57.A difficulty or counter-indication does not arise from the fact that the candidate comes from a certain family, but from the effect that the family situation has had and can still have on his personality. From this perspective certain situations need to be evaluated and one should be cautious in admitting a candidate who:

a) has lived in a family atmosphere that has affected him in an irreparably negative way during his early years, and may still have a negative impact on his personality. In some serious cases only after a careful examination, which could exclude any possibility of a lack of balance, should admission be permitted. The seriousness of this counter-indication should be assessed very carefully;

b) belongs to a family in which there are serious hereditary defects, physical or psychological such as alcoholism, clear and manifest epilepsy, mental disorders, or serious cases of psychotic behaviour confirmed as such by specialist diagnosis;

c) is an illegitimate son (born out of wedlock): while bearing in mind that in the Code of Canon Law this is not considered an irregularity,⁶³ the situation needs to be evaluated in relation to the qualities and balance of the candidate, and considering to what extent it could constitute an impediment to the normal development of religious life or to the exercise of the priestly ministry;

d) has parents who are divorced or separated, especially if this occurred at a tender age;

e) belongs to a family of bigamous or polygamous spouses. This could constitute a background that is highly negative in its impact on the personality. In contexts where polygamous families form part of a traditional culture, in the case of a candidate the son of a non-Christian family, it is necessary above all to consider the stability of the family and the kind of rapport among its members, in keeping with acceptable models in the local culture;

f) belongs to a family notorious in its own locality and which has had a negative impact on the psychological and moral development of the candidate;

g) belongs to a non-Catholic family, which not only does not agree with his choice of vocation but has shown a deep-rooted and active opposition to it;

h) belongs to a family, which is in a socio-economic and cultural situation, which is so “poor” as to be able to undermine the choice of vocation with deep-seated motives, which are unconscious, of simply human and social promotion. This sort of situation needs to be evaluated case by case.

58.Attention must also be paid to the admission in the following cases or situations which, while being objectively less serious than the previous ones, nonetheless can have left negative traces in the personality:

a) a family situation of serious disunion, tension, or with little affection, where the aggression manifested by the parents has influenced the son in a negative manner, making him an insecure, disorganized person, unstable affectively and in his interpersonal relationships;

b) the affective immaturity of the parents, evident for example in reactions which are anxious, despairing, or exaggeratedly euphoric, or in hyper-protective or exploitive attitudes which may have provoked serious character disturbances, and by creating strong dependencies can condition freedom and responsibility.

c) coming from social backgrounds with widespread militancy in groups antagonistic to the Church; or from particularly corrupt districts, when it cannot be decided with moral certainty that serious damage has not been caused;

d) practising or non- practising Catholic parents strongly opposed to their son’s vocation, taking account of the age and maturity of the candidate.

2.3.1.3PSYCHOLOGICAL BALANCE AND ABILITY TO RELATE

59. Psychological balance and the ability to relate are conditions necessary for the Salesian vocation which can be considered to be present when the person gives proof of: emotional equilibrium, ability to chose freely, openness to others, capacity for true personal love.

- Emotional equilibrium: is reflected in various ways, among them a increasingly open attitude towards one’s own interior and exterior experience without distortion or denial, the serene control of one’s own emotions when faced with both success and failure, a living of daily life free from rigidity or disproportionately extreme reactions, with a calm disposition. Someone who has acquired this equilibrium shows himself to be always more flexible, creative and optimistic, and maintains a fundamental self control.

60.- Ability to make a free choice in the light of true and authentic motives. This presupposes:

a) sufficient interior and exterior psychological autonomy which makes the person independent of outside pressure and interiorly free, so as to be able to place his talents at the service of his project of life:

b) the ability to take initiatives, which are thought out and coherent, making good use of freedom and accepting the consequent responsibilities. This presupposes an active, creative and persevering attitude, that is not blocked when faced by difficulties;

c) a correct perception of one’s own worth, one’s limits, one’s emotions, impulses and tendencies, and at the same time a healthy self-confidence;

d) an ability to make sacrifices even great ones when one’s own responsibilities, the needs of others, or of educative and pastoral service are at stake, without on this account giving way to negative frustration;

e) interior freedom regarding one’s own family, so as not to limit the universal character of the Salesian vocation.

61.- Openness to others. This requirement sums up a whole series of attitudes which have as their common denominator the ability to relate to others on an adult level, free from infantile dependency or rebellion. This implies:

a) communication: the art of conversation; openness to other people; capacity for sympathy, establishing and maintaining a relationship; the considered judgement of the opinions of others; a capacity to overcome prejudices and emotional pressure;

b) the capacity to open oneself: knowing how to express oneself and state one’s position, overcoming excessive reserve, knowing how to accept formation guidance;

c) a sense of belonging: through which the person sees himself as an active member of a community and makes it and its mission his own;

d) collaboration: this implies knowing how to work with everyone through a profound conviction and sense of duty, in a spirit of sharing and acceptance of authority;

e) working in a team: the ability to know how to work “with” and “for “ others, within a common project. Someone who develops in this area accepts being challenged, respects the opinion of others, shows loyalty in carrying out common decisions even when they are contrary to his own point of view.

62.- Capacity for real personal love which is expressed through:

a) familiarity, respect, concern, friendliness towards those with whom one lives;

b) unconditional acceptance and esteem for everyone, overcoming rigid and defensive attitudes, genuinely giving of oneself, showing special concern for those most in need;

c) mature affectivity, which unifies and directs the person’s energies in practical and significant ways; unselfish and creative service in the community and in the educational and pastoral mission, openness towards others in every situation;

d) the ability to form and cultivate friendships;

e) knowing how to take the first step towards others, the ability to forgive;

f) knowing how to accept genuine expressions of affection, the ability to “make oneself loved” according to the style of Don Bosco’s Preventive System; knowing how to show affection freely in the context of the community and educative mission.

63.Psychological and relational counter-indications need to be identified and followed up with particular care. Those should be considered the subject of absolute counter-indications who from the close observation of the specially trained formation personnel, carried out in the everyday circumstances of life, and on the basis of an appropriate psychological diagnosis, manifest personality disorders which reach the level of serious psychopathology.⁶⁴ A careful and professional evaluation is essential to decide whether the personality traits present in an accentuated form constitute personality disorders, permanent expressions of interior experience and behaviour, which make someone unsuited for Salesian life.

64.In the area of relationships there are some signs of immaturity, which make it very doubtful that the candidate has the necessary gifts to be a Salesian. The following attitudes or habits can be considered absolute or relative counter-indications depending on the way in which they are found in the personality and how deep seated they are:⁶⁵

a) an idealized view of oneself and a lack of self-criticism; excessive care for oneself and one’s physical appearance; or else an exaggerated lack of self confidence; excessive seeking for attention, or else, on the contrary, a fear of attracting attention to oneself on account of an evasive attitude in the face of changing situations;

b) being habitually closed towards others, lacking in contact with and understanding of others; insensitivity to one’s own surroundings, to society and to the Church;

c) lack of sincerity and openness, in keeping one’s word, inconsistency between words and deeds;

d) lack of docility, a habit of non-conformity, a constant attitude of confrontation “contradictory spirit” excessive tendency to independence; or else, an excessive dependence on the surroundings, on the family, on the group, on other people;

e) notable difficulty in relating to the group or to the wider world of young people, the inability to forge an educative relationship;

f) inability to work in a team and to collaborate with loyalty in common projects; inability to take on responsibility and to bring projects to a conclusion; individualism in reflection and in activity; lack of a sense of friendship;

g) constant fluctuations, lack of self-control; lack of balance and exaggerations, the characteristics of persons who are excessively mortified with a purely external virtue which does not come from a love of goodness and leads to the suspicion of an interior constraint deriving from fear, anxiety, inferiority, the need to demonstrate something to oneself or to others;

h) a possessive attitude towards people and things; envy, jealousy; an abnormal attitude towards material possessions, excessive need for them and a lack of understanding of their use as means to an end.

