Psychological Assessment of Seminarians

I have been looking for the document on the the use of psychology to help assess candidates for the priesthood, I haven't seen it yet. None of the numerous commentators on the net or in the press given us a name for the document so I presume they have not read it either. I suspect that most of what we have heard is either from a press conference or mere journalistic speculation.

Someone in my year at the seminary after ordination spent 6 months in prison for downloading child pornography, at his trial it emerged that he been the victim of abuse by a friend of his father. He had said at his trial that he just looked at screen and wept remembering what had happened to him as a child. Most of his priestly ministry had been spent raising money for children in institutions abroad. I remember hearing him preach about them, he did so with a fierce passion.

He belonged to a religious community, and I suspect unlike the rest of us had not been psychologically screened. In his case there were certainly "deep seated" wounds that needed to be dealt with. Until his arrest and conviction I am sure he and others were completely unaware of how damaged he really was.

One of the real failures during my time at the seminary was in spiritual direction, most of the priests on the staff were recently ordained themselves, and often were men who were unable to cope with parish life. The Rector had done a course or two in counselling, but I think, to be honest he was illiterate in the art of Spiritual Direction. After I was ordained it seemed that the seminary became a therapeutic community. Those the Rector disapproved of were sent off for counselling, the type that had a distinctly Freudian character. I am sure the intentions were good, but in practice the students of the time thought it was used as a tool of oppression. In fact during this time, it seemed, more than any other, practically half those ordained left the priesthood within the first seven years, most to marry.

Psychological analysis for future priests is important, it always has been, the Church has always had its great psychologists, people like Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola etc. Analysis can never be the substitute for a good spiritual director, nor can it replace hours spent in silence in the presence of God, or for that matter regular and frequent confession. It can be used to tyrannise or to help, I hope this document promotes it as a helpful tool but also makes it subject to the other ascetic disciplines which our Tradition actually excels in.

This seems a reasonably balanced presentation of the document.