Cardinal Ferrão Calls for Reform in Priestly Formation at Pallottine Platinum Jubilee

MYSURU, November 5, 2026: Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman and President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), has called for a renewed approach to priestly formation, stressing the need to better prepare seminarians for the pastoral, human and spiritual challenges of ministry.

He was speaking at a symposium titled “Bridging Formation and Ministry: Critical Challenges and Concerns in the Last Phase of Priestly Formation Today,” organised as part of the Pallottines’ Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Inaugurating the symposium, Cardinal Ferrão urged the Church to examine how seminaries prepare candidates for priestly ministry, taking into account the changing realities of young people and the growing demands on priests.

Using the pastoral framework of See, Judge and Act, he cautioned against either blaming seminaries for existing shortcomings or idealising previous generations. Instead, he called for a serious assessment of how the Church could form priests who reflect the qualities of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

The Cardinal identified several concerns in contemporary priestly formation, including changing candidate profiles, evolving pastoral responsibilities, the gap between academic knowledge and its practical integration, the credibility of priestly witness and the challenges newly ordained priests face in their transition to ministry.

Referring to the Second Vatican Council's decree Presbyterorum Ordinis and St Vincent Pallotti's vision of the apostolate shared by all the baptised, he stressed that a priest should not be seen as an isolated religious specialist but as one who serves within the wider mission of the Church.

He proposed that the final phase of seminary formation should function as a genuine pastoral apprenticeship, giving candidates greater exposure to the realities of parish life and ministry. He also called for greater emphasis on personal integration, human and emotional maturity, practical pastoral skills and the ongoing formation of seminary formators.

The Cardinal further stressed the importance of structured accompaniment for priests during their initial years after ordination, saying that preparation for ministry must continue beyond the seminary.

Calling for measurable outcomes, he challenged participating institutions to introduce at least one improvement in supervised pastoral exposure, one regular practice of reflective evaluation and one structured programme for accompanying newly ordained priests. He proposed reviewing the progress of these initiatives after a year.

“Ordination does not close the book of formation. It opens a new chapter in the lifelong school of pastoral charity,” he said.

The symposium was convened by Fr Thomas Vijay SAC and hosted by Prabodhana, Pallottine Institute of Theology, Mysuru. Provincials, Regional Superiors and resource persons attended the programme. Fr Thomas Manjaly SAC welcomed the participants.

Opening the academic sessions, Fr Rajesh Ummikuzhy SAC presented the scientific rationale for the symposium, highlighting gaps in the transition from seminary formation to priestly ministry. He identified areas requiring greater attention, including intellectual, human, emotional, spiritual, relational and pastoral development, as well as leadership and safeguarding.

By Fr. Carlos Luis, SAC