CONTENTS
(General Plan of Formation)
Presentation 1
Prologue 15
CONTENTS 21
ABBREVIATIONS USED 29
INTRODUCTION 35
1. Nature and Purpose of the GPF 35
2. Recipients of the GPF 36
3. Sources of Inspiration for the GPF 36
4. The Structure of the GPF 37
PART ONE: GENERAL ASPECTS 39
Chapter 1: Claretian Formation: Objective
and Frame of Reference 41
1. Fundamental objective 43
1.1. Conformity with Christ the Missionary 43
1.2. According to the Claretian charism in the Church 44
1.3. By means of a personalizing and transforming process 45
1.4. In each concrete situation, and open to our
universal mission 45
2. Frame of Reference 46
2.1. Our Claretian identity (charismatic reference) 46
2.1.1. We are followers of Jesus Christ in the style
of the Apostles 47
2.1.2. Formed by the Spirit in the forge of Mary’s Heart 48
2.1.3. To seek in all things the Glory of God 49
2.1.4. In missionary community 50
2.1.5. Called to evangelize through the ministry
of the Word 51
2.1.6. In the evangelizing mission of the Church 51
2.1.7. According to the calls of God in our time 52
2.2. Formation as a process (pedagogical reference) 53
2.2.1. Personalizing 54
2.2.2. Integral and integrating 55
2.2.3. Gradual, progressive and articulated 56
2.2.4. Attentive to the specific vocation 58
2.2.5. Liberating 58
2.2.6. Prophetic 58
2.2.7. Inculturated, intercultural and universal 59
2.3. The present situation (situational reference) 61
2.3.1. The sociocultural situation 61
2.3.2. The ecclesial situation 64
2.3.3. The Congregational situation 65
Chapter 2: The Process of Becoming
Conformed with Christ
the Missionary 67
1. The vocational experience as the
starting point 69
2. The community as an expression of our missionary convocation 71
3. The mission as a central formative key 72
4. The religious vows 73
4.1. Chastity 74
4.2. Poverty 77
4.3. Obedience 80
5. The apostolic virtues 83
5.1. Apostolic Charity 83
5.2. Humility 84
5.3. Meekness 85
5.4. Mortification 87
Chapter 3: The Inspirational Agents
and Models 91
1. The agents 93
1.1. The Spirit who anoints us for the mission 93
1.2. Mary, formator of missionaries in the forge of her Heart 95
1.3. The Church 98
1.4. The person in formation, protagonist of his process 100
1.5. Formators, the formation teams, and mentors 102
1.6. The formative community 105
1.7. Other agents 106
2. The inspirational models 107
2.1. The Founder 107
2.1.1. Claret as charismatic model 107
2.1.2. The Autobiography as Claretian itinerary 108
2.1.3. The Forge as a pedagogical proposal 108
2.1.4. The saints 110
2.2. The Congregation 111
2.2.1. The exemplary meaning of its history 111
2.2.2. The Constitutions: the Congregation’s project
of missionary life 114
Chapter 4: The Formative Factors
(Personal and Environmental) 117
1. Personal factors 119
1.1. Physical factors 119
1.2. Psychological factors 120
1.3. Youth-related factors 121
1.4. Spiritual factors 123
2. Environmental factors 123
2.1. The family 123
2.2. The physical space 125
2.3. Culture and society 126
2.4. Technology and communications media 128
2.5. The Church community 128
2.6. The Congregational community 130
2.7. The Province or Delegation community 131
3. The places 132
3.1. The social and cultural setting of the
formation community 132
3.2. The formation house 133
Chapter 5: The Dynamisms and Means 135
1. Vocational accompaniment 138
1.1. The process of vocational growth 138
1.2. Personal accompaniment 138
2. The Word and the sacraments 142
2.1. The Word 142
2.2. The Eucharist 144
2.3. Reconciliation 147
3. Prayer and study 147
3.1. Prayer 148
3.2. Study 150
4. Community life and formative
apostolic experiences 153
4.1. Community Life 153
4.2. Formative apostolic experiences in initial formation 156
Chapter 6: The Responsible Agents and Structures of Animation and Coordination 161
1. The Superiors of the Congregation 163
2. The Prefectures of formation 166
2.1. General Aspects 166
2.2. The General Prefecture of Formation 166
