Criteria for Acceptance of
Candidates to Religious Life

INTRODUCTION – OPENING REMARKS

1.            There is no magic template that can give a vocation promoter, formator or formation personnel the infallible litmus test for accepting or rejecting a candidate. We are human beings who make judgments, most we hope are good and right, but there are others that we see over time were mistakes. Second, all vocations are a “work of the Lord” it is His invitation and His grace that allows the formation process to be effective. We attempt to cooperate with this grace with our own strengths and limitations as well as our sense of responsibility to the candidate and to the Congregation.

2.            This being said, there are some criteria that can be helpful and give guidance for discernment. The following attempts to list some of these criteria for acceptance. This does not pretend to be an exhaustive listing and will never replace experience, intuition, and common sense. Experience comes with time from working with candidates, hearing many life stories, and learning from errors. Intuition is that gut feeling, that sixth sense that gives us insight into a personality. Although not infallible, intuition is an important source of information in making a decision and should not be discarded as “unscientific.” Common sense is the ability to bring our experience and intuition together as part of a prayerful discernment. Finally, accepting or rejecting a candidate is not something done in isolation but should be a conversation with the Lord and with another or others.

I.        THE SELECTION PROCESS

3.            The selection process is usually carried out at several points in time during the formation process. The first is usually before admission to the postulancy, the second before first profession, the third before final vows and for those who are becoming priests before ordination. This paper will focus on the admissions process to postulancy.

Norms for admission

4.            Each unit of the Congregation should have within their Ratio Formationis clear written norms for the admission of candidates to postulancy. These norms should be based on behavioral criteria that are easily recorded by the vocation promoter and/or formation team. If there are doubts about a candidate, the candidate should not be accepted. The guiding principle should always be the potential impact a candidate might have on the community. A second principle is that formation is not a place for long term therapy. Any serious issues should be dealt with prior to admission.

II.     INITIAL CONTACT AND INQUIRY PHASE

5.            Initial contacts come from many places. Some are referred by confreres, other religious men or women, or friends of the Redemptorists. Some come because of a web search, some from their experience with individual Redemptorists, others from their involvement in works sponsored by the Congregation, or through the ministry of confreres.

6.            This initial enquiry is usually followed by contact with a vocation promoter. General information is given about the Congregation but information is also gleaned about the candidate – name, age, email address, education history, work history, and what about the Redemptorists makes him think he might be interested in joining.

7.            If at first glance the individual has the basic qualities of a potential candidate and the enquirer indicates an ongoing interest a discernment process can begin. This can lead to a variety of meetings, retreats or live in experiences. The purpose at this stage is to develop a relationship with the candidate and for the candidate to know more about religious life and Redemptorist living. Most units of the congregation agree that this stage of initial contact should last at least one year.

8.            Generally speaking applicants must give evidence of healthy emotional balance, physical health, good moral character, solid conviction of faith, and proper motivation. The applicant should also have a mastery of the language in which formation will take place. It is important that candidates coming from other cultures receive adequate help to enter into the cultural context and language where initial formation will occur.

Psychological assessment

9.            A psychological assessment is usually given prior to acceptance into a formation program. This assessment should be given by a competent professional and take into account the language and cultural background of the candidate. For a more comprehensive discussion on psychological assessment see the section on “Psychological Assessments of Candidates for Religious Life.”

Admissions’ Process

10.        Applicants for postulancy must go through a careful and thorough admissions process. This would include a frank discussion of life experiences. What is their ability for self-disclosure? What is their level of insight and self-knowledge? How do they deal with authority?

11.        Areas covered in the interviews should include: family history, academic and work experiences, spiritual experiences, a sexual history, a relationship history, who are his best friends and what does he do with them, how frequently does he keep contact with them, is his present lifestyle consistent with someone seeking to enter religious life? The applicant should give evidence of having lived celibately for at least two years before entering the formation program. If the candidate was sexually abused as a minor or young adolescent, this should be investigated by a professional to see if adequate resolution has taken place.

Assessing motivation

12.        Assessing motivation is an essential requirement. Some candidates come seeking an education and will shrewdly play the game. Others are convinced they have a vocation and will resist anyone telling them otherwise. Still others will see religious life as a protection against unemployment, confronting homosexuality, and avoiding difficulties of sexual relationships or see religious life as a social promotion. Another group will seem much less certain than other candidates. Often such candidates seem more in touch with their inner self and are aware of ambiguity and complexity in making life choices. As a result this group is often more open to discernment and the help of others in discovering the will of God.

