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19 

AN ETHICAL APPRAISAL OF THE FAMILY 

AS AN AGENT OF PRIESTLY FORMATION 

IN AFRICA 
 

Gregory Ebalu OGBENIKA Ph.D 
Lecturer, Seminary of All Saints, Uhiele - Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. 

oshokwe67@gmail.com 
& 

Mr Gideon ADENIJI (Ph.D Cand.) 
University of Benin, Benin City 

Etrophodon17@gmail.com 
 
Abstract 
The family is the first unit of human formation among the various units 
of formation in every age. It is a unit that is indispensable in 
the grooming of the child. The way a child was brought up within a 
particular family can go a long way to influence his general attitude 
towards life. If the child was exposed to a good and favorable formation 
within family, the child is bound to be positively disposed toward others, 
because the child would not only have passed through the system, the 
system would have passed through the child. If it is the other way round, 
then it will manifest in the child’s general attitude towards life as a 
whole. It has been discovered that with the disengagement of moral and 
religious education in schools, the moral fabric of societal life is 
progressively depreciating at an alarming rate. A lot of children and 
young people are now living without the basic and rudimentary 
knowledge of morals and religion. The only emphasis on education in 
many developed countries is intellectual knowledge, devoid of human 
formation. Most modern societies depend so much on the positive laws 
of the state to groom children and direct the affairs of their lives. This is 
having a toll on products of post primary schools, which are the raw 
materials for formation at the level of the Seminary. It is against this 
backdrop that this paper attempts an ethical appraisal of the role of the 
family in the formation of the candidates for the priesthood. This paper 
adopts the analytical and hermeneutical methods of analysis. It concludes 



256 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

that a proper attention to the role of the family, will produce better 
candidates for formation and reduce incidences of behavioural 
dysfunctions in priestly ministry within the society. 
 
Keywords: Family, Formation, Agent, Seminary Formation, and Africa 
 
Conceptual Elucidation. 
Family: The concept ‘family’ depicts a group of persons united by the 
ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and 
interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually 
those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings.1 The family plays the 
role of development with the relationship of the parents and the 
Children; it is basically the “original cell of social life”2, where values are 
transmitted, and the basic level of socialization from which the human 
person gets the first bits of education. The family is the key and basic 
unit of development, a key aspect of the family is the role of formation, 
the family serves to form the members of this social unit, a place or ideal 
situation where the more experienced members, the parents and over 
time, elder siblings pass on the necessary basic values and ideas that 
require proper and adequate cultivation. The family passes on the first 
form of education to the young ones,3 helping them form their primary 
and basic conceptions of the human life. “It is the most basic unit of the 
Church”4 
 
Formation: The concept of ‘formation’ basically references 
development, in context, the process of shaping a person. Further, 
formation basically is a series of holistic developmental strategies aimed 
at improving the human person in different and basic facets of life, as the 
Advanced English Dictionary would refer to formation as fabrication into 
a particular shape, this is the basis of the formation of the human person, 
forming the person into a particular and certain shape, a shape of 
primarily, all round brilliance. Formation, as implicitly stated earlier is an 
all-round activity which implies that it covers varying aspects of the 
personality be it emotional, physical, moral, social, cognitive, behavioural 
etc. Also, the instruments of formation are diverse, there are varying 
social groups that have a role to play in the formation of the human 
person, the Family being the basic unit that helps forms the perception 
of the human person, that presents the lenses by which the person sees 
the world, it is as though the grassroots, as though the background from 
which the development process takes its root, the human person would 
always have other instruments and factors, the peer groups and other 
social institution but a pivotal agent would always remain the family. 
 



Section II: Philosophical Perspectives And Human Formation    257 

The Seminary Formation: The formation in the seminary is one that 
is structured to meet all areas that are necessary for a holistic human 
formation. The four cardinal areas of formation in the seminary are the 
human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation. These are areas that 
are sacrosanct and intrinsic to ensure a balanced and full grown man, 
ready for the priestly vocation. These areas of formation are very integral 
to the actualization of the goal of an authentic formation.  
 