2.3. The Prefectures of Formation of the Major Organisms 169
2.4. Formation Councils 171
3. Interprovincial collaboration 172
PART TWO: STAGES 175
Chapter 7: Stage of Preparation:
Pre-Novitiate (Aspirancy
and Postulancy) 177
1. General criteria of discernment 179
2. Stages of Pre-Novitiate 181
2.1. Aspirancy 181
2.1.1. General principles 181
2.1.2. General Objectives 182
2.1.3. Specific Objectives 182
2.1.4. Those responsible 184
2.2. Postulancy 185
2.2.1. Nature and aim 185
2.2.2. Requirements 185
2.2.3. General objectives 187
2.2.4. Specific objectives and means 187
a. Human Dimension 187
b. Christian dimension 190
c. Claretian Dimension 191
2.2.3. Characteristics 193
2.2.4. Those responsible 195
Chapter 8: Stage of Initiation: Novitiate 197
1. Nature and aim 199
2. Requirements 199
3. General objectives 200
4. Specific objectives and means 200
4.1. Human dimension 201
4.1.1. Specific objectives 201
4.1.2. Means 201
4.2. Christian dimension 202
4.2.1. Specific objectives 202
4.2.2. Means 203
4.3. Claretian dimension 205
4.3.1. Specific objectives 205
4.3.2. Means 205
5. Characteristics 208
6. The novice master and
his collaborators 209
7. Special moments 210
Chapter 9: Stage of Development and Consolidation: Post-Novitiate (Students) 213
1. Nature and aim 215
2. Juridical aspects 215
3. General objectives 216
4. Specific objectives and means 216
4.1. Human dimension 216
4.2. Christian dimension 218
4.3. Claretian dimension 219
5. Characteristics 220
6. Principal dynamisms 221
6.1. Prayer 222
6.2. Study 223
6.3. Community Life 225
6.4. Apostolic Experiences 226
6.5. Personal Accompaniment 226
7. The prefect and his collaborators 227
8. Perpetual profession and immediate preparation for it 230
Chapter 10: Specific Formation 233
1. The need of a formation for
specific vocations 235
2. The specific formation of the
missionary brother 235
2.1. General Criteria 235
2.2. Formative Guidelines 237
2.3. Ministries Proper to their Lay Vocation 238
2.3.1. Non-installed Ministries 238
2.3.2. Installed ministries: Lector and Acolyte 238
2.4. Organizational Aspects 240
3. The specific formation of the
missionary deacon 240
3.1. General criteria 240
3.2. Ministerial Functions of the Deacon 241
3.3. Formative Guidelines 242
3.4. Admission to the Diaconate 243
4. The specific formation of the
missionary priest 244
4.1. General Criteria 244
4.2. Ministerial Functions of the Priest 245
4.3. Formative Guidelines 246
4.4. Admission to the Priesthood 248
Chapter 11: The Missionary in the Process
of Ongoing Formation 251
1. Nature and aim of ongoing formation 253
2. The need for ongoing formation 254
2.1. In Order to be Faithful to our Personal Project of Life 254
2.2. In order to be faithful to the renewing
action of the Spirit 254
2.3. In order to be faithful to the process
of Congregational renewal 256
2.4. In order to be faithful to the challenges of the mission 256
3. Charismatic reference of
ongoing formation 257
4. Congregational criteria for
ongoing formation 258
5. Agents and those responsible for
ongoing formation 260
6. Ways of realizing this 261
6.1. Ordinary ways 262
6.1.1. Personal level 262
6.1.2. Community level 262
6.1.3. Major Organisms 263
6.1.4. General Level 264
6.2. Extraordinary Ways 265
6.2.1. Specializations 265
6.2.2. The Sabbatical Year 266
6.2.3.Missionary Experiences 267
7. Special periods during
ongoing formation 267
7.1. The Quinquennium 267
7.2. The Middle Age 269
7.3. The Third Age 272
7.4. The Fourth Age 275
8. Particular Situations 278
8.1. Crisis During On-going Formation 278
8.2. Inappropriate conduct related to Evangelical Counsels 281
8.2.1. Inappropriate Conduct Related to the
Vow of Celibacy 282
a. Sexual Abuse of Minors and
Vulnerable Adults 283
b. Sexual Abuse in the Context of Ministry
Involving Adult Faithful 286
c. Abuse of Consecrated Women 287
d. Homosexual Behaviors 288
8.2.2. Inappropriate Conduct Related to the
Vow of Poverty 289
8.2.3. Inappropriate conduct related to obedience 292
Conclusion 295
Appendices 297