References and Records

13.        Other information needed prior to admission into postulancy is an up to date and thorough medical examination, letters of recommendation – at least one from the priest where he attends mass, academic and sacramental records, and the results of a psychological assessment (see the section on Psychological Assessments of Candidates for Religious Life). If the candidate has been married there must be proof of freedom to enter religious life. Many units of the Congregation also require a criminal background check.

III.   SPECIFIC ISSUES

There are a number of specific issues that arise in the acceptance of candidates. The following may provide some suggestions in dealing with these.

Age range for admission

14.        As a rule the optimum age range for candidates is 18 to 35. Younger than 18 would generally mean the candidate has not completed his secondary school. Unless the unit has a minor seminary a candidate would have to have matriculated from secondary school before beginning philosophical studies. In some units where secondary schooling is very inadequate, a propaedeutic year(s) may be needed to strengthen foundational skills for higher studies. In many units of the Congregation candidates have to have completed a first level university or post secondary degree before applying.

15.        Older candidates often bring a formed spirituality and significant life experiences but may be less susceptible to a formation process. Usually after 35 a candidate’s personality is less likely to change. It would be especially important to examine these candidates for flexibility, openness to direction and readiness to receive correction or counsel from authority figures.

Family of the Candidate

16.        It is also important during this time for the vocation promoter to visit the family of the candidate to get a sense of the candidate’s relationship with his parents and siblings, a sense of the health of the family, and the family’s attitudes towards religious life and priesthood. Since many candidates today come from fragmented families it is important to know the relationship of the candidate to his natural father and his biological mother. A hostile relationship towards the father or an enmeshed relationship with the mother may need further exploration by a professional. The important question to answer with a family visit is whose vocation is it? Are the parents encouraging a free choice? Are they resisting their son’s choice or overly eager for the young man to enter?

Financial Issues

17.        During the interview process an evaluation should be made of the candidate’s indebtedness, his ability to handle money, his spending patterns, and his use of credit cards. What is his and his family’s financial background and how might this influence his decisions? What expectations does his family have on him for financial support? Does he show an aptitude for good stewardship, living a simple lifestyle and the absence of attitudes of entitlement?

Medical Report (including HIV testing and any health issues)

18.        The medical examination should include a test for HIV and drug use. Any evidence of being HIV positive or the presence of illegal substances disqualifies the applicant from admission. As well, any serious physical health issues that would impair adequate performance of ministry or entail unreasonable health costs should be factors excluding acceptance.

Alcohol, Drug Dependency and Other Addictions

19.        What if a candidate is alcohol or drug dependent? Some studies indicate that about one out of every twelve adults abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. Others would indicate that problem drinking is most prevalent in young adults between 18 and 25.  Since this is the age range of most of our candidates questioning drinking patterns, drunkenness, party going and amount of alcohol consumed during a month’s time is important data.

20.        Alcoholism is a serious disease and cannot be ignored. If a candidate admits to having had a drinking problem he must show signs that he has been sober and stable for at least two years.

21.        Experimenting with so-called “recreational” drugs (marijuana or hashish) does not automatically eliminate a candidate. Careful investigation of the circumstances and frequency are important to determine if this is a pattern of social rebellion or part of adolescent curiosity. Usually the use of “hard” drugs (any drug other than those mentioned above) would eliminate a candidate from admission.

22.        Today other addictions are surfacing that become part of the world of young people. This is particularly true of internet addictions where the impersonal world of computers distances a person from the real world. Questioning a candidate’s use of the internet, the time spent online, the kind of websites he frequents are important pieces of information. Other addictions to be aware of are pornography and gambling.

Sexuality and Celibacy (including orientation issues)

23.        Candidates entering religious life and priesthood must have a healthy understanding of sexuality and celibacy. Care needs to be taken to have a thorough sexual history of the candidate. Are there any indications of being sexually abused? Have they been too sexually active or totally indifferent to sex? All of these need further investigation especially with regard to living celibacy in a healthy integration of sexuality. If one has been abused it is important to know the impact this has had on the person. If one has been too active or is indifferent and asexual both can be problematic for a faithful living out of sexuality for celibacy.