The Human Formation: According to the Synod fathers, “the whole 
work of priestly formation would be deprived of its necessary foundation 
if it lacked a suitable human formation.5 “This therefore reveals the 
importance of human formation, as it represents the foundation upon 
which every other formation is built. The young men are first human 
beings, and would in their vocation deal with human beings. The letter 
to the Hebrews notes that “every high priest chosen from among men is 
appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God” (Heb. 5:1). In 
order that his ministry may be humanly as credible and acceptable as 
possible, it is important that the priest should mold his human 
personality in such a way that it becomes a bridge and not an obstacle for 
others in their meeting with Jesus Christ the redeemer of man.6 Future 
priests should therefore cultivate a series of human qualities, not only 
out of proper and due growth and realization of self, but also with a view 
to the ministry3. The seminary hand book adds that maturity in human 
formation entails a two-fold demand, namely, increasing knowledge of 
oneself in all humanness as a creature, with particular strengths and 
weaknesses and understanding this within the framework of the 
relationships which forms the context of the priests life.4 An 
understanding of humanity of an individual, and a conscious acceptance 
of the human nature, towards a conscious effort to be better, and to grow 
helps in undergoing a human formation devoid of pretense and 
hypocrisy, one that is open to learning.  As the priest grows both in the 
knowledge of himself and in his relationship with others, he will be 
more deeply formed into his priesthood. The seminarian is therefore 
formed to work on himself and mold himself better into the image of 
Christ, and by extension, work on his relations with men, so as to 
become a healthy and lovable conduit of God’s mercy and love for 
humanity. 

 In Pastores Dabo Vobis the Holy Father, St. John Paul II of 
blessed memory talks about “affective maturity”, which for him, is the 
result of an education in true and responsible love, and notes that it is a 
significant, and decisive factor in the formation of candidates to the 
priesthood.5 Affective maturity presuppose an awareness that love has a 
central role in human life.6 In his encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, St. Pope 



258 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

John Paul II notes that Man cannot leave without love. He remains a 
being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is meaningless if love 
is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not 
experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate innately in 
it.7 This therefore implies that the seminarian is groomed and grows in 
love in all its entirety, physical, psychic and spiritual, with a human 
maturity subsumed in clear training in freedom, expressed in heartfelt 
obedience to the truth of one’s own being, and to the meaning of one’s 
own existence.8 

 
Spiritual Formation: The formation of the human person, finds its 
fullest expression in spiritual formation. When it is carried out in the 
context of an anthropology which is open to the full truth regarding the 
human person, it leads to and finds its completion in spiritual 
formation.9 The hand book of the Seminary of all Saints adds that 
spiritual formation sets the foundation for the attitudes, habits and 
practices of the spiritual life in a lifetime of priestly ministry especially as 
regards priestly celibacy.10 As a result of this, the New Ratio Fundamentalis 
Institutionis Sarcedotalis, notes that initial admission to the seminary should 
be preceded by a spiritual and ecclesial programme, in which a serious 
discernment of the motivation in responding to a vocation can be 
undertaken.11 This programme which is referred to as the Spiritual Year 
is a programme that is set aside for the spiritual formation of aspirants to 
the priestly vocation. For one year, the aspirant is engaged in spiritual 
exercises that also help in his discernment of his vocation. The major 
seminary, however, continues in this spiritual grooming as the daily 
schedules of the seminary contain different spiritual activities that are a 
necessary ingredient of his vocation.  

The seminarian also has access to a spiritual director to whom he 
meets for guidance and counseling, on spiritual matters. The essential 
content of spiritual formation specifically leading towards the priesthood 
is well expressed in the Vatican Council’s Decree Optatam Totius: 
Spiritual formation (…) should be conducted in such a way that the 
students may learn to live in intimate and unceasing union with God the 
Father through his son, Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.12 Those who are 
to take on the likeness of Christ, priest by sacred ordination should form 
the habit of drawing close to him as friends in every detail of their lives.13 
Prayers and study of the word of God and the attendance of Holy Mass 
are core spiritual activities for all seminarians and priests in formation.  
 
