysical sense. would be based on their ability and the time constraints The Program for Priestly Formation recommends among of formation. The contemporary world is wrought with other things that those in formation should learn to “see a denial of objective truth which Benedict char- ‘that human knowledge is capable of gathering from acterized as “the dictatorship of relativism” and reli- contingent reality objective and necessary truths’” (no. gious come from that milieu, live community life in its 156). Some knowledge of metaphysics is necessary be-

July/August 2019 3 cause as Pope St. John Paul II observes in both initial and ongoing formation. in Fides et Ratio: “A philosophy which Renewal programs are wonderful for shuns metaphysics would be radically examining certain issues in community unsuited to the task of mediation in the life. But they must also include a deeper understanding of revelation” (no. 83). “The cornerstone of encounter with Catholic truth taught in a formal sense. Some problems in the development of The Critical Role of community life can be more easily re- Moral Education a prayer life solved if based on the sound principles Proper moral education is also nec- of . essary in order for religious to appreci- in religious life must The Church is clear for priests that ate the traditions which are encapsu- be the Mass. both the study of perennial philoso- lated in their constitutions in seeking phy and sound must charity and making the vows a means Understanding and be based on the study of the ideas of and not an end to holiness. The correct full participation . As the Program for understanding of friendship, obedience, Priestly Formation puts it: “Although authority and law also depend on a true in the Sacred Liturgy various theological schools exists with- philosophy of the human person. are both essential.” in the Catholic tradition, in accord Every institute results from an in- with Church teaching, the significance spiration of a religious founder whose of St. Thomas Aquinas as the model charism is recognized by the Church, leading to the per- and guide for study and research in theology should be fection of charity for those who embrace it. For this rea- recognized” (no. 219). son initial formation must include a study of the consti- tutions of the Order. This study must be clear and con- Formal Study of cisely presented so that each member can profess their Spiritual Theology vows with an informed mature consent. However, this Of course it is also important to formally study must not just be limited to the time of initial formation. spiritual theology. One new religious institute had many Love for the holy rule and the constitutions is essential problems which led to serious divisions among the mem- and so one must view them in the light of the general bers. At a certain point in time, they formally studied context of the great panoply of intellectual wisdom con- spiritual theology and were astonished. They observed tained in Catholic doctrine. In the past, some religious that everything they were doing in their community life institutes used to ensure this by reading the rule once a was wrong. They did this with the best of intentions. week and the constitutions once a year in . Not everything which sounds pious and detached is so in truth. In fact, the Catholic idea of detachment, for Studying the Catechism of example, is quite astonishing for people who study it. the It is very sad to find religious who are often experts and Since the vows must be seen even geniuses in what they teach in the larger picture of Catholic in a school or their practice of doctrine, formation must in- medicine or whatever clude a thorough study of the they embrace who have very lit- Catechism of the Catholic Church. tle understanding of both the Those embracing the religious doctrinal and moral teaching of state must have a complete pic- the Catholic Church. ture of the foundations of their In former times, many reli- religion. Today this is sorely gious sisters often said the Lit- lacking and basic catechesis is tle Office of the Blessed hardly taught by either parents Mary which was invariable and or the . As a re- quite short. In the post-Vatican sult, this lacuna usually must be II world many have rightly em- filled by the religious institute braced the recitation of at least

4 July/August 2019 the major hours of the Divine vent or religious house to have Office and attempted to intro- a library which includes good duce a greater into reading matter. This reading their participation in the sac- matter should not just include rifice of the Mass. Some form popular religious books but of liturgical education is neces- some formal books of theology. sary which includes the theol- Today DVD and CD lectures ogy of the Psalms, the Church are widely available to supple- year and the ceremonies of the ment theological and spiritual Mass. Learning to sing the Litur- learning and could also form a gy is also important in at least a part of this library. simplified form. New books and Though lectio divina is an pew missals are now available for ancient and laudable practice, both the office and Mass which study should not be limited permit a simplified singing of the Liturgy in more ac- merely to . Spiritual reading has an im- cessible . portant place in every religious context but it is differ- ent though not completely unrelated to study. Perhaps Lifelong Commitment to Formation the major or the council could recommend There is often a tendency in religious life for many certain books to be included in the library. reasons to limit intellectual formation to the postulan- In the past, especially among religious women, cy and perhaps the . It is assumed that what reading formal theology was discouraged and still in was taught there will suffice for a lifetime of struggle there is often little time left for this. But if and ministry. Also, time and financial constraints make one wonders why there are so many difficulties in reli- it attractive to limit intellectual formation to this peri- gious life, some can be traced to a lack of high-mind- od. Any teacher will be clear that students often retain edness which the study of the Catholic religion must very little of what they hear for the first time. This must enhance. St. Elizabeth of the used to say: “Get be constantly reinforced and deepened. For this rea- beyond the secondary causes.” The assiduous study of son, it would be desirable, for example, for each con- sacred truth is necessary for that. Informative and Insightful Audio Resources