2.3.1.4 AFFECTIVE-SEXUAL MATURITY

A. General suggestions for discernment

65.The area of affective-sexual maturity has a profound influence on the development of religious life in general and on the practice of celibacy in particular. To judge the affective-sexual maturity of a person and the consequent suitability for the Salesian religious life and the practice of celibacy requires a complex discernment process which considers at some depth three aspects: the personality structure and the whole life experience, the comparison between the personal characteristics and the charism of the Congregation, the setting in which the Salesian mission to youth is carried out.

66.First of all, the discernment regarding affective-sexual maturity considers the overall personality structure and the whole life experience. Taken into account should be the temperament, the affective atmosphere in the family, the childhood history, the strength of will, the motives, the control of guilt feelings, sincere piety, the results achieved.

The serenity and the equilibrium of the candidate augurs well for a positive judgement. On the other hand, psychological disorders, moral weakness over a period of time, actual light-headed behaviour with other people (men, women, young people) possible anxiety or scruples, raise serious questions about the real possibility of a successful outcome.

Often in people with failures in the area of chastity it is not that there is a “sexual problem” but a much wider personality problem. In fact, affective-sexual disorders can be the tip of the iceberg of more deep personal disturbances. On the other hand, many personal disorders, such as certain possessive attitudes, a certain harshness in judgements or the taking of extreme positions, and also certain unusual forms of spirituality, quite frequently are only the external manifestations of affective-sexual repression or defects.

Therefore, in this area, it is necessary to identify the motives behind a person’s actions, for example selfishness, a closing in on oneself, a habit of day dreaming, avoiding the everyday tasks, looking for immediate satisfaction, isolation instead of making contacts, fear which prevents the implementation of a plan.

The work of formation will concentrate on the fundamental motives for manifestations of immaturity in order to provide the person with the right and successful guidance.

67.In the second place, discernment compares the personality structure and life experience with the project of life of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Salesian identity is the fundamental formation criterion for someone who wishes to enter the Congregation.

It is necessary to discover in the candidates the appropriate sexual identification and the presence of the required affective-sexual fitness in order to adopt the Salesian vocation with serenity and coherence. It is a question of an absolutely basic requirement for someone who is called to live a chaste life in the educative mission and to express it in the style of the Preventive System, which consists in loving kindness and openness.

Weaknesses in past life in fact can prevent the personal adoption of Salesian vocational values; hence, they need to be the object of special attention. Only with difficulty, at the time of their request to enter, are these same individuals aware of the real significance of their previous experience for the successful outcome of their vocation.

On the other hand, as the Constitutions point out, “the educational and pastoral demands of our mission and the fact that the observance of perfect continence touches some of the deepest drives of human nature require of the Salesian psychological balance and affective maturity. Don Bosco used to warn: Whoever has not a well-grounded hope of being able, with divine help, to preserve the virtue of chastity in word, in deed and in thought, should not make profession in this Society, for he would often find himself in danger.”⁶⁶

68.In the third place, discernment takes account of the setting in which the Salesian has to carry out his mission. In fact, the context of youth education and pastoral relationships present special requirements in the area of affective-sexual maturity. It is important to be sure about the ability to live in social situations “open” to the feminine world and to “co-education” - already commonplace in Salesian pastoral practice. At the same time it is necessary to bear in mind that a Salesian’s experience is centred in male communities and that boys and youths are those to whom the mission of the Congregation is principally directed.

69.In the area of affective-sexual maturity, discernment needs to ascertain in the personality and in the previous experience of the subject the existence or otherwise of situations or factors that could raise problems from the point of view of formation, or could be considered counter-indications from the vocational standpoint.

While not constituting an absolute counter-indication in the judgement of the Church, some situations need to be evaluated in themselves and also in relation to future commitments, since they may reveal an inability to live Salesian life fully.

It will be the task of discernment, with the help where necessary of specialist assistance, to clarify whether such situations or conditions can be changed by the formation experience or by psychotherapeutic measures, so as to make possible a response to the requirements of the Salesian vocation, and the integration of sexuality with regard to chastity.

In any case, those responsible for formation will give the necessary weight to these aspects, they will devote the time and seek the appropriate means to understand and evaluate them.

a. Relative or absolute counter-indications on the basis of discernment

81.With regard to a relationship with Christ, the decision for Him and for following Him to build the Kingdom, in accordance with Don Bosco’s charism, the following aspects should be assessed and cultivated:

a) a faith-filled attitude, characterized by the listening to the Word taken as the criterion of life;

b) a rapport of friendship and intimacy with the Lord, expressed in the central place given to the Eucharist, in celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation, in faithful attendance at community prayer, in fidelity to times of personal prayer and to the devotional practices proper to the Salesian vocation;

c) identification with da mihi animas cetera tolle, put into practice with apostolic zeal for the young, with a readiness to respond to the challenges of the apostolate, with a spirit of sacrifice;

d) openness to formation guidance, constancy in the practice of spiritual direction and collaboration in the work of discernment;

e) a conscious choice and a decision to build one’s own life around the values of Salesian consecration, witnessed to in coherent action;

f) growth in human and Christian virtues and in the pedagogical and pastoral approaches proper to the Preventive System;

g) an adequate knowledge of Don Bosco and a positive experience of Salesian life;

h) a sense of the Church, which is seen in pastoral communion, in following the magisterium, in involvement in the local Church, according to personal capabilities and the charism of the Congregation.

82.With regard to “Salesian community life” besides the elements indicated in the areas of capacity for relationships, the following pointers should be assessed:

a) a clear reference to the brotherly style wished by Don Bosco in daily living and in working practice; relating to one’s own community and to the Province when making decisions and plans; a sense of belonging to the Congregation and to the Salesian Family;

b) an attitude of acceptance and cordiality in relationships, according to the family spirit; the ability to share one’s vocational experience and to attend to the processes and dynamics of living in community;

c) the ability to live and work together with confreres and to take up a community project with loyalty and generosity;

d) showing personal responsibility in carrying out the tasks assigned without the need for a continual push, using one’s own gifts and accepting one’s own limitations;

e) exercising co-responsibility in the educative and pastoral community, appreciating other peoples’ contributions and respecting their roles.

83.With regard to the “evangelical councils” the following can be considered as indicating suitability for the Salesian life:

a) a positive attitude in the area of interpersonal relationships; adopting the community project and working with a vision and mentality of collaboration;

b) a free and serene acceptance of authority in a positive openness to obedience, free from either a passive dependence or systematic opposition;

c) a spirit of initiative and a capacity for work; taking care of the goods of the community and of the work; an ability to share talents and skills, gifts and means; a social understanding of goods and services;

d) a right understanding of the Salesian approach to an austerity in personal and community life and the provision of quality equipment and means for an efficient service;

e) an effective dependence on the community and the superior, ability to share goods received, sobriety in the style of life and in the use of personal things; a sense of responsibility and care of material things;

f) the ability to love the people with whom one is living in a genuine way, with a preferential love for the young people towards whom the mission is directed, to live a life of friendship in a serene, mature manner that is consistent with the vocation;

g) an attitude of esteem, respect and prudence towards women with a straightforward attitude of self-control and emotional equilibrium; natural spontaneity in showing affection in keeping with one’s choice of consecrated life.

84.The criteria for discernment so far spelled out are valid for all Salesians. However, since the whole life of a confrere is marked by a specific vocation, his lay or clerical state constitutes a permanent perspective for vocational discernment. It is therefore opportune to indicate some of the particular signs, in the knowledge that one is dealing with some that are specific but not exclusive.