Pastoral Formation: The whole formation imparted to candidates for 
the priesthood aims at preparing them to enter into communion with the 
charity of Christ the good shepherd. Hence their formation in its 



Section II: Philosophical Perspectives And Human Formation    259 

different aspects must have a fundamentally pastoral character.14 This 
means that one major aspect of formation in the seminary is the pastoral 
formation, where students are trained to be true shepherds of soul after 
the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore seminarians are engaged 
in evangelical activities and are also posted to parishes.  

The Handbook of the Seminary of All Saints notes that seminarians 
are introduced to the apostolic life by hands-on-experience in areas such 
as parish and campus ministry, counseling, parish religious education 
programmes, diocesan tribunals, vocation offices, hospital ministry, serial 
ministry to the poor and the disadvantaged etc.15 Through these field 
experiences the seminary is helped to understand the apostolate, and is 
prepared to make a more matured commitment to the priesthood of 
Christ.  
 
Intellectual Formation: This aspect of formation is, perhaps, central to 
the whole project of formation in the Church. This is a very vital aspect 
of the priestly formation that cannot be overemphasized. In Pastores Dabo 
Vobis, St. Pope John Paul II of blessed memory notes that “Intellectual 
formation has its own characteristics but it is also deeply connected with, 
and indeed can be seen as a necessary expression of, both human and 
spiritual formation: it is a fundamental demand of human intelligence by 
which he participate in the light of God’s mind and seeks to acquire 
wisdom which in turn opens to and is directed towards knowing and 
adhering to God.16 The challenges of the rapidly developing world and 
the intellectual demand of a highly knowledgeable society makes it 
important for the Priest to be a man of great intellectual fecundity and 
knowledge to meet the challenges of evangelism to highly intellectual 
people. The synod fathers notes that “if we expect every Christian to be 
prepared to make a defense of the faith, and to account for the hope that 
is in us (Cf 1 Pet. 3:15), then all the more should candidates for the 
priesthood and priests have diligent care of the quality of their 
intellectual formation in their education and pastoral activity. For the 
salvation of their brethren and sisters, they should seek an even deeper 
knowledge of the divine mysteries.17  
 The seminary is not only a place for spiritual and human formation, 
but also a place where there is a rich investment in intellectual rigor and 
exercises. The peculiarity of the priestly vocation is one that demands 
that the seminarian is equipped with philosophical and theological 
knowledge.  The young man in formation is exposed to the different 
schools and areas in philosophy that helps him delve into existential 
questions and rationalizations about the world and creation in general. 
The seminarian is exposed to a high level of education and academic 
activity befitting of every higher institution of learning, to learn 



260 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

undergraduate courses in philosophy, so as to come out a philosopher of 
refinement, knowledge and understanding, balanced intrinsically by 
studies in theology, (knowledge of God) which is in fact the goal of his 
philosophical endeavor. Therefore, like all other young men and women 
undergoing undergraduate studies in philosophy, the seminarian 
undergoes rigorous intellectual exercise in philosophy, but this rime with 
a purpose and a goal to be able to wither the storm that comes from a 
proliferation of knowledge that could pose a challenge to faith and 
learning in the knowledge of God.   

The Holy Father, John Paul II of blessed memory explains this 
further when he notes that “the theologian is first and foremost a man of 
faith. But he is a believer who asks himself question about his own faith 
(fides quarens intellectum), with the aim of reaching a deeper understanding 
of the faith itself.18 This is what philosophy helps to do, as it asks so 
many questions on existence and God. The need for philosophical 
studies geared and channeled towards a better understanding of the 
Christ is of the essence, as the philosophical traditions of the seminary 
are studied up to the point of supplementing theology, through the 
inclusion of various Christian philosophers and their philosophy that 
possesses a theological touch.  

