Cathal BarryThe President of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth has rejected a former professor’s claim that the college focuses on producing “ecclesiastical functionaries” rather than teaching its seminarians theology.
Msgr Hugh Connolly told The Irish Catholic that the remarks made by Jesuit Fr Oliver Rafferty were “sweeping” and “unfair”.
Writing in Ireland & Vatican II, Fr Rafferty, who previously lectured at St Patrick’s College, claimed that the Kildare-based seminary “tends to concentrate on producing capable ecclesiastical functionaries, some of whom, admittedly, possess great pastoral gifts”.
Noting that “in more recent times lip service has been paid” to Pastores Dabo Vobis, a 1992 apostolic exhortation on the formation of priests, Fr Rafferty said, “nevertheless, there is no rigorous pursuit of theology by the majority of seminarians”.
“Perhaps in no other calling or profession would such a state of affairs be allowed to exist whereby the main theoretical underpinnings of the profession are so widely ignored or disregarded,” he said.
Serious
Msgr Connolly, however, said the claim that Maynooth students were not serious about theology was “simply not fair”.
“The remark just doesn’t square with my own experience. I’m two decades now teaching seminarians and I have to say it’s been a privilege. Some of the students are extraordinary.
“I just think it’s unfair to seminarians. I’m sure it hits home for some but it seems to be very sweeping,” he insisted.
Noting that seminarians have been “extraordinarily dedicated to their studies” during his tenure in Maynooth, Msgr Connolly said he didn’t think seminarians “ever have been as wedded to their theology as they are today”.
“I do think they are really dedicated to their theology and it’s a credit to them because we give them a very crowded programme.
“They have the human, spiritual and pastoral assignments and they do not neglect their theology I can tell you that,” he said.