85.Signs, which lead to identify the vocation of a Salesian brother

On account of his lay consecrated state, the Salesian brother is at one and the same time a sign of the secular dimension of the Church and of the values of consecration; for the Salesian community, the Educative Pastoral Community and the Church, he is a living pointer to the values of the secular dimension of the world and of history.

The lay state must not be considered as something negative – not wanting or not being able to become a Salesian priest or deacon – nor should it be reduced to a service or simple role.⁷⁹In the first place it does not refer to what the brother wants to do or can do, but to how he ought to be in what he does. His way of living the Salesian vocation, his approach to the mission, his role in the Salesian community⁸⁰ and in the educative community, require certain attitudes and some specific characteristics:

86.a) to feel called to live all the Salesian values as a consecrated lay person, which implies:

- responding to the will of God, placing himself at His service and achieving his own sanctification as a lay religious: a response expressed in the witness of the “good Christian” lived in the consecrated life;

- accepting this specific vocation as an “original” way of being himself, with its riches and the diversity of its roles, which fulfils not limits his own aspirations, and appreciating what this means on the spiritual, community and pastoral levels;

- being aware of and taking up the commitment of living in the Congregation with Salesian priests “as brothers who complement each other in living out the same vocation”⁸¹ and open to creative collaboration in the mission.⁸²

b) preparing himself to be able of carry out the mission of educator and pastor of the young in a lay spirit, cultivating the gifts and acquiring the skills necessary in order to provide services and dedicate himself in the professional, social and cultural fields which are more in tune with the identity of the Salesian brother;

c) educating himself to a style of initiative and practicality cultivating:

- his closeness to the world and concern for human problems, interest in the world of work and sensitivity to the local area, readiness to offer his services;

- a professional approach, aware that every job is necessary, a serious approach to planning, the ability to collaborate;

- an esteem and a liking for manual and technical work, but also an appreciation for intellectual work and a readiness to profit from it;

- sharing the spirit and the mission of other members of the Educative and Pastoral Community and of the Salesian Family, according to his own identity as a Salesian brother.

87Signs that lead to discerning the vocation of the Salesian priest⁸³

The following features which should characterize the Salesian directed towards the priesthood and beginning to model himself on Christ the Priest after the example of Don Bosco need to be particularly evident:

a) feeling himself to be called to a spiritual experience of union with Christ, characterized by a personal identification with the ministry and work of Don Bosco the priest, the father and teacher of youth;

b) making his own the Salesian style of the priestly ministry in the mission to youth; a ministry lived in an educational perspective, according to a community project, realized in different activities and carried out in the fulfilment of complementary roles;

c) living and cultivating those forms of the priestly ministry to be exercised with Salesian criteria, methods and spirit, the radical nature of da mihi animas and the style of the Preventive System on behalf of those we serve;

d) living the life and mission in communion and collaboration with brother confreres, and with the ability to animate, exercising the ministry in the context of the Educative and Pastoral Community and the Salesian Family;

e) bearing witness, according to the Salesian charism, to love for the Church, in pastoral communion, in docility to the Pope and the Bishops, participating in the life of the diocese and being available for the wider mission.

2.3.2.2MOTIVES AND THE RIGHT INTENTION

88.Some one who feels called to the Salesian vocation and asks to be admitted, hopes to choose a style of life and a set of values that he considers to be in tune with himself and his aspirations.

The first step in vocational discernment consists in verifying the presence of the appropriate requirements and the absence of counter-indications. All the same, even if these are important and necessary signs in discovering a genuine call from God, they are not enough.

89. It is necessary to go further, to identify and to assess the source of this inclination, of this orientation. It is necessary to understand what is the foundation of this choice and what gives it consistency: what are the needs, the desires or interests, what are the positive or negative dynamics, internal or external to be found there. In a word, it is necessary to identify the deepest motives for the vocational choice. The formation process will contribute to making it adequate, true and genuine so as to arrive at the fundamental positive sign, the right intention.

90.The right intention is the clear and decisive desire to offer oneself entirely to the Lord, to belong to Him and to serve Him in one’s neighbour according to the Salesian vocation. It is the sincere, well-motivated will that is expressed and shown through an authentic way of living and total openness to formation. The right intention is very different from a simple natural attraction or a generous desire for service, from other aspects of the Salesian vocation, also important, such as for example a liking for being with young people, educational work, a social role. The supernatural intention is the commitment of the whole person illuminated by faith. It is the offering of oneself for a mission perceived as being from the hand of God, through the Church, and accepted as such.

An interest and an inclination that are genuine and directed towards the Salesian mission and a true supernatural motive are the essential components of a right intention. It is the most characteristic and indispensable sign of a vocation that provides a solid foundation for the other elements of suitability.

91.The discernment of motives is a determining factor of the formation process. Motives are complex and to a large extent unconscious just as a person is complex in the way the physiological, the psychological (conscious and unconscious), the spiritual and grace all form a whole.

For the discernment and evaluation of motives it is well to distinguish different kinds and levels. One can speak of motives being:

- conscious and unconscious: those which the subject manifests in his words and believes he has, and those for which he acts and lives, while not being aware of them;

- dominant or simply present: those which in fact direct a person towards certain choices, and those which accompany the choices without being decisìve;

- convergent and divergent: those which are consistent with the vocational inclination, as for example, a personal desire to work for young people, and the desire to give oneself totally to God in building the Kingdom; or on the other hand, divergent motives which produce in inner inconsistency, such as the desire to become a religious and the plan to climb up the social ladder;

- genuine or apparent, adequate or inadequate, valid or invalid: those which have been interiorized or those which are only apparently adopted by the subject; those which lead the subject towards other people and their well-being, and which direct the whole person towards God, His kingdom, His plan, or else those which centre on the subject, on satisfying his needs or his desires.

92.Discernment ought to be able to distinguish the quality of the motives:

a) A genuine, adequate valid motive is based on essentially religious values, on the love of God and one’s neighbour, and succeeds in directing the energies of the subject towards these ends. It can be recognized by the consistency between the values expressed and the life lived, by the serenity and the joy with which the candidate lives his daily life.

It is the specific motive that coincides with the “right intention”: it is the fundamental motive which touches the essence of the vocation. Such a motive is capable of purifying, unifying and consolidating other conscious and unconscious motives.

To identify a vocation successfully, discernment and the formation process need to ascertain whether the candidate has a genuine motive, or whether he is capable of acquiring one through the normal formation process.

b) An inadequate motive is based on sound values which are appropriate in a vocation but are not fundamental and are, to a certain extent, marginal or peripheral, such as the pleasure at the success achieved in teaching, the enjoyment of youth work, the satisfaction in using one’s abilities in a significant way, helping the poor, a taste for social work, a passion for study, the pleasure of a life of friendship.

When these motives, valid in themselves, are seen to be dominant, without the presence of purifying or integrating supernatural ones, they are not sufficient as the basis of a consecrated life nor of fidelity to it. They will fade away if they are not solidly and firmly rooted in a sense of being called to bear witness to the primacy of God and accepting the central place of Christ in the planning of ones own life.⁸⁴ With the help of formation they can be purified and integrated with genuine religious motives.

c) An invalid motive, even though it may appear externally religious, in reality is based on a multiplicity of subjective needs and interests, such as the need for security, self affirmation, a seeking for affection, and is incapable of providing the necessary support for a vocational choice, the formation process or perseverance.

93. Establishing a genuine motive is always a delicate task. Motives are never in a pure state. Once the sincerity of the candidate has been established and any false conscience excluded one cannot presume the existence of the right intention. One may find a whole variety of motives that clearly belong to the sphere of the unconscious.

By means of discernment, therefore, one should discover the conscious, and in so far as is possible, the unconscious motives too, making use of the help that the human sciences offer, especially when the person has not reached a good level of integration. It is a question of understanding the person’s fundamental attitude, his values, needs, weaknesses and those aspects which though positive in themselves can, however, hide defensive mechanisms.