Theological formation is therefore very vital as it is the 
destination of all philosophical studies and the focal point of the 
intellectual studies of a seminarian. For John Paul II, theological 
formation is both complex and demanding. It should lead the candidate 
for the priesthood to a complete and united vision of the truths which 
God has revealed in Jesus Christ and of the church’s experience of 
faith.19    
 
Who are the Agents of Priestly Formation? 
Throughout the course of the formation of an intending Priest, there are 
various persons, structures and institutions he comes in contact with 
which shape his personality and necessary qualities that place him in a 
better position to exercise his clerical responsibilities. The role of these 
agents cannot be treated with levity because in the long run, the impact 
of these agents go a long way to influence the candidate’s conception of 
what the Priestly Ministry entails and how he is to go about the exercise 
of the ministry. There are so many people involved in the work of 
formation. But for the purpose of this paper, we would like to identify 
the main agents or units involved in the work of priestly formation. They 
are the key instruments being used by the God and Church to ensure the 
formation of future priests for the Church. We shall examine some of 
these salient agents which shape and influence Priestly formation and 



Section II: Philosophical Perspectives And Human Formation    261 

their respective roles in the whole formation process. These are as 
follows: 
 
The Family 
As stated earlier, the family plays a pivotal role in the early upbringing of 
the child. It is the primary or primordial unit or agent of formation of the 
child. The attention paid by the family to the upbringing at the early 
stage of the growth of a child makes a lot of difference in the maturity of 
the child. The more attention given, the better for the child, the less 
attention given, goes a long way to affect the development of the child. 
This does not apply to the early stage alone, but at every stage of the 
development of the child. The whole gamut of formation should be 
wholistic. There is this tendency for some families to pay attention one 
or some aspect(s) of the child’s formation to the detriment of the others. 
A lot of parents pay particular attention to the intellectual formation at 
the expense of human and spiritual formation, which is so important in 
the life of the child. They do this by sending their wards to the best 
school that are famous for academic prowess in the society without 
minding what they are able to offer in the areas of values and their 
relationship with the creator. 
 It is of paramount importance for the family to give priority to the 
wholistic formation of the child till the child attains the age of fending 
for himself or herself, which is the age of reason, the age at which they 
can now take complete responsibility for their actions: 
The fecundity of conjugal love cannot be reduced solely to the 
procreation of children, but must extend to their moral education and 
their spiritual formation. The role of parents is of such importance that it 
is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute. The right and the 
duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable20. 

Having enjoyed tutelage under the guidance of their parents in a 
wholistic manner, it is most likely that the child would take the path for 
which he has been brought up while growing up. This also applies to the 
seminarian who is in formation. While on holidays with the family, the 
onus is on the family to guide and support him as he undergoes 
formation. In the most of numerous distractions that could arise while 
on holidays, it behooves of parents to ensure that attention is paid to the 
seminarian’s well-being so that he may not be swallowed by the negative 
influences that abound all over our contemporary African  society. 
 
The Diocesan Bishop/Presbyterate: The Diocesan Bishop is first and 
foremost the one who discerns the vocation to the Priesthood of any 
candidate. He is responsible for the seminarian from the beginning to the 
end of the formative process and ultimately decides if the candidate is fit 



262 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

enough to be ordained and to exercise the Priestly Ministry.21 Although, 
he may not directly carryout these functions, the Bishop puts the 
necessary personnel and mechanisms in place to help him carryout this 
responsibility and that is where the role of the Diocesan Presbyterate 
(especially the Vocations Director) comes in. During the course of the 
seminarian’s formation, he is bound to come in contact with various 
Priests in the Diocese who through such encounters help to shape the 
personality of such seminarian.22  

The Vocations Director is primarily saddled with the 
responsibility of formation of seminarians in the Diocese whenever they 
are away from school (the seminary). Under the overall supervision of 
the Bishop, he monitors the growth of priestly qualities in aspiring 
candidates and inspires the blossoming of these necessary qualities. As an 
illustration, here in our Nigerian clime, it is the practice to send 
seminarians on pastoral work during their holidays or break from the 
seminary in which the Priests in question are required to observe the 
seminarian and write a report of what has been observed during the 
period of his work. It is also the responsibility of the Priest to guide and 
direct the seminarian on what it entails to possess the necessary priestly 
qualities. This shows in no small measure the great responsibility placed 
on the shoulders of the Diocesan Presbyterate in the formation of 
candidates. The Bishop also intervenes from time to time to examine the 
progress candidates are making in their formation in all aspects of their 
formative life. 

