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Some 815 men were studying to become diocesan priests in France at the beginning of the year; 230 of them were foreigners
By Arnaud Bevilacqua | France
There are currently some 26 places of priestly formation in France, including 16 diocesan or interdiocesan seminaries, such as the seminary of La Castille for the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, the seminary of Saint-Cyprien in Toulouse or Saint-Irénée in Lyon.
"Today in France, there are only two diocesan seminaries in the strict sense, in Paris and Strasbourg," explains Pascal Sarjas.
The priest from the Diocese of Metz is rector of the interdiocesan seminary of Lorraine and secretary of the National Council for Seminaries (CNGS).
"The others welcome candidates from different dioceses because a certain number of them are grouped around a seminary. For example, the Lorraine seminary in Metz is supported by four dioceses (Metz, Nancy, Saint-Dié and Verdun) and also welcomes candidates from Belfort or Langres," the rector explains.
There are also nine places of formation linked to institutes or religious communities, such as the Studium de Notre-Dame-de-Vie, the seminary of the Société Jean-Marie-Vianney (SJMV) in Ars-sur-Formans and the formation house of the Saint-Martin Community in Évron.
For its part, the Neocatechumenal Way has five Redemptoris Mater seminaries in France.
The French Pontifical Seminary in Rome is an integral part of the formation structures of the Church in France.
"It is particularly aimed at students who already have a great deal of intellectual experience and who are sent to Rome to complete a canonical license," says Sarjas.
There is also the University Formation Group, founded in 1967, which offers a time of formation for students preparing for ministry who are also pursuing their own studies.
There were some 815 seminarians at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year; 230 of these were foreigners.
What kind of training do seminaries provide?
All officially recognized seminaries respond to the Ratio fundamentalis, the basic text for the formation of future priests, published by the Vatican in December 2016.
The French bishops' conference voted on its own adaptation of the text, the Ratio nationalis, at the end of March during its last plenary assembly. It is expected to be put into force in September.
"Formation is part of this precise framework, but each place can integrate specific elements," Father Sarjas assures.
Among the specificities, the Saint-Martin Community (which currently has 100 seminarians in formation) places particular emphasis on the dual learning of community life and mobility.
Don Louis-Hervé Guiny, who is the formation director, says these two aspects explain the attractiveness of the formation house.
Formation begins with at least one year of propaedeutics in the 16 houses set up for this purpose.
This year, there are 140 candidates in France. After this year of discernment, the course of formation generally follows three stages.
The formation of the "disciple-missionary", to use the expression dear to Pope Francis, lasts two years and is followed by a year of training.
Then comes the stage of "configuration to Christ the shepherd", lasting three or four years, and finally "vocational synthesis", a year spent full-time in a parish.
In total, the training often spans eight years.
"Formation for ministry today is meant to be an integral formation," Father Sarjas insists.
"It is, of course, marked by an intellectual journey, but completed by human, spiritual and pastoral dimensions. Above all, we train men of faith with a capacity for relationship in order to feel good about themselves and be able to serenely live their ministry."
In recent years, the emphasis has been on human formation with psychology and sessions on affectivity and sexuality being an integral part of the programs.
In addition, the seminaries want to be more inclusive of women, both on the councils and in the training.
What does the future hold for seminaries?
The scarcity of candidates for the priesthood in France is not without consequences for the seminaries.
Two of them closed their doors -- at least temporarily -- in 2019 "for lack of candidates".
The one in Lille trained seminarians from ten different dioceses. The seminary in Bordeaux was also closed.
The future of these places that form priests is the subject of deep concern.
"The bishops are aware of the choices they will have to make. The first consists of having seminaries work more among themselves in the same province by promoting closer collaboration," says Archbishop Jérôme Beau of Bourges, president of the Episcopal Commission for Ordained Ministers and Lay People on Ecclesial Mission.
"It is on this basis that we can build the future in the short term without closing seminaries. In the medium term, we will have to study what can be preserved because there will inevitably be a recomposition, unless there is an increase in vocations," he says.
The Ratio fundamentalis insists on"the need for a sufficient number of vocations" in order for the seminary to be "a true community of formation".
As part of the French adaptation, each seminary must draw up its own formation plan, which must be accepted by Rome.
"The question of numbers arises in a certain number of seminaries because a minimum number of candidates is necessary for there to be emulation," says Father Sarjas, who does not rule out the idea of grouping all the seminaries together over time.
The French program does not formally mention a minimum figure, although ti is thought to be around 15 candidates.
The other point of tension concerns having enough qualified formators, which is a challenge for some dioceses when the number of priests is constantly decreasing.
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