By Kampan Chinnam
Guwahati, Aug 25, 2022: The sharp decline in the current standard of education has prompted the bishops of northeastern India to call for restructuring the initial formation years for priests and religious.
The all-promotion system in schools and making subjects like maths not compulsory to pass grade ten have adversely affected the reading, writing and numeracy skills of those entering minor seminaries and other formation houses, says a survey conducted by the Commission for Vocation, Seminaries, Clergy and Religious, North East India Regional Bishop’s Council.
The commission organized a meeting to address the current drawbacks in the training programs.
Around 130 people engaged in training priests and nuns attended the August 17-18 meeting at Guwahati, the nerve center of northeastern India.
The meeting recommended increasing the initial formation to two years. Presently, the initial remedial education in formation houses is one year.
At the meeting, Bishop Thomas John Katrukuidyil, the commission chairman, presented a paper on the “Present Scenario of Formation” in northeastern India.
The paper explained the results of an extensive survey the bishop undertook on the current vocation scenario in the region.
The data revealed that those in the higher stages of formation and in ministry lacked the basic numeracy skills and basic knowledge of science or geography expected of an average educated person.
The commission chairman wondered how such candidates are capable of grasping the basic concepts of Philosophy and Theology. How they can give leadership to the laity who is far ahead of them in education, he asked.
The survey blames the all-promotion system in schools and exempting subjects like maths as compulsory for the lack of reading, writing and numeracy skills among the candidates possessing tenth grade certificates.
The commission says an additional year before novitiate or philosophy to bring the candidates to the level of grade ten by a crash course in high school subjects, especially Maths, Science and Social Studies. The commission agreed to compile the needed textbooks to facilitate the goal.
The sessions also highlighted the need for intellectual formation, which is one of the four pillars of formation as proposed by Vatican II and Pastores Dabo Vobis. They also noted the negative impact of the lack of intellectual formation on the rest of human and spiritual formation.
Among the speakers were Sister Philomena Mathew, superior general of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Menamparmpil, Bishops Albert Hemrom, Jose Chirackal, and Lumen Monteiro. Scripture scholar, Father Thomas Manjaly held the brainstorming session.
Among those present included Regional Bishops’ Council president, Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahat, council general secretary Bishop James Thoppil of Kohima, and council deputy secretary Father G P Amalraj. Commission secretary Father Kuriakose Poovathumkudy too attended the program.