24.        Care must also be taken to investigate the candidate’s pattern of sexual attraction and how he has come to terms with his attractions. What indications does he have that he can live celibacy? Has he made attempts at living celibately, if so for how long? Generally speaking a candidate should be living a celibate lifestyle of at least two years before entering postulancy.

25.        Who are his friends and what does he do with his friends? Who is his best friend and what does he share with him or her? What are his attitudes towards women?

26.        It is important to open the door to discuss sex role models, sexual stereotyping and expectations about sexuality. Which member of the family is he closest to? From whom did he learn about the facts of life and about sex? What did he learn about sexuality from his family?

27.        Has the candidate been sexually intimate with other males? How often and what does this mean about his sexual identity? How does the candidate define his pattern of sexual attraction? For candidates who see themselves as homosexual or gay – how do they see themselves living in a male community and living celibately?

28.        For further discussion on the topic of developing norms for accepting homosexual candidates the appendix may offer some help.

Recent converts, recent conversion experiences, recent returnees to the faith

29.        Especial careful screening should be given to applicants who are recent converts to Catholicism. Some would suggest that at least two years should pass before acceptance in the formation program. Equally true is the case of a candidate who has experienced a sudden conversion that seems to precipitate a vocation, or has had unusual mystical experiences. One should be extremely careful of candidates who speak of unusual religious experiences as these may be soft signs of schizophrenia or schizoid personality. Finally, those who have been away from the regular practice of their faith should not enter a program before their faith has been integrated with suitable spiritual direction and regular attendance at Eucharist.

Applicants from other programs

30.        If an applicant has been in a seminary or formation program previously care must be taken to get information from these institutions. If these records indicate problems, there must be assurance that the problems have been resolved. In general these candidates are not a good risk. This is especially true if the candidate has been dismissed from another institute. It is important to proceed with caution and have enough time given to carefully evaluate and check into the background.

Other legal and canonical concerns

31.        In many jurisdictions a criminal background check must be completed on each applicant. Any evidence of criminal sexual activity with a minor automatically excludes someone from admission. Other canonical issues that Canon Law states must be addressed before admission include: the candidate does not hold a position forbidden to clerics; that he has not committed apostasy, heresy, or schism; that he has not committed homicide, cooperated in an abortion, mutilated himself or another, attempted suicide or simulated an act reserved to priests or bishops.

APPENDIX

Developing Norms for the Admission of Persons
with Homosexual Tendencies

32.        It is important that every Province develop a clear policy on the admission of persons with homosexual tendencies. This policy will be a great help to Vocation Directors, Formators at every level, and to individual candidates to our Apostolic Life. This policy should be developed by the Formation Secretariat of the (V)Province, in consultation with experts, and it should be approved by the EPC.

33.        During the last twenty years there has been unprecedented debate in the political, legal and theological arenas about the phenomenon of homosexuality. It is important for formation secretariats and formation personnel not to reach premature conclusions. Sexual orientation issues often carry cultural biases and fears. Such discussions are best talked over in an ambience of compassion, respect, integrity and fairness.

34.        Vocation directors and those who accompany prospective candidates need to be clear what a homosexual orientation is and whether a prospective candidate is truly homosexual. Some young candidates may have doubts about their sexual identity; others may have been sexually abused by a male or seduced into homosexual behaviours; others may be fearful of intimacies with women; still others may have had some homosexual experiences because of curiosity, all male environments, the influence of alcohol or drugs; and others may have had occasional fantasies of a homosexual nature, have been curious and sexually excited by homosexual internet sites or felt a response to other sources of homosexual erotic arousals. None of these necessarily mean that an individual is homosexual. Often the help of a professional will be needed to assess the nature of the homosexual concerns or assist a prospective candidate to own his true sexual orientation.

35.        Contrary to many popular assumptions, research would indicate that the actual prevalence in the general population of exclusive homosexual orientation (exclusive attraction to same-sex individuals) is around 2 to 3 percent; while 7 to 8 percent have a predominant homosexual orientation. There is another group that think they are homosexual but this is a false identity that has been influenced by social context, personal self-doubt and developmental issues. This latter group probably needs professional assistance to unblock any arrested development and to grow into a secure sexual identity.

