{{Short description|Catholic religious training}} '''Formation''' is a term used in the [[Catholic Church]] to cover various forms of training and preparation for service and participation in the life of the church.
In relation to ordained clergy, formation is concerned with the personal preparation that the Church offers to candidates for ordination: "priestly formation is necessary for all priests, diocesan and religious and of every rite".<ref>[[Second Vatican Council]], [https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651028_optatam-totius_en.html Optatam Totius], Introduction, published on 28 October 1965, accessed on 29 May 2026</ref> For members of a [[religious institute| religious order]] such as the [[Jesuit formation|Society of Jesus]], such formation involves a program of spiritual and academic training for life within the order. In the case of priestly formation, the typical location concerned is the [[seminary]] either operated by a [[Diocese#Catholic Church|diocese]] for the purposes of training [[secular clergy|diocesan/secular clergy]] or operated by a religious order for the purpose of preparing its members for [[Ordination#Christianity|priestly ordination]].<ref>United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, [http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/priesthood/priestly-formation/church-documents-for-priestly-formation.cfm "Church Document for Priestly Formation"], accessed on 4 December 2014</ref>
In other contexts, church documents refer to: *liturgical formation: "the necessity for ongoing [[liturgical]] catechesis of all members of the assembly is self-evident".<ref>Liturgy Office [of the [[Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales]]], [https://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/GIRM/Opportunities/Formation/I021-BasicLitForm.pdf Basic Liturgical Formation], accessed on 29 May 2026</ref> *lay formation: "the [[lay apostolate|[lay] apostolate]] can attain its maximum effectiveness only through a diversified and thorough formation".<ref>[[Second Vatican Council]], [https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html ''Apostolicam Actuositatem'' (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity)], paragraph 27, published on 18 November 1965, accessed on 27 May 2026. See also the whole of Chapter VI in this document.</ref> *formation in [[synodality]]: "the holy People of God require proper formation so that they can witness to the joy of the Gospel and grow in the practice of synodality".<ref>[[Diocese of Westminster (Catholic)|Diocese of Westminster]], [https://www.cbcew.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Synod-Take-Outs-Final-Doc.pdf How to be a Synodal Church in Mission? Take-outs from the Final Document: "An Informal Reaping of the Fruits"], accessed on 29 May 2026</ref>
== See also == * [[Acculturation]] * [[Discipleship]] *[[Conscience#Religious|Formation of conscience]] * [[Moral development]] * [[Socialization]] * [[Spiritual development]]
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:Catholic education]]
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