Brenda Yufeh
8 July 2009
Generally, a minimum of seven years training after Advanced Level education, is required for any person who wants to become a priest.
Within the Roman Catholic Church, one usually sees different religious leaders, mostly men, dressed in attractive attires as they lead worship and perform other ceremonies in churches. Some of them are called Priest, others Bishop or Cardinal. Many ponder over the procedures religious leaders particularly a Priest, undergo before gaining the religious title he bears. Father Philippe Alain Mbarga, Rector of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary, Nkolbisson, Yaounde, says that to become a priest, one must go through several stages. But he underscores that in the Roman Catholic Church; only a baptised man can become a priest, he should be accepted by the Bishop or by the Superior if he aspires to join a religious community; he should have a solid faith, a good intention, acquire academic knowledge, have a good reputation and above all he should be called by God.
Once some body expresses his real desire to become a priest, to follow Christ and serve his church, the rector says he then begins serious training that entails long and heavy academic demands. He must go through philosophical and theological studies with time for practical or pastoral experience in the field. It is a training that deals with integral formation taking into consideration the candidate's spiritual, moral, intellectual, physical and mental abilities in order to be fit to exercise on the ministerial priesthood. As time goes on, Father Alain Mbarga says, those on priesthood training get closer to the ministerial priesthood till the final day, the day of ordination. "Even after ordination, there is still ongoing formation", Father Alain Mbarga added.
The rector of the Nkolbisson Major Seminary says it can happen that the student or candidate to the priesthood finds himself involved without a full understanding of what he is doing or a destination of his journey. This is usually a serious problem. That is why in the seminary, there are spiritual directors, whose task among many others, is to help candidates better trace their paths into priesthood. Candidates on priesthood training also face other problems but Father Alain Mbarga says they take all the necessary dispositions to help those who desire to offer themselves for the service of God. Just like in any other function, some candidates on priesthood training can be dismissed if they do not meet up to the expectations. If a candidate can not meet up academically, morally or physically, Father Alain Mbarga says he can be oriented elsewhere. But some candidates, by themselves leave the seminary giving the reason that it is not their place to be. "Above all, the priesthood is a call from God, a mystery", Father Alain Mbarga reiterates.
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