It is equally necessary to determine which are the dominant motives and which are merely present, and to what extent they converge, and above all whether they are genuine or not.

Hence what is required is the commitment of the candidate and the profound personal experience of the direction and the spiritual guidance of someone who has sensitivity and a capacity for discernment.

Understanding and evaluation of the motives is in a special way the task of the spiritual director and the confrere himself, even though the members of the Council cannot lose sight of this element of capital importance.

94.As regards formation activity one should be aware that motives lend themselves to growth in maturity and a gradual and continuous purification. Often the candidate begins showing as the dominant motive one which is inadequate, but which the formation process helps to transform, pointing it in a more authentic direction. A process which emphasises the commitment of the subject in vocational response and growth helps in this. Those responsible for formation at this level rather than by any direct intervention can be influential in creating an atmosphere which fosters self-knowledge and the appreciation of personal motives, and so encourage vocational authenticity.

In this way formation leads the candidate gradually towards understanding, with greater clarity and depth, that it is the Lord who “calls,” and “motivates the choice” of service to young people in the Congregation.

2.3.3The intellectual area

2.3.3.1POSITIVE ASPECTS AND REQUIREMENTS TO CONSIDER

95.Intellectual ability is not an isolated aspect of the personality. It is found within a context (temperament, mental outlook, environmental factors) and needs to be evaluated in that context.

On the one hand, one needs to discover whether the candidate’s intellectual capacity is adequate and is integrated with the rest of his personality, whether it leads him to recognize his own limitations, to remedy the gaps through study and preparation. One needs to find out whether he knows how to reason in order to examine himself and to acquire new ideas and succeed in making decisions correctly. It is necessary to discover whether one is dealing with an intelligence capable of formulating ideas and of seeing connections.

On the other hand, it is important that the intelligence is proportionate and relative to the type of commitment that one lives in a Congregation called to an educative and pastoral mission, which is translated in a variety of ways and is carried out collaboratively through a variety of different roles and functions. It is not a question therefore of an ability to accumulate knowledge but rather of a sound capacity to think and discern and of skills to carry out the mission.

96.It must be borne in mind that the inability to learn from life and also a mental closure and a lack of honesty in facing the truth are signs that can indicate psychological problem areas: fears, anxieties, and other various kinds of defensive mechanisms which prevent openness to others and therefore make the person incapable of living the Salesian vocation.

For this reason in discernment it is not sufficient to direct one’s attention solely to academic results. It is necessary to consider the practical intellectual capacity to understand and face up to everyday problems, and that sense of realism that leads one to avoid ingenuous idealizations.

Someone who has not had great success in his studies may be quite capable of solving in a satisfactory manner practical problems, those concerned with people, and the prudent assessment of situations, demonstrating a good practical intelligence.

Someone who has been very successful in studies, on the other hand, can be an individual who is a trouble maker, who has difficulty in accepting a community plan, in being docile to the most simple but important requests and can become a systematic critic.

97.It is a question of an aptitude that needs to be continually developed. It needs a constant will and an ability to concentrate, the presence of genuine cultural interests, a commitment to maintain the essence of the Salesian vocation as the criterion for directing one’s efforts and making choices in order to update oneself and develop intellectually in those areas of life that are emerging in youth culture.

98. In brief, the intellectual capacity of the Salesian should be sufficient to complete the studies which correspond to future tasks (both for Salesian brothers and for those called to the priestly ministry) and to have a good knowledge of the nature of the vocation and of its requirements.⁸⁵ It ought to include the ability to reflect and to judge, such as is required by someone who is an educator and pastor, that is necessary to foster a cultural, formative and pastoral sensitivity, which enables him to live attentive to the signs of the times, to discern the voice of the Spirit and to acquire the ability to learn from life.⁸⁶

99.Everyone ought to reach a level of studies that puts him in a position to fulfil a useful role in the community and carry out the Salesian educative and pastoral mission. For someone who is beginning, the ability to acquire at least a professional qualification should be ensured. During the formation process the Salesian should obtain the study qualifications laid down in the Provincial Formation Plan. According to the circumstances in which he was called and of his initial formation, the paper qualifications obtained can be different.

In order to be able to live and share Salesian values today and to carry out the Preventive System, it is necessary to have an adequate knowledge of Don Bosco and of his history, of the experience, reflections and guidelines of the Congregation and of the different groups of the Salesian Family.

In any case, it is essential to take advantage of the daily process of gaining experience through community dialogue, planning and carrying out the mission, guided and supported by personal and shared reflection, and an attitude of discernment.

2.3.3.2. DIFFICULTIES AND COUNTER-INDICATIONS TO CONSIDER

100.Some signs which can show the absence of suitability for Salesian life are:

a) a lack of success in the studies necessary for our mission, as they are prescribed in the norms of the Church and the Salesian guidelines;

b) a lack of commitment in preparing oneself in the way necessary for the role of animation and of responsibility which one should carry out;

c) showing little interest in one’s own cultural and professional updating and a minimal dedication to study, attitudes which could lead to a sense of being sidelined and of inferiority and to superficiality in working;

d) an activist and superficial style of life, that shows no interest in the quality of the experience and of the work, which does not know how to spend time on reflection, nor appreciate the opportunities for sharing and reflecting on the situation.

2.3.4The educative-pastoral area

2.3.4.1POSITIVE ASPECTS AND REQUIREMENTS TO CONSIDER

101.The qualities appropriate to a Salesian educator and pastor are signs of suitability to be assessed and cultivated during formation. In particular the following should be noted:

a) a special concern for poor and abandoned youth and for working class areas; solidarity, the capacity to keep in touch with the youth scene and to “incarnate oneself” in unfamiliar settings;

b) an aptitude for accepting and appreciating the values of one’s own time; the capacity for a critical understanding of the languages of social communication, for contact with cultural situations, and for openness to new ideas;

c) the ability to undertake the Salesian mission for serious reasons of faith, as a true spiritual experience, integrating spirituality and pastoral activity, education and evangelization, translating pastoral zeal into initiatives, generosity and sacrifice;

d) possessing an adequate pastoral sense, and accepting the Preventive System as a method and a spirituality; the ability to bear witness through a set of values in harmony with the Salesian educative and pastoral project;

e) educative and pastoral competence which involves considerable detailed knowledge, in particular about Salesian youth ministry, the acquisition of practical skills, and the pursuit of qualifications. The best expression of this research is the constant attention to educational problems, to different forms of communication and to new ways of proclaiming the Word to young people;

f) the capacity to animate and to guide individuals and groups, promoting a human and Christian programme of high quality;

g) a community sense of the provincial and local mission, demonstrated through participation in the planning (SEPP), through respect for the common programme and reference to those responsible, collaborating in its execution, in a positive relationship with laypeople and members of the Salesian Family;

h) the habit of reflection on praxis, on the basis of the teaching and directives of the Church, of the criteria of pastoral theory and of the guidelines of Salesian Pastoral Ministry;

i) living the mission as a formation journey.

2.3.4.2. DIFFICULTIES AND COUNTER-INDICATIONS TO CONSIDER

102.The counter-indications can be identified in the lack of or the non-harmonious development of the elements mentioned above:

a) little sensitivity for or interest in those to whom our mission is particularly directed, and slight attention to local culture and one’s own locality;

b) superficiality in educative and pastoral practice; purely material execution of educational and pastoral activities, without constant reflection and analysis; little attention given to the pastoral guidelines of the Church and of the Congregation;

c) difficulty in incarnating the Preventive System as the permanent criterion of life and action; a secularized view of educational and pastoral activity, based on working practices without the vitality of da mihi animas; or a view which does not integrate the educative dimension;

d) individualism in the apostolate, the lack of communication with other workers and those responsible for the common mission, a weak presence in the educative and pastoral community;

5. lack of commitment to becoming qualified for the mission.

