General guidelines for seminary formation are set out in the governing document as of 2016 is
Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, 1992's
Pastores dabo vobis, and the
Code of Canon Law. Seminaries are overseen by regional
conferences of bishops. In the United States, the governing document is
Program of Priestly Formation: in the United States of America (6th Ed.), published by the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022. Seminaries in the Catholic Church are divided into
minor seminaries for teenagers and major seminaries for adults, including both college seminaries, sometimes also known as minor seminaries, for undergraduate students and post-graduate seminaries for those who already have a
bachelor's degree. There are also seminaries for older adults who are well out of school, such as the
Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Wisconsin, and for other more specialized purposes. All seminaries are run either by
religious orders or by
dioceses or other similar structures. Often a seminary will train both that particular order's or diocese's priests and the priests of other orders or dioceses that select that particular seminary for its priests. For instance,
Saint John's Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts trains priests for many of the other dioceses in New England which are
suffragan dioceses of the
Archdiocese of Boston. Either way, a man who seeks to enter a seminary to become a priest must be sponsored by either a diocese or by a religious order. Often a diocese might be attached to or affiliated with a larger Catholic college or university so that the larger college and its faculty provides more general education in history or theology while the seminary focuses on topics specific to the needs of future priests, such as training in
canon law, the
sacraments, and
preaching, or specific to the particular order or diocese. For instance the
Theological College in
Washington, D.C., is part of
The Catholic University of America. Further, in Rome there are several seminaries which educate seminarians or already ordained priests and bishops and which are maintained by orders or dioceses from outside of Italy. Many countries have their own
pontifical seminary in Italy, usually very close to the Vatican. For instance, the
Pontifical North American College, which trains priests from the United States and elsewhere, is supported by the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. These colleges usually award degrees to seminarians and priests pursuing further education and specializing in specific fields such as
Scripture,
hagiography,
moral theology, or
Canon Law, among countless others. In addition to civil degrees, these pontifical seminaries confer ecclesiastical degrees (
Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology,
Licentiate of Sacred Theology, and
Doctorate of Sacred Theology), which are backed by the Holy See. Only some
Catholic universities may bestow these degrees; these are called
ecclesiastical or
pontifical universities. The only pontifical
seminary outside of Italy is the
Pontifical College Josephinum, in
Columbus, Ohio. As outlined by the
Ratio, Catholic seminary formation is composed of four major components, or dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. The human dimension focuses on the seminarian's ability to relate to others, show etiquette, and care for himself (in what he eats, frequency of exercise, healthcare, etc.). The spiritual dimension aids the seminarian in becoming more responsive to God and forming a habit of prayer throughout the day. It also emphasizes the importance of the
Sacraments and
liturgy. The intellectual dimension consists of academic classes, usually beginning with a college degree, usually a
Bachelor of Arts or a
Bachelor of Philosophy, and terminating in a higher degree, such as a
Master of Arts in Theology or a
Master of Divinity. The pastoral dimension helps to develop pastoral familiarity with situations such as
bedside manner, marriage, and life in the parish. For Catholic seminarians, seminary formation can be divided into four distinct stages of formation. •
Propaedeutic Stage: the seminarian primarily grows in prayer and his relationship with God, study of Scripture, and Church teaching. He also significantly grows in the human dimension. This stage lasts from 12 months to three years and can be compared in many ways to a
postulant in religious life. •
Discipleship Stage: the seminarian begins his academic studies and continues to follow Christ as a disciple. If he entered out of high school, he usually pursues the Bachelor of Arts, which takes four years. If he did some college, he pursues the same degree, but it may take less time. If he already achieved a college degree, he pursues a two-year Bachelor of Philosophy. •
Configuration Stage: the seminarian becomes configured to Christ. At this point, he has a regular habit of prayer. Focus in formation becomes more and more pastoral, as he gets closer to ordination. At the beginning of this stage, he receives candidacy (similar to
Tonsure), which means he is expected to eventually be ordained. The seminarian may (depending on his region) begin wearing
clerical attire. This stage usually lasts three to four years and ends in a master's degree. •
Vocational Synthesis Stage: the seminarian is ordained. He becomes a
deacon and transitions into parish life for a period of at least six months. He becomes a priest thereafter, usually becoming a
parochial vicar before becoming a
pastor. ==Protestantism==