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Knowledge / Learning |
"For
the lips of the priest are to keep knowledge, and instruction is
to be sought from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the
LORD of hosts." (Mal. 2:7)
"The light of learning,
and that in no small degree is needed in the priest, because it is
his duty, to fill others with wisdom, to destroy errors, to be a
guide to the many in the steep and slippery paths of life." (Pope Leo XIII, "Exeunte Iam Anno", 1888
A.D.)
"[A]s
Dionysius states... men of higher
degree, whose business it is to teach others, are under obligation
to have fuller knowledge of matters of faith, and to believe them
more explicitly." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church
and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church'')
"The
priest should have full grasp of the Catholic teaching on faith
and morals; he should know how to present it to others; and he
should be able to give the reasons for the dogmas, laws and
observances of the Church of which he is minister." (Pope
Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"In our own day, alas! it is the contrary
that happens all too frequently. Members of the clergy allow their
minds to be overcome gradually by the darkness of doubt and turn
aside to worldly pursuits; the chief reason for this is that they
prefer to read a variety of other works and newspapers, which are
full of cunningly propounded errors and corruption, rather than
the divine books and other pious literature." (Pope St. Pius
X, "Haerent Animo", 1908 A.D.)
"This work
[the Catechism of the Council of Trent] is remarkable at once for the richness and exactness of its
doctrine, and for the elegance of its style; it is a precious
summary of all theology, both dogmatic and moral. He who
understands it well, will have always at his service those aids by
which a priest is enabled to preach with fruit, to acquit himself
worthily of the important ministry of the confessional and the
direction of souls, and will be in a position to refute the
objections of unbelievers." (Pope Leo XIII)
"The
learning which is perceived as worthy of a clergyman should attain
pure and holy habits. They should have a knowledge of the
Scriptures: 'All Scripture is inspired by God and can profitably
be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's
lives and teaching them to be holy that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work'. They should go to both
testaments of the Bible, to the traditions of the Church, and to
the writings of the holy fathers, as if they were going to springs
from which pours forth a pure and undefiled teaching of faith and
character. They should read often and reflect upon the Roman
Catechism, the summation of Catholic teaching, which provides holy
sermons to give to the faithful." (Pope Clement XIII, "A
Quo Die", 1758 A.D.)
"We
exhort the priests to provide that their own knowledge of things
Divine and human be wide and deep; that they be not content with
the intellectual knowledge acquired in youth; that they examine
with careful scrutiny the Law of the Lord, Whose oracles are purer
than silver; that they continually relish and enjoy the chaste
charms of Sacred Scripture; that with the passing of the years
they study more deeply the history of the Church, its dogmas, its
Sacraments, its laws, its scriptures, its liturgy, its language,
so that they may advance in grace, in culture and wisdom. Let them
cultivate also the study of letters and of the profane sciences,
especially those which are more closely connected with religion,
in order that they may be able to impart with clarity and
eloquence the teaching of grace and salvation which is capable of
bending even learned intellects to the light burden and yoke of
the Gospel of Christ." (Pope Pius XII, "Sertum Laetitiae",
1939 A.D.)
"Now
it is of great importance, as We have said, that priests should
have a learning adequate to the requirements of the age. For the
attainment of this, in addition to a solid classical education,
there is required both instruction and training in scholastic
philosophy 'according to the method, and the mind and the
principles of St. Thomas Aquinas' - ad Angelical Doctoris rationem,
doctrinam et principia. This Our Illustrious Predecessor, Leo
XIII, has called the philosophia perennis. It is essential to the
future priest. It will help him to a thorough understanding of
dogma. It will effectively forearm him against modern errors of
whatever sort. It will sharpen his mind to distinguish truth from
falsehood. It will form him to habits of intellectual clearness,
so necessary in any studies or problems of the future. It will
give him a great superiority over others, whose mere erudition,
perhaps, is wider but who lack philosophical training." (Pope
Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"Learning, as We have said, is absolutely
necessary for the preacher, for if he is without the light of
learning he easily falls into error, since 'Ignorance is the
mother of all errors,' as the Fourth Lateran Council so truthfully
observes. We would not be understood, however, to mean every sort
of knowledge, but only that which it becomes a priest to possess,
that is to say, the knowledge, to phrase it briefly, which
consists of a knowledge of self, of God and his duties. For
self-knowledge, We maintain, will lead a priest to renounce his
own advantage. The knowledge of God will lead him to make everyone
else know and love God, and the knowledge of his office will lead
him to discharge his own duties and to teach others to do theirs.