3. ADMISSIONS

103.The significance and the importance of the admissions in the long and delicate process of vocational discernment have already been highlighted. They are times of synthesis and of special responsibility in decision-making, and offer a valid pedagogical help in the guidance of the candidate towards a response that is more convinced and mature. For this reason, the admissions ought to be seen in the perspective of a process in which it is necessary to distinguish clearly between the process of growing in maturity and being unsuited to Salesian religious life,⁸⁷ between the basic criteria and the criteria for growth.

The consequences for the candidate and for the community that the admissions have, demand that the decisions are based on positive elements, as the Constitutions explicitly state.⁸⁸ It is the primary responsibility of the one who admits to ensure that the conditions necessary for a genuine vocational experience are in place; when there is doubt regarding suitability, prudence and experience counsel against proceeding with the admission.⁸⁹

In the admissions, as in the process of discernment, one needs to keep in mind the two expressions of the single Salesian vocation, that of the Salesian brother and that of the Salesian priest.

3.1THE APPLICATION, THOSE RESPONSIBLE AND THE ADMISSION PROCEDURES

104.We do not repeat here what was said regarding the nature, the conditions and the criteria of discernment. We direct out attention specifically to the admissions and to the judgement regarding the vocational suitability of confreres in initial formation.

3.1.1The application

Admission follows the application freely made by the candidate.⁹⁰ The admission is not a step that is taken automatically, as the conclusion of a period of formation or at a fixed date in the calendar. What is said in the Constitutions about perpetual profession analogously applies to every stage of formation: the candidate makes his application “when he has reached the level of Salesian maturity commensurate with the importance of such a step.”⁹¹

An application is required for admission to the novitiate, to temporary or perpetual profession, to the ministries, to the diaconate and to the priesthood. The Ratio also mentions other types of applications such as those for the prenovitiate, for the specific formation of candidates to the priesthood, and for preparation for perpetual profession which are of a different kind.⁹²

105.While respecting its personal nature, the application addressed to the Provincial and given to the Rector, should contain the following elements:

- the name and surname of the applicant and the date on which it is made;

- reference to talking with the Rector and to his agreement with its being made;

- reference to the discernment undertaken and to seeking the opinion of the spiritual director and of the confessor;

- the purpose of the application, clearly expressed, that is: entrance to the novitiate, the first temporary profession or its renewal, perpetual profession, the ministries or the orders;

- a declaration of awareness of the public nature of the act that one intends to perform and of the freedom to perform it, together with the fundamental motive.

3.1.2Those responsible

106.Those responsible for the admissions, at different levels, are the Provincial with his Council and the Rector with his Council. The Constitutions state: “Admission to the novitiate, to temporary or perpetual profession, to the ministries and to sacred orders, is made by the Provincial with the consent of his Council, after hearing the opinion of the Rector of the community with his Council.”⁹³

Juridical responsibility for the admissions belongs therefore to the Provincial, to the Rector and to their Councils, to each according to their proper consultative or deliberative competence. Through discernment and the admissions they accept the juridical and moral responsibility connected with their role. It is essential that they ensure that there are opportunities for dialogue to foster a sharing of criteria and to avoid differences or disagreements in their evaluations and decisions.

107.The application is considered at two levels: by the Council of the house to which he belongs, and the provincial Council on which the community depends.

At local level, the Rector and the members of his Council, who ordinarily have the closest contact with the candidate and direct knowledge of his vocational situation, are called upon to give their own opinion and their consultative vote. The Rector also takes part in the vote, and the majority is to be calculated on the basis of the number of those present.

108.At provincial level, the Constitutions state: “The Provincial must have the consent of his Council in the following cases: admissions to the novitiate, to profession, to ministries and to sacred ordinations”⁹⁴

The members of the provincial Council cannot simply defer to the judgement of the Council of the community. They must form a personal opinion of the candidates, if possible direct; they seek to know them and follow their preparation, making use of those forms of contact and acquaintance which will enable them to give a judgement that is motivated and based on knowledge. In this task, a careful consideration of the judgement of the Council of the local community and comparison with the observations made at previous admissions will be decisive, in order to assess the progress made and the maturity attained. In the face of possible doubts, they should strive to arrive at a better understanding of the situation through dialogue and the addition of further information. It would not be prudent to limit oneself to simply voting as the Council of the community voted.

109.The admission strictly so called is the formal act of the Provincial.⁹⁵ As regards the vote for admission, the relationship between the Provincial and the Council follows these norms:

- if the consent of the Council is necessary (as is the case for admission to the novitiate, to profession, to the ministries and to orders) the obligation of the superior to follow the vote expressed means that he may not admit a candidate for whom the Council voted negatively. However, he is not obliged to admit a candidate for whom the Council voted positively. He may refuse admission in a case in which there is a grave cause of which he is aware;

- if the opinion of the Council is asked for, for validity the Provincial must hear the opinion of all the Councillors. Then, whether they are favourable or not, he may act with complete autonomy according to his own conscience. However, he should not discount their opinion, especially if it be unanimous, without a grave motive.

110.In the vote of the Council the majority is calculated based on the number present (not the number of valid votes) remembering that the Provincial does not vote. If the votes are equal the Provincial may not proceed.⁹⁶

No member of the local or provincial Council should give way to force or pressure of any kind or coming from any source when it is a question of giving one’s own vote about the suitability of a candidate.

In all these matters, the obligation of secrecy must be kept in mind.

3.1.3The procedure

111.In the pattern for admission the following tried and tested stages should be followed allowing for different situations.

- a talk with the Rector (confessor and spiritual director) and the submission of the application;

- the opinion of the community;⁹⁷

- the opinion of the Provincial of origin and his Council (for someone outside his own province);⁹⁸

- the opinion and vote of the Rector of the community and his Council;

- the deliberative vote of the competent provincial Council and the admission by the Provincial.⁹⁹

3.2ADMISSION TO THE PRENOVITIATE

112 In the admission to the novitiate, careful consideration should be given to the variety of situations from which the candidates come and the personal experiences they bring with them, such as their age, studies, life experience, family situation, their Christian life and knowledge of Salesian life etc.

In applying the criteria proposed which regard attitudes and dispositions, motives and counter-indications, consideration should be given to the objectives of this phase of formation and hence the suitability and maturity this requires. As far a suitability is concerned, it is important that “In collaboration with the candidate himself, that information and those documents must be collected that serve to reveal the signs of a true Salesian vocation and its possible counter-indications.”¹⁰⁰ The medical checks prescribed in the Ratio and the Provincial Directory should be carried out.¹⁰¹

Some of the requirements judged necessary for admission to the novitiate should also be borne in mind for admission to this phase (cfr e.g. situations which would make admission to the novitiate invalid).¹⁰²

“Only when the candidate has made his option for the Salesian life (initial option, naturally) has he begun his immediate preparation for the novitiate.”¹⁰³

3.3ADMISSION TO THE NOVITIATE

3.3.1Aptitude for Salesian life

113Admission to the novitiate means that the candidate is judged to be suitable to begin the Salesian religious experience.¹⁰⁴ According to the Regulations he “must be free from the impediments listed in canon law (CIC can. 643-645 § 1), show the aptitudes and maturity necessary for entering upon the Salesian life, and his health must be such as to enable him to observe all the Constitutions of the Society.”¹⁰⁵

The importance and hence the seriousness regarding admission to the novitiate is made clear from an observation made about religious life according to which “most of the difficulties encountered today in the formation of novices are usually due to the fact that when they were admitted they did not have the required maturity.”¹⁰⁶

With the novitiate Salesian religious experience begins; the candidate takes it up because he believes that it corresponds to his personal call. Therefore the admission can only take place after the presence of such an intention which indicates a true option and a genuine attitude to formation, has been verified. It is necessary to establish the existence of a motive that is sufficiently genuine, adequate and valid.