 
The Seminary: The seminary, which is a place where seminarians are 
trained, plays a very crucial role in the formative process as an agent.23 
The seminary which is not only an educational institution for the 
intellectual formation of Priests also coordinates the various elements 
which culminate in a holistic priestly personality. In this sense, this 
means that even if the seminary is an educational institution where 
seminarians bag degrees in Philosophy and Divinity, it is not just all 
about that. If not, it would not be different from the secular institutions 
where people study for degrees. Apart from the intellectual formation, 
the seminary also takes into cognizance, the spiritual, human and pastoral 
aspects of the candidate’s formation which are geared towards the 
effective exercise of the Priestly ministry24  

The seminary carries out its function through the 
instrumentality of Formators (basically Priests) and other lay members of 
the community, including the Lecturers and other relevant persons who 
contribute to the day to day activities of the seminary. The Formators, 
though, play a very crucial role as through their actions and encounter 
with the seminarians, ideas and conceptions about what the priesthood 



Section II: Philosophical Perspectives And Human Formation    263 

entails are formed in the minds of the candidates. This is not exclusive of 
their encounter with other Priests, such as those in their respective 
Dioceses. 
 
The Laity: The Laity of the Diocese from where the seminarians come 
also play a crucial role in the discernment process. During his formative 
years, the seminarian will be privileged to work with various segments of 
the Laity in his Diocese and beyond. He will be actively involved in the 
affairs of Pious Societies, Associations, Lay ministers and other lay 
ministries in the Church. His encounter with these various categories of 
persons go a long way to help him stand better prepared to relate with 
these various segments of Christ’s faithful by furnishing him with 
experience and concrete problem solving tools that will help him in the 
exercise of the ministry in the future.  
On the other hand, the Laity also helps the seminarian to sustain himself 
and give an appropriate assent to the call of God’s work.25 They also serve 
as guardians and can be helpful in helping the seminarians to focus on 
their call. They can serve as advisers, dialogue partners and counselors to 
the seminarians which in the long run go a long way to shape the 
candidate’s disposition towards the Priesthood. 
 
The Subject of Formation: Apart from the aforementioned, kit is 
pertinent to note that the candidate is primarily responsible for his own 
formation, as other attempts to form him will result in futility if the 
candidate remains closed-in to himself and wrongly disposed to the 
whole process. This point is well expressed in where it states that:  

Each seminarian is the protagonist of his own 
formation, as he has already been mentioned and is 
called to a journey of ongoing growth in the human, 
spiritual, intellectual and pastoral areas, taking into 
account his own personal and family background. 
Seminarians are likewise responsible for establishing 
and maintaining a climate of formation that is 
consistent with the values of the Gospel.26 
Hence, the seminarian should develop what is referred to as 

“formative attitudes” such as availability, openness and docility to learn 
from the different circumstances he comes across in life and in various 
dimensions of his personality.27 The communitarian climate of the 
seminary also plays a crucial role in helping the candidate to internalize 
vocational values interwoven in inter-personal relationships.     
 
The Family: The family’s role, which is sometimes downplayed, is of 
utmost importance in the shaping of a candidate’s personality. The 



264 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

family serves as the foundation on which every other attempt at building 
a formidable priestly character springs. A Christian family can truly assist 
candidates to discover and nurture a call to priestly vocation in the 
candidate.28 The spirituality of the family could either foster or mar a 
candidate’s desire for priestly service while a dysfunctional family or a 
family which pays little or no attention to spiritual matters can create a 
warped mindset in the consciousness of the candidate which further 
influences his disposition and openness to formation. While it is true that 
through the extra-ordinary grace of God, genuine vocation to the 
priesthood can spring from even the most despicable situations, we 
cannot overlook the influence of environment and family on character 
formation. If the foundation of the family is shaky, all other agents or 
institutions of formation will have a hell of a time molding the candidate 
to suite his call. The all important role of the family will be discussed in 
subsequent sessions. 
 