If he lacks these three kinds of knowledge, whatever other
learning he has, will only puff him up, and will be useless."
(Pope Benedict XV, "Humani Generis Redemptionem", 1917
A.D.)
"Strive,
then, Venerable Brethren, to bring home to your clerics and
priests these teachings of the Sainted Commentator. You have to
remind them constantly of the demands made by their divine
vocation if they would be worthy of it: 'The lips of the priest
shall keep knowledge, and men shall ask the Law at his mouth, for
he is the Angel of the Lord of hosts' (Mal. 2:7). They must
realize, then, that they cannot neglect study of the Bible... How
can a cleric teach others the way of salvation if through neglect
of meditation on God's word he fails to teach himself? What
confidence can he have that, when ministering to others, he is
really 'a leader of the blind, a light to them that are in
darkness, an instructor of the foolish, having the form of
knowledge and of truth in the law,' if he is unwilling to study
the said Law and thus shuts the door on any divine illumination on
it?" (Pope Benedict XV, "Spiritus Paraclitus", 1920
A.D.)
"It
is of great importance that the priest should combine his daily
divine meditation with the constant reading of pious books,
especially the inspired books. That was the command that Paul gave
to Timothy: Attend unto reading. The same lesson was taught by St.
Jerome when instructing Nepotianus on the priestly life: 'Never
let the sacred book leave your hands'; and he gave the following
reason for his advice: 'Learn that which you are to teach; holding
to that faithful word which conforms to doctrine, that you may be
able to exhort with sound doctrine, and refute the opponents.'
What great advantages are gained by priests who are faithful to
this practice! With what unction they preach Christ! Far from
flattering and soothing the hearts and minds of their audience,
they stimulate them to better things, and arouse in them the
desire of heavenly things." (Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent
Animo", 1908 A.D.)
"The dignity of the office he holds and the
maintenance of a becoming respect and esteem among the people,
which helps so much in his pastoral work, demand more than purely
ecclesiastical learning. The priest must be graced by no less
knowledge and culture than is usual among well-bred and
well-educated people of his day. This is to say that he must be
healthily modern, as is the Church, which is at home in all times
and all places, and adapts itself to all; which blesses and
furthers all healthy initiative and has no fear of the progress,
even the most daring progress, of science; if only it be true
science... And among the rest of the clergy, none should remain
content with a standard of learning and culture which sufficed,
perhaps, in other times; they must try to attain - or, rather,
they must actually attain - a higher standard of general education
and of learning. It must be broader and more complete; and it must
correspond to the generally higher level and wider scope of modern
education as compared with the past." (Pope Pius XI, "Ad
Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"Who,
indeed, will deny that knowledge should be joined to holiness of
life in the priest? 'For the lips of the priest shall keep
knowledge.' The Church demands this knowledge of those who are to
be ordained to the priesthood. Why? Because the Christian people
expect from them knowledge of the divine law, and it was for that
end that they were sent by God. 'And they shall seek the law at
his mouth; because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts.' Thus the
bishop speaking to the candidates for the priesthood in the
ordination ceremony says: 'Let your teaching be a spiritual remedy
for God's people; may they be worthy fellow-workers of our order;
and thus meditating day and night on His law, they may believe
what they read, and teach what they shall believe.' If what We
have just said is applicable to all priests, does it not apply
with much greater force to those who possess the title and the
authority of parish priests, and who, by virtue of their rank and
in a sense by virtue of a contract, hold the office of pastors of
souls? These are, to a certain extent, the pastors and teachers
appointed by Christ in order that the faithful might not be as
'children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of
doctrine devised in the wickedness of men,' but that practicing
'the truth in love,' they may, 'grow up in all things in him who
is the head, Christ.'" (Pope St. Pius X, "Acerbo Nimis",
1905 A.D.)
Also
See: Catechetical
Instruction | Seminaries
/ Seminarians / Training / Formation | Priests
& Prayer / Meditation / Contemplation |
Preachers
/ Preaching | Holiness
/ Good Example [Pg.] | Priests
/ Priesthood [Pg.] | Wisdom
(Topical Scripture) | Knowledge
(Topical Scripture) | Catholic
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