If this decision or this motive is deficient, the novitiate could become merely an artificial, external experience, almost an imprudent undertaking on the part of the candidate, given the demands that will be made of him, with an influence on the formation environment that is anything but positive.

3.3.2Conditions, impediments and juridical requirements

114.Canon 642 states: “Superiors are to be vigilant about admitting only those who, besides the required age, have health, suitable character and sufficient qualities of maturity to embrace the particular life of the institute; this health, character and maturity are to be attested to, if necessary using experts, with due regard for the prescription of can. 220.”

115.The impediments referred to in the general Regulations in art. 90 are presented as follows in cann. 643-644: “One is invalidly admitted to the novitiate:

• who has not yet completed the seventeenth year of age;

• who is a spouse, during a marriage;

• who is presently held by a sacred bond with any institute of consecrated life or who is incorporated in any society of apostolic life, with due regard for the prescription of can. 684;

• who enters the institute as a result of force, grave fear or fraud, or whom the superior receives induced in the same way;

• who has concealed his or her incorporation in any institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life.”¹⁰⁷

“Superiors are not to admit to the novitiate secular clerics if their local ordinary has not been consulted or those who, burdened by debts, cannot repay them.”¹⁰⁸

Regarding the admission of illegitimate children or children whose parents are divorced, the provisions found above (n. 57) should be followed.

116.The juridical requirements for admission to the novitiate are that the candidate:

• is free from the impediments mentioned above;

• is admitted by the legitimate superior;

• provides the documents prescribed:

- the application;

- certificates of baptism and confirmation;

- letter of freedom;

- for someone who has been incorporated in a religious institute or a society of apostolic life, the testimony of the major superior of the institute or society;

- for secular clerics evidence of the last ministry or ordination and the testimonial letters of the local ordinaries of the dioceses in which, after the conferral of the ministry or ordination, they have been for more than a year.

Those who receive this information have the strict obligation to preserve confidentiality regarding the information and the persons providing it. Local legislation regarding privacy should also be observed when seeking the advice of experts.

3.4ADMISSION TO FIRST PROFESSION

3.4.1Aptitude for Salesian life

117.During the novitiate, with the help of the Director of Novices, the candidate: “examines carefully the motives for his choice, makes certain of his suitability for the Salesian calling, and prepares himself to give his all to God for the service of the young in the spirit of Don Bosco.”¹⁰⁹ The superiors should base their judgement for admission to the first profession on positive elements confirming that the objectives proper to the novitiate have been achieved.

The criteria for admission, which have been mentioned, assist the identification of the elements that establish the aptitude of the novice for the Salesian life; among these:

- sufficiently good health and an adequate preparation;

- a normal development in the capacity for human relationships;

- a sound and well-balanced affectivity;

- a deep Christian experience and a motivation of faith;

- an adequate knowledge and assimilation of the Salesian spirit, and identification with the mission of the Congregation, characterized by pastoral charity and a special love for young people that is lived in the style of the “Preventive System”.

118.Life and experience in community require especially:

- the ability to become part of a community overcoming any tendency to isolation and individualism, learning from different points of view and fostering unity, even at the cost of personal sacrifice;

- an affective capacity that leads to communication, to sharing in prayer and experiences, and to fraternal correction;

- a sense of belonging, shown in availability, in dedication, and in feeling responsible for the community mission;

- an attitude of openness and welcome towards people who have contact with the community.

119.Experience of life according to the evangelical councils implies that some attitudes are sufficiently interiorized:

- regarding obedience: accepting positively and responsibly both direction and criticism, being open with those responsible for formation, showing a capacity for collaboration and initiative;

- regarding poverty: committed to adopting a sober and austere style of life; being easily satisfied and flexible with regard to one’s own needs and tastes in the matter of food, clothes or whatever; having a love for work, and generously offering one’s services as required; able to share one’s own things with others; being concerned about situations of poverty and injustice, and the conditions of those to whom the Salesian mission is directed;

- regarding chastity: being aware of the sexual dimension of one’s own life; adopting a correct and serene view of celibacy as a specific value in one’s own life; making one’s self sufficiently known to the spiritual director; being able to give and receive signs of brotherly affection and live a life of friendship; developing the practice of self denial in daily life.

3.4.2Juridical requirements

120.Having satisfied the necessary requirements for admission to the novitiate, can 656 stipulates that for the validity of temporary profession:

- the candidate shall have completed at least the eighteenth year of age;

- the novitiate has been validly completed;

- admission has been freely given by the competent superior with the vote of the Council in accord with the norm of law;

- the profession be expressed and made without force, grave fear or fraud;

- the profession be received by the legitimate superior personally or through a delegate.

121.As regards the length of the novitiate, what is said in art. 111 of the Constitutions should be recalled: “In accordance with canon law, the novitiate lasts twelve months; it begins when the candidate, after being admitted by the Provincial, enters the canonically erected novitiate house and places himself under the guidance of the director of novices. The novitiate is invalidated by an absence of more than three months, continuous or broken. An absence of more than fifteen days must be made good.”

By absence is meant actually leaving the house of the novitiate for a time with or without a justifiable motive, with or without permission. When as a group together the novices go to live in another house of the institute designated ad hoc by the Provincial according to can 647 §3, this is not an absence.¹¹⁰

As regards pastoral experience or periods of apostolic formation, which can. 648 § 2 speaks about, since our own law does not establish particular norms about it, the same criteria mentioned above should be applied. In this case too, therefore, one cannot speak about absence, if what is prescribed in can. 647 §3 is followed; if not, these periods would need to be counted as absences.

122.Bearing in mind what is prescribed in can. 655, our Constitutions state: “During the first three years of this period, profession may be either triennial or annual; in the next three years it will ordinarily be triennial.”¹¹¹ The Ratio adds: “There is nothing to prevent its being biennial. To choose from among the various possibilities one must have motives of formation in mind, and must consider the progressive and serious nature of the commitment. The decision will depend on the application made by the novice or the temporarily professed member and by the Provincial who admits him.”¹¹²

The period of temporary profession normally lasts six years; if he considers it opportune, the Provincial can prolong it, but not beyond nine years.¹¹³ Canon 658 states that temporary profession should last at least three years, with due regard for the prescription of can. 657 § 3.

123.“Readmission to the Congregation of one who lawfully left the Society after completing the novitiate or after profession belongs to the Provincial with his Council. The one who is readmitted must repeat the novitiate and complete the period of temporary vows.

According to can. 690, the Rector Major with the consent of his Council can dispense from the duty of repeating the novitiate, and at the same time give the Provincial with his Council the faculty to readmit.

It belongs to the Rector Major to determine – in these cases – an appropriate probation prior to temporary profession, and the length of time in vows before the perpetual profession is made.¹¹⁴

After evaluating with his Council the motives of the request for readmission, the Provincial will present the request to the Rector Major together with a detailed report of the case (the complete curriculum of the one making the request, the reasons why he did not make his profession or decided to leave after profession, the reasons why he now asks to be accepted, etc.).”¹¹⁵

3.5 ADMISSION TO RENEWAL OF PROFESSION

3.5.1 Aptitude for Salesian life

124.“The first profession marks the beginning of consecrated life. In this period the confrere, …completes his maturing process with perpetual profession in view, and develops the different aspects of his vocation as a lay Salesian or as a candidate for the priesthood.”¹¹⁶

The criterion of judgement for admission to the renewal of profession consists in the progressive attainment of this objective, both in the immediate post-novitiate period¹¹⁷ and during that of practical training.¹¹⁸

125.In more concrete terms, after ascertaining his suitability for the Salesian life and after deepening the motives for his vocational choice, two objectives of the novitiate which continue throughout the formation process, the professed member lives successively the phases of the immediate post-novitiate and practical training, which have as their objectives according to the Constitutions:

- the immediate post-novitiate, to “dispose the young confrere to a progressive integration of faith, culture and life” through a “deepening of the life of faith and of the spirit of Don Bosco together with an adequate philosophical, pedagogical and catechetical preparation that interacts with the prevailing culture”¹¹⁹;

- practical training, to help the confrere “to integrate his activity and the fundamental values of his vocation” in a “deeper living experience of Salesian educative and pastoral action.” He does this by getting “practice in the preventive system, particularly in Salesian assistance.”¹²⁰

3.5.2. Juridical requirements

126As regards the time of renewal, it must be remembered that at the expiry of the period for which the profession was made it must be renewed without delay.¹²¹

Renewal is obligatory also in the case when only a short period may intervene before perpetual profession, which for reasonable motives one might wish to postpone briefly until a particular occasion. In this case temporary profession will be renewed for the period of time that separates it from perpetual profession. Nevertheless an interval due to oversight or negligence does not invalidate or render unlawful the subsequent profession.