The Holy Spirit: While discussing the various inputs of human agents 
in the formation of a candidate, we must not leave out the necessity of 
grace and God’s intervention because the whole enterprise of Priestly 
formation is controlled by God Himself who chooses. This fact is all 
exemplified in Christ’s admonition to His Apostles “You did not choose 
me; I chose you…” (Jn 15:16). Hence, it is the Holy Spirit who forms 
the candidate through the instrumentality of these various mediators 
(Patron Wong, 2014). As a result, it is very necessary that all requisite 
agents of formation should teach the candidate the importance of 
openness and docility to the actions of the Spirit which inflames the 
heart with sincerity and clarity of purpose. 
 
An Assessment of the Family as an Agent of Formation 
As earlier stated, the role of the family as an agent of priestly formation 
cannot be over-emphasized. This fact is re-echoed in prominent Church 
documents on Priestly formation. Emphasizing the foundation-laying 
responsibility which accrues to the family, a Second Vatican Document 
says:  
Since the reality of the Christian Family is endangered nowadays, much 
importance should be given to pastoral work on behalf of the family, in 
order that the families themselves, generously accepting the gift of 
human life, may be ‘as it was a first seminary.29  

In line with the above stand, and in consideration of all necessary 
elements which promote priestly vocation, another salient document on 
Priestly formation states:  
A very special responsibility falls upon the Christian Family, which by 
virtue of the Sacrament of Matrimony, shares its own unique way in the 



Section II: Philosophical Perspectives And Human Formation    265 

educational mission of the Church, Teacher and Mother. Families can 
become a first seminary in which children can acquire from the 
beginning, an awareness of piety and prayer and love for the Church.30  

The above statements from the Church’s Magisterium accentuate 
the importance of the family as an agent of Priestly Formation. The life 
of piety, the consciousness of the importance of prayer, the ability to 
learn submissiveness to God’s will and respect for the Church and 
authorities all spring forth from the spiritual tradition of a family. If the 
father and mother in the home develop a culture of family prayers and 
devotion, the children do not need to be told of the importance of 
prayers in their lives as Christians. Other salient points that need to be 
examined are the vocation-friendly nature of the family, how they 
encourage members to open themselves to a life of service and tolerance 
by listening to the cares and needs of each member of the family, how 
much support members get from the family in pursuing a career or 
vocation which is in view of the happiness of such individual.31 All these 
elements combine to either foster or discourage the sprouting of the 
vocational seed in the hearts of aspiring candidates to the Priesthood. 

As a way of diversion, it is pertinent to assess the concept of the 
family in our Traditional African culture. The average African is always 
concerned with inculcating certain societal values and morals in 
members of his or her family basically for the preservation of the family’s 
integrity in the society which in turn fosters respect among society 
members for such family. African families do not joke with the moral 
formation of their wards which are often tied to the religious practices of 
the family and the communities at large because they recognize that such 
persons will someday go out as an ambassador of the family or cultural 
heritage. It is a common African saying to their wards that ‘they should 
know the child of whom they are wherever they go’. This goes a long 
way to demonstrate the importance attached by Africans to the 
preservation of the family name which is only possible if the members of 
such family have a sound moral foundation. Each individual in the 
family is considered as an ambassador of the family. Hence, the family 
takes the duty upon itself to embark on extensive social, religious and 
cultural education of its members so as to avoid the situation where 
members become deviant in the society as a result of poor education. 

If families generally hold forth to this African model of the 
family, the task of formation of candidates to the Priesthood will be 
much easier. Not only will they be good Priests but good Christians and 
patriotic citizens for those who may eventually not make it to the 
Priesthood. 
Another important consideration is that the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary 
and Joseph should continue to serve as a reference point to all families. 



