According to TheAge.com.au, they are discussing “dismantling the seminary system altogether” and replace it with a [fluffy] “broader model of priest apprenticeships with more interaction with the [dying away] community”.
The introduction of a centralised priestly education was one of the main achievements of the Council of Trent (1545-1563).
Pretext for abolishing the seminaries is alleged homosexual abuses, although a solid old-style education is the best remedy against them.
The number of seminaries has dropped in Australia from 60 in 1971 to 15 today. There are 292 seminarians nationwide.
Picture: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, CC BY-NC-SA, #newsOvdzekqypm