The renewal must be public, that is received by the competent superior.

6. ADMISSIONS DURING SPECIFIC FORMATION OF THE SALESIAN PRIEST

127.Admissions to the ministries and to sacred orders are times of discernment, option and decision, which occur in the process of formation of the Salesian priest. The criteria for discernment and the requisites for acceptance should be seen in the overall perspective of the identity of the Salesian priest, described in the Ratio and recalled here in some of its main elements.

128.What needs to be especially considered is that for someone directed towards the priesthood the perspective of priestly formation is present throughout the formation process and not only during the period of specific formation.

In fact, while Salesian formation ordinarily follows a single model with the same phases and with similar objectives and contents, there are some particular differences based on the specific vocation of each one. For this reason the whole of initial formation offers the Salesian candidate for the priesthood the opportunity to develop the various aspects of his vocation as “a candidate for the priesthood”¹²²

129.The specific formation of the candidate for the priesthood, which is carried out either in part or totally after perpetual profession, completes initial formation. For the candidate for the priestly ministry specific formation follows the norms and guidelines laid down by the Church and the Congregation and aims at preparing a priest who will be a genuinely Salesian pastor and educator.¹²³

130.The progressive shaping of the future priest to Christ the shepherd is the fruit of the initiative of God who calls, enables and sends, and, in response, of a generous commitment to formation. It is expressed through a gradual process, above all in those events which even outwardly manifest and signify the call and response, the conferring of grace and the mandate for service.

The conferring of the ministries of lector and acolyte and the ordination to the diaconate, which lead up to the priesthood, are decisive moments. The exercise of these ministries and of the diaconate, although each of them has its own content and objectives, has a prevalently pedagogical purpose (spiritual, ascetical, liturgical) in view of priestly ordination.

131.Admissions to the ministries and to orders have as their fundamental criterion the identity of the Salesian priest. In fact, it is on this basis that the growth of the candidate in suitability and maturity is judged. For this reason, in speaking of the ministries of lector and acolyte we shall not delay over explicit references to the positive criteria of suitability; one should refer to what is said for the diaconate and priesthood.

3.6.1.Admission to the ministries

132.“The ministries of lector and acolyte, which are prescribed for clerics for pedagogical reasons, are to be conferred during the specific formation of the Salesian priest.”¹²⁴

For admission to the ministries the following are required:

• the application freely presented by the candidate to the Provincial, through the Rector of the community;

• the presence of those requirements indicated by the Church and those necessary for a Salesian expression of the ministry, and the degree of vocational maturity called for by the formative experience being lived;¹²⁵

• respect for the interstices prescribed by the Holy See and the episcopal conferences.

This holds for admission to the ministry of acolyte and to the diaconate: “the conferring of the ministries of lector and acolyte without there being between them an interval of at least some months, is unlawful and irregular; it undermines the pedagogical meaning of those ministries. The same may be said of too short an interval between the ministry of acolyte and the diaconate.”¹²⁶

3.6.2Admission to sacred orders: diaconate and priesthood

133.The criteria for deciding on the fitness of a Salesian candidate for the diaconate and the priesthood are based on the identity of the priest in the Church, bearing in mind that the specific Salesian vocation imprints particular characteristics on the ministry.

In fact, the model of Don Bosco the priest inspires and guides the vocation and the formation process of the Salesian priest. The Salesian charism marks him as a priest who is an educator and pastor, in a specific form of consecrated life, and distinguishes him from the spiritual and pastoral point of view.

The criteria for assessing his maturity and development in the area of the fundamental roles of the ordained ministry should also be seen in this perspective. They are valid criteria in an analogous way for admission to the diaconate and the priesthood.

In addition to providing an opportunity to deepen and synthesize some facets of formation, the experience as a deacon offers the possibility of a particular preparation in the areas of priestly spirituality, proclaiming the Word, animation of the liturgy, catechesis and youth ministry, and the pastoral celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Admission to the priesthood should take account of the results of the diaconal experience.

3. Aptitude for the Salesian exercise of the ministry.

134.Without repeating the fundamental criteria for discernment¹²⁷ we now mention the factors that indicate the suitability of the candidate for the ministry and confirm the appropriateness of his motives.

3.6.3.1.WITH REGARD TO THE ABILITY TO UNDERTAKE PRIESTLY DUTIES

135.In the service of the Word, the candidate should demonstrate:

- a lively adult faith based on a serious personal interior conviction of the Christian message;

• a capacity for right judgement, theoretical and practical, of spiritual and pastoral discernment;

• a docile spirit in harmony with the teaching of the Church in the exercise of the ministry;¹²⁸

• the ability to listen, to communicate and to adapt to different situations;

• a systematic knowledge of theology sound enough to serve as the basis for his duty to pass on the Gospel message and its inculturation, and for constant personal updating.

136.In the sanctifying role, the future deacon or priest should show proof of:

- a Salesian and priestly understanding of religious consecration: experience of God and of vocation, lived as the motivating force at the centre of life; the positive acceptance of religious chastity and priestly celibacy as a gift and way of life;

- a faith experience fostered and supported by a practical and constant spiritual pedagogy, expressed in personal prayer, in sharing one’s own experience and in the fulfilment of one’s own obligations regarding the liturgical prayer of the Church;

- the ability to provide guidance in the spiritual life especially for the young, and to prepare them for the sacraments especially the Eucharist and Penance.

137.In the service of charity, through animation for communion and educational and pastoral service to the young, the candidate should demonstrate:

- the human maturity required of a Salesian priest in his educational and pastoral mission especially:

. stability and strength of character, acceptance of the personal and community discipline needed for the priestly life;¹²⁹

. a good judgement, based on prudence, with the ability to assess situations objectively;

. a personality that is affectively mature, with a good self-image, capable of establishing positive pastoral relationships with both men and women, of showing real interest in them, and keeping a appropriate balance while being closely involved (a capacity for affection and detachment);

. Salesian sensitivity in being open to personal problems, those of the environment and of one’s own times;

138.- an adequate appreciation of the particular role of the Salesian priest:

. in the modern world and among today’s young people;

. with a sense of belonging to the Congregation and identifying with her particular mission;

. in appreciating the Salesian brother and the complementary roles of each;

. in the Salesian community and the Educative Pastoral Community, and in spiritual direction of the Salesian Family and of lay people;

139.- the ability to animate the educative pastoral community expressed through particular skills:

. creating and directing a Christian community, and showing initiative in organizing it;

. providing priestly support for individuals and groups through spiritual direction and pastoral sharing;

. the management of different kinds of Salesian works and pastoral opportunities;

. communicating the Salesian spirit and sharing educative pastoral work with lay people.