266 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

Fathers and Mothers should look up to Joseph and Mary in the 
upbringing of their wards. Jesus Christ, in His sovereignty, subjected 
Himself to the Headship of Joseph his foster father and learned the 
dignity of labour as a carpenter. From his foster father, Christ must have 
experienced how hardworking his foster father was, who provided for his 
family and lived in accordance with the commandments of God. In His 
human nature, Christ learned the relevant skills and the use of the 
necessary tools in carrying out manual labour.32 As a result, St. Joseph 
and his wife, Mary should be honoured and invoked in the attempt to 
plant and cultivate the seed of vocation to the Priesthood as he can truly 
become the head of our domestic Churches which are ‘the family’. 
 
The Role of the Family in the Formation of Future Priests 
It is worthy of note that the role of the family in the training and 
molding of a child’s character is un-negotiable irrespective of the 
vocation such child wishes to embrace. Hence, we shall examine certain 
duties and responsibilities of the family in the training of their wards 
which could in the long run sow the seed of the vocation to the 
priesthood in their minds. 
 
Religious Education of Children: The Church’s teaching since the 
commencement of the Second Vatican Council explicitly states that the 
duty of religious education of children is a shared responsibility between 
the Ministers and Parents. According to the Code of Canon Law, the 
right and obligation of parents to procreate and educate their wards arise 
from the meaning and significance of marital union itself.33   

Since they have given life to their children, parents have a most 
grave obligation and possess the right to educate them. Therefore, it is 
for Christian parents particularly to take care of the Christian Education 
of their children according to the doctrine handed on by the Church.  
The Second Vatican Document, Gaudium et Spes, also emphasizes this 
point when it states that “parents are consecrated by the sacrament of 
marriage to a specific function: they are active co-workers in the salvific 
and evangelizing mission of the Church, a service they perform by their 
educational duties towards their children.”34 

These following documents all add up to the point that parents 
are responsible for the moral upbringing of their children which serve as 
foundations for their views about life and principles. A faulty moral 
upbringing will surely lead to a faulty personality so will a faulty 
personality lead to a faulty formation of the necessary priestly qualities in 
a candidate. The Formators can hardly work on a candidate with a faulty 
personality due to a faulty moral foundation except by the extra-ordinary 
intervention of the Holy Spirit. 



Section II: Philosophical Perspectives And Human Formation    267 

Assist in the Process of Discernment: It is the role of the family to 
‘assist’ the candidate in the process of discernment and not to determine 
or enforce the vocation to the priesthood on the candidate or discourage 
him from embarking on such a journey. With prayer, advice, mentoring 
and counseling, the family can play a very important role of formation of 
the candidate’s attitude towards the priesthood. By the very fact that the 
candidate grew up in the midst of his family, it is expected that the 
parents, guardians and siblings understand his character, disposition, 
principles and attitudes better. This fact places the family in a very good 
position to help the candidate discern if truly the vocation to the 
priesthood is his calling. In the whole process, the family must be wary 
of imposing their wishes on the candidate as this in itself could backfire. 

It is common knowledge in Nigeria that some candidates are 
answering the call of their parents or guardians and not their own call. In 
some places where the priesthood is regarded as a status symbol or some 
kind of reputation which brings dignity to the family, some candidates 
can be placed under unnecessary pressure to become priests without the 
family members bothering to understand the candidate’s true disposition 
towards the whole process. On the other hand, some families do not 
want some candidates to embrace the call to the priesthood and regard it 
as a wasted life. These perspectives are a misconception of the role of the 
family in the process of discernment. 
 
Collaboration with Other Agents of Formation: It is the 
responsibility of parents who have candidates aspiring towards the 
priesthood to cooperate and collaborate with other agents of formation 
such as the Bishop, Vocations Director, Seminary, Parish Priest, among 
others. This collaboration could be in form of material or spiritual 
support. It is the practice in many Dioceses that the Bishops are in charge 
of the financial responsibilities of the candidates. However, it is not out 
of place for parents of seminarians to come together once in a while and 
donate towards the training of seminarians in order to ease the burden 
on the Diocese, especially in developing regions like ours in Nigeria. 
Apart from the material support, it is the duty of parents to pray for the 
candidates and all those in charge of their formation that the Holy Spirit 
will guide them in making the right decisions. 