T The effecT of The New Media oN he The effecT of The New Media oN The Fields Are Ripe e The Effects of the PriesTly aNd religious ffec T PriesTly aNd religious VocaTioNs Glorify God in Your Body:

The Fields are Ripe n this informative audio series, Sr. Marysia Weber, R.S.M., pro- of

Ivides much food for thought regarding the positive and nega- T he for a Harvest tive impact of the new media on the human person, and on - Talks Given by Sr. Marysia Weber, R.S.M. for the ly and religious vocations in particular. N Spiritual Reflections on the Promotion In these talks given at the 2011 IRL National Meeting, Sister ew

New Media on Priestly and M of Priestly and Religious Vocations Marysia takes note of the immense role which technology and The Theology of the Body Given by Rev. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem. the new media play in communication within the Church, es- pecially in its work of catechesis and evangelization. However, edia

she also examines the negative impact that such tools can have

©2 011 upon individuals and communities by the blurring of actual o N I P Harvest: n Institute on

m reality and virtual reality.

Religious Life ries T ly

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. Religious Vocations Talk Titles: for Priests, Religious & i e

f t i • The Church and Electronic Media L u

s a N d t Talk 1: Religious and Priestly Vocations for u —The History of the Internet o e i g the New Millennium i • Unanticipated Effects of Regular Internet Use

o l r e n Talk 2: Myths and Misconceptions Concerning Vocations Spiritual Reflec- R • The Interface of Virtual Reality with Actual Reality eligious .

R Talk 3: The : A Closer Following of Christ w e w Other Consecrated Persons Talk 4: Priesthood: The Highest Form of l w i • g the Consecrated Life 5 7 by Sr. Marysia Weber, R.S.M. V i 9 o Talk 5: The Contemplative Life: Heart of 8 InstItute on RelIgIous lIfe

- oca T io N s u 3 s the New Evangelization 7 P.O. Box 7500 L -5 tions on the Pro- i 47 Libertyville, IL 60048-7500 f • 8 e 8 (847) 573-8975 •www.ReligiousLife.com Talks giVeN by • 04 P.O 60 [email protected] . B is r arysia eber ox Illino s . M w , r.s.M. motion of Priestly 7500 • Libertyville, In this audio series, Sr. Marysia, by Rev. Brian Mullady, O.P. & Religious Vocations who is a physician certified by the American John Paul II gave the Church a great gift Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, discuss- in the Theology of the Body. Fr. Mullady by Rev. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem. es the positive and negative effects of the shows how the Pontiff’s teaching on To understand the correlation between new media on individuals and on priestly human sexuality provides the spiritual consecrated life and the New Evange- and religious vocations. The new technol- insight to deepen one’s commitment lization this MP3 audio CD is a must! ogies’ impact on the work of catechesis to live with “an undivided heart” and Five vocations talks address the New and evangelization is also closely exam- to serve as an eschatological witness of Millennium, Myths & Misconceptions, ined. (set of 3 CDs) $19.95 (+ S&H); the Kingdom. 64 pp. $8.95 (+S&H); the Consecrated Life, Priestly Voca- (1 MP3 CD) $10.00 (+ S&H) (set of 3 CDs) $19.95 (+S&H); tions, and Contemplative Life. (1 MP3 (1 MP3 CD) $10.00 (+S&H) CD) $10.00 (+ S&H) To order using credit card call 847-573-8975 or order online at ReligiousLife.com By mail, send check/money order payable to:

Institute on Religious Life | P.O. Box 7500, Libertyville, IL 60048-7500

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