36.        Hormonal levels of testosterone are associated with sexual desire and sexual response. People with high levels of testosterone are easily aroused and desire sex often. People with medium and low levels have less sexual fantasy, desire or arousal. There are those who have no sexual thoughts, fantasies and desires and are called “asexual.” High level individuals are less likely to be able to live a healthy celibate life without a great deal of tension and frustration. Asexual people are also problematic because of their inability to achieve any level of intimacy with men or women. People with medium and lower levels are more likely, with good spiritual and psychological accompaniment, the grace of God and a lively life of prayer, to achieve a chaste and celibate lifestyle for the Kingdom. This is true of both heterosexual and homosexual candidates.

37.        An exclusive or predominant homosexual orientation as such need not automatically exclude an individual from admission to our formation programs and Apostolic Life. This position is supported in the document: “New Vocations for a New Europe” published after a congress on vocations to the priesthood and religious life held in Rome in 1997 and confirmed by the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Congregation for Oriental Churches and the Congregation for Institutes for Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life. The document was published in 1998 by the Pontifical Work for Ecclesiastical Vocations. The document says that three conditions must be present before acceptance: 1. there should be an awareness of the dynamics of his sexual orientation, 2. that he is willing to struggle against these tendencies, and 3. he has achieved control over these tendencies.

38.        In an earlier Vatican document, “Potissimum Institutioni” (February 2, 1990) (Directives on formation for those in Religious Institutes), when referring to acceptance of homosexual candidates states: “it is not those who have such tendencies but those who have not succeeded in dominating such tendencies” (#39) that should be excluded.

39.        In November, 2005, the Vatican published a document entitled: “Concerning the Criteria of Vocational Discernment Regarding Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of their Admission to Seminaries and Holy Orders”. The key paragraph of the document states: “This Dicastry deems it necessary to clearly affirm that the Church, even while deeply respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to Seminary or Holy Orders those who are actively homosexual, have deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture.”

40.        It is clear that the policy to be developed by each unit must deny admission to a formation program to any applicants who are actively homosexual. The same is true for any applicants who are heterosexually active. Before admission to a formation program, an applicant must demonstrate that he is able to seriously undertake a celibate life and lifestyle. This usually means living a celibate life for at least two years prior to acceptance.

41.        The same is true for those who support the ‘so-called gay culture’. This means those men who cannot feel at ease anywhere else but with other gay men, and who have a driven need to frequent gay environments in order to socialize with other gay men. This behaviour could indicate an un-integrated sexuality and a lack of affective maturity. Supporting the ‘so-called gay culture’ does not mean those who minister to men involved in this ‘so-called gay culture’ or those who speak out against sexual discrimination. Both of these activities nevertheless need careful scrutiny by those who accept candidates to our formation programs. The same careful discernment is needed for heterosexual candidates who are involved in an unhealthy heterosexual culture, which might be indicated by an excessive preoccupation with women and socialization in bars, clubs or similar venues.

42.        It is less clear what is meant by ‘deep-seated homosexual tendencies’. Some understand this to mean simply ‘homosexual orientation’, while others understand this to refer to the centrality of the homosexual orientation in the life of the person in question, and the inability to exercise appropriate control over one’s sexual feelings and actions. The Vatican document itself is highly nuanced. It is significant that the document does not use the commonly accepted term ‘homosexual orientation’.

43.        Timothy Radcliffe, OP, the former General of the Dominicans states: “Perhaps (deep-seated tendencies) is best understood as meaning that someone whose sexual orientation is so central to his self-perception as to be obsessive, dominating his imagination.” William Barry, SJ, (priest-psychiatrist) agrees: “I interpret the words of the paragraph about ‘deep-seated tendencies’ to refer to people whose life seems to be focused on sexuality, who seem obsessed with it, who are on the lookout for every sexual innuendo in conversations, and not to men and women who are comfortable with their sexuality, and able to love unselfishly and to work effectively alone and with others.”

44.        A person who is so obsessed with sexuality (whether homosexual or heterosexual) that he cannot control his desires, arrive at integration, and come to affective maturity should not be admitted to priesthood or religious life. Such ‘deep-seated tendencies’ exclude an individual from admission to our formation programs.

45.        The key issues expressed in the 2005 document are the level of affective, moral and spiritual maturity, the ability to relate to men and women, a sense of personal integration, and the ability to live a healthy celibate life and lifestyle. If one has these qualities there should be no reason to refuse such a candidate admission to a formation program.

46.        In the development of a clear policy on the admission of persons with homosexual tendencies, the Units are encouraged to take seriously the Vatican declarations, the interpretations of experts, and the experience of our Apostolic Life.