In conclusion, parents can also play a crucial role in the 
encouragement of others, even if not their own children, who have 
expressed interest in the vocation or call to the priesthood, to embrace 
the vocation by being sources of testimony to others of the beauty and 
the dignity which comes with the service of God and his Church. In 
Nigeria where we have Vocations Committees saddled with the 
responsibility of fostering vocations in the Diocese, parents of aspiring 



268 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

candidates can volunteer to be a part of such initiatives, which in itself 
can be a sign of encouragement to others. 

 
 
Endnotes 
                                                      
1 The New Encyclopaedia Brittannica ,Vol 14, 15th edition, 1988, S,V, “Family” 
2 Catechism of the Catholic Church, London, Geoffrey Chapman,1994, no. 2207 
3 Vatican Council II, Decree on the Apostolate of Lay Persons, Apostolicam 

Actuositatem, no. 11 
4 Mitch Finley, “Family” in Richard MCBrien, ed,, Encyclopedia of Catholicism, 1st 

edition, New York, Harper Collins Publishers, 1966, 
5 Message of the Synod Fathers to the People of God at VIII Ordinary General 

Assembly on the “Formation of Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day” 

(September 30th - 28 October, 1990) 
6 I Will Give You Shepherd, Apostolic Exhortation Pastorers Dabo Vabis of John Paul 

II, No. 43, 1992, pp. 69. 
7Ibid.  
8 Handbook of the Seminary of All Saints, 2005, Benin City: Ava Printers, p. 6. 
9 I Will Give You Shepherds, Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Dabo Vobis of John Paul 

II, No. 43, 1992, pp. 70. 
10 Ibid. No. 44, 1992, p. 70. 
11 Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis (4th March 1979), 10:AAS71 (1979), 274. 
12 I Will Give You Shepherds, Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Dabo Vobis of John 

Paul II, No. 44, 1992, pp. 70-71. 
13 Ibid, No. 45, p. 72. 
14 Handbook of the Seminary of All Saints. 2005, p. 6 
15 The Gift of the Priestly Vocation, New Ratio Fundamentalist Institutions 

Sacerdotalis, Paulines Publications African Daughters of St. Paul, Nairobi, 2017, P. 

27. 
16 I Will Give You Shepherds, Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Dabo Vobis of John 

Paul II, No. 45, 1992, pp. 73. 
17Ibid., p. 73. 
18 Ibid. No 57, p. 88.  
19Handbook of the Seminary of All Saints 2005 – 2008, Ava Printers, Benin City, p. 8.  
20 Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2221 
21Patron Wong J.C. (2014) “Foundations of Priestly Formation” Conference on 

Priestly Vocation Organized by the Congregation for the Clergy http://www.clerus.va 

(retrieved 18th March, 2020). 
22 Ibid, 
23Szczesny, W., (2015) Families Play Important Role in Vocation, (Article) 

http://www.wnycatholic.org/news/article/featured/2015/02/26/100511/families-

play-important-role-in-vocation. 
24 Patron Wong, 2014. 
25Patron Wong, 2014.   



Section II: Philosophical Perspectives And Human Formation    269 

                                                                                                                         
26 Ratio Fundamentalis In Sacerdotalis, No. 130. 
27 Patron Wong, 2014). 
28 Szczesny,  2015. 
29 Optatam Totius No. 2 
30Pastores Dabo Vobis, no. 41.  
31Szczesny, 2015.   
32Fr. Aytona, J., (2018) Family Life: The First Seminary, (Article) http://fathersof 

mercy.com/family-life-first-seminary/    
33The Code of Canon Law, No 226 ⸹2.  
34 Gaudium et Spes No. 6 


