9. Nevertheless, there are positive situations and
tendencies which bring about and nurture in the heart of adolescents and young
men a new readiness, and even a genuine search, for ethical and spiritual
values. These naturally offer favorable conditions for embarking on the journey
of a vocation which leads toward the total gift of self to Christ and to the
Church in the priesthood.
First of all, mention should be made of the decrease of
certain phenomena which had caused many problems in the recent past, such as
radical rebellion, libertarian tendencies, utopian claims, indiscriminate forms
of socialization and violence.
It must be recognized, moreover, that today' s young people,
with the vigor and vitality typical of their age, are also bearers of ideals
which are coming to the fore in history: the thirst for freedom; the
recognition of the inestimable value of the person; the need for authenticity
and sincerity; a new conception and style of reciprocity in the rapport between
men and women; a convinced and earnest seeking after a more just, sympathetic
and united world; openness and dialogue with all; and the commitment to peace.
The fruitful and active development among so many young
people today of numerous and varied forms of voluntary service, directed toward
the most forgotten and forsaken of our society, represents in these times a
particularly important resource for personal growth. It stimulates and sustains
young people in a style of life which is less self - interested and more open
and sympathetic toward the poor. This way of life can help young men perceive,
desire and accept a vocation to stable and total service of others, following
the path of complete consecration to God as a priest.
The recent collapse of ideologies, the heavily critical
opposition to a world of adults who do not always offer a witness of a life
based on moral and transcendent values, and the experience of companions who
seek escape through drugs and violence - contribute in no small fashion to
making more keen and inescapable the fundamental question as to what values are
truly capable of giving the fullest meaning to life, suffering and death. For many
young people the question of religion and the need for spirituality are
becoming more explicit. This is illustrated in the desire for "desert
experiences" and for prayer, in the return to a more personal and regular
reading of the word of God and in the study of theology.
As has happened in their involvement in the sphere of
voluntary social service, young people are becoming more actively involved as
leaders in the ecclesial community, above all through their membership in
various groups - whether traditional but renewed ones or of more recent origin.
Their experience of a Church challenged to undertake a "new
evangelization" by virtue of her faithfulness to the Spirit who animates
her and in response to the demands of a world far from Christ but in need of
him, as well as their experience of a Church ever more united with individuals
and peoples in the defense and promotion of the dignity of the person and of
the human rights of each and every one - these experiences open the hearts and
lives of the young to the exciting and demanding ideals which can find their
concrete fulfillment in following Christ and in embracing the priesthood.
Naturally it is not possible to ignore this human and
ecclesial situation - characterized by strong ambivalence - not only in the
pastoral care of vocations and the formation of future priests, but also in the
care of priests in their life and ministry and their ongoing formation. At the
same time, while it is possible to detect various forms of "crisis"
to which priests are subjected today in their ministry, in their spiritual life
and indeed in the very interpretation of the nature and significance of the
ministerial priesthood - mention must likewise be made, in a spirit of joy and
hope, of the new positive possibilities which the present historical moment is
offering to priests for the fulfillment of their mission.
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