3.6.3.2THE WAY OF APPROACHING SALESIAN PRIESTLY LIFE

140.The following aspects need underlining:

- an attitude of ongoing formation and an approach to life which reserves a special place for one’s own spiritual life and cultivating a relationship with God;

- overcoming the simple response to one’s own needs, growth in interior freedom and in a consistent way of life, consolidating one’s sense of vocation and of supernatural motives so as to assist in serenely facing the inevitable trials of Salesian life;

- appreciation for fraternal sharing, for a relationship with the superior, spiritual guidance, and pastoral discernment;

141.- a lively sense of the Church, its presence and present day mission, of which some of the indications are:

. apostolic zeal, concern for the needs of the Kingdom, total openness;

. a convinced acceptance of the identity of the priest and of his ministry as they are presented by the Church and acceptance of the directives of the Pope and Bishops;

. an awareness of the place of the priest in regard to communion with the other members of the church community;

. a specific way of locating himself as a religious priest in the local Church;¹³⁰

142- the ability to live “in a priestly way” in the different works through which the Salesian mission is realized and in the different roles that are required (spiritual director, administrator, parish priest, in formation, educator of street children, involved in social communication ..);

- living the priestly ministry as a spiritual experience which fills and gives meaning to life, and not as merely a functional role in a given structure.

3.6.4Juridical requirements

143.The following juridical requirements are needed in one who, having completed the three years of specific formation in the case of the diaconate and the four in the case of the priesthood, asks to be admitted to ordination:¹³¹

- to have received the ministries of lector and acolyte, having observed the period of time prescribed: a suitable period, at least of several months, between that of lector and that of acolyte, at least six months between the ministry of acolyte and the diaconate (cfr can. 1035 § 2) and between the diaconate and the priesthood (cfr can. 1031 § 1); it should be recalled that: “ordination to the diaconate may take place ordinarily only after the third year of theological studies has been concluded.”¹³²

- the application to be freely written and signed (cfr can. 1036);

- to have taken perpetual vows (cfr can. 1037);

- to be free from the irregularities and impediments mentioned in canons 1040-1049;

- to have presented the required documents: 1^st) certification of studies duly completed, according to can. 1032 (third year of theological studies for the deacon, four years for the priest); 2^nd) if referring to ordination to the priesthood, certification of having received the diaconate; 3^rd) if referring to ordination to the diaconate, certification of baptism and of confirmation and of having received the ministries mentioned in can. 1035; at the same time the signed declaration mentioned in can. 1036;¹³³

- to have been the subject of the scrutiny regarding the qualities required as mentioned in can. 1051: correct doctrine, genuine piety, good morals, suitability for exercising the ministry, a document regarding the state of his physical and psychological health.

When the admission to the diaconate or to the priesthood has taken place according to the procedure set out in the Constitutions,¹³⁴ the Provincial issues the dimissorial letters mentioned in can. 1019 § 1, in view of the ordination.

3.7ADMISSION TO PERPETUAL PROFESSION

144. The aim of the period of temporary profession is to complete the “maturing process with perpetual profession in view.”¹³⁵ Therefore, the admission to perpetual profession constitutes the point of arrival of the process of Salesian vocation discernment; it is in continuity with it and at the same time it has its own unique importance. The value it has requires an appropriate period of proximate preparation and a particular effort in applying the criteria so far described.

The Ratio emphasises the importance of the process of preparation for perpetual profession which “comprises the period of verification and discernment in view of the application, the process of admission and the preparation for celebrating the act of profession; it is not limited to preparing for the ceremony, after the admission has taken place.”¹³⁶

“About a year before the expiry of the period of his profession, the temporarily professed member should explicitly make known to his Provincial, in a way that is considered most appropriate, his desire to begin preparing for his perpetual profession.”¹³⁷

3.7.Aptitude for Salesian life

145.Admission to perpetual profession implies that the member has reached “the level of Salesian maturity commensurate with the importance of such a step,”¹³⁸ which becomes “the yardstick for every subsequent choice,”¹³⁹ and particularly that he shows the appropriate motives.

The aptitudes for Salesian life already mentioned ought to be considered from an overall point of view, in their totality and harmony.

146.More particularly, and above all on the basis of the experience of practical training it is necessary to verify:

with regard to apostolic life, whether in his educative and pastoral relationships the candidate has shown sufficient human maturity, the basis of every other maturity, proportionate to his age; whether the practical training experience has been lived with zeal, as a commitment and vocational response, or merely as an activity or an opportunity for self-expression, with a balanced attitude serene in both successes and difficulties, ready to adapt to places, circumstances and different apostolic tasks; whether in this he has shown a special love for young people, particularly the poor; whether he has practised the preventive system with energy and fidelity; whether he has lived the mission in a community spirit;

with regard to community life, what had been his attitude in living with other confreres including those of a different age and way of thinking, whether one of openness, of collaboration, of willing and active involvement in shared initiatives;

with regard to living the evangelical councils, whether there had been an attitude of discernment and availability, a capacity for initiative and co-responsibility; a witness to poverty in the style and criteria of life, in carrying out the mission and a commitment to work; sufficient balance and maturity in interpersonal relationships, in contact with young people and with lay people; an ability to communicate and make friends, prudence and self denial;

with regard to a personal experience of prayer, of spiritual direction and sharing, of ongoing formation: whether the confrere has acted with commitment and constancy; whether he has demonstrated an active attitude towards formation and has made good use of spiritual guidance; whether he has shown an openness to culture and updating.

3.7.2 Juridical requirements

147.Besides taking account of the requirements and the prudential counter-indications already mentioned for the first profession, the following are required for perpetual profession:

- for validity:

. a period of trial, after the first profession, which, according to the norms of the Code of Canon Law should not be less than three years not more than nine.¹⁴⁰ According to our Constitutions,¹⁴¹the time of trial for us is normally six years. In special cases and for a just cause recognized as such by the Provincial and his Council, perpetual profession can be anticipated up to three months. To anticipate perpetual profession in exceptional cases by a period beyond three months, before the expiry of the six years of temporary profession, the request should be addressed to the Rector Major:

. having completed the twenty first year of age;¹⁴²

. being free from military service, either because of having completed it or because of being declared unfit or exempt for life;¹⁴³

-for lawfulness: the observance of the rite prescribed.

Each one of us is called by God to form part of the Salesian Society. Because of this God gives him personal gifts, and by faithful correspondence he finds his way to complete fulfilment in Christ.

The Society recognizes his vocation and helps him to develop it; and he, as a responsible member, puts himself and his gifts at the service of the community and of its common tasks.

Every call is an indication that the Lord loves the Congregation, wants to see it vibrant for the good of the Church and never ceases to enrich it with new apostolic energy. (C 22)

APPENDIX

Church and Salesian Documents for reference

Note: Here are indicated some recent Church and Salesian documents which may be of particular interest for Salesian vocation discernment and admissions. Other documents are mentioned in the Ratio

1. CHURCH DOCUMENTS

* John Paul II

- Apostolic exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, 1992

- Apostolic exhortation Vita consecrata, 1996

* Congregation for Catholic Education (CEC)

- Guidelines for formation to priestly celibacy, 1974

- Circular letter on spiritual formation in seminaries, 1980

- Guidelines on human love, 1983

- Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis, 1985

- Admission to the seminary of candidates coming from other seminaries or religious families, 1986

- Directives on the preparation of educators in seminaries, 1993

* Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

- Potissimum Institutioni. Directives on Formation in religious institutes, 1990

- Fraternal Life in Community, 1994

* Congregation for Divine Worship

- Letter Scrutinies on the suitability of candidates for orders, 1997 

* Pontifical Council for the Family

- The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, 1995

2. SALESIAN DOCUMENTS

• The Project of Life of the Salesians of Don Bosco. A guide to the Salesian Constitutions (1986)

• The Salesian Rector. A ministry for the animation and governing of the local community Rome 1986

• L’Ispettore Salesiano. Un ministero per l’animazione e il governo della comunità Ispettoriale, 1987; it contains an appendix “Elementi giuridici e prassi amministrativa”, cf below.

• Elementi giuridici e prassi amministrativa nel governo dell’Ispettoria, 1987