By Herald Malaysia
BOGOTÁ — As priestly vocations decline, the Church in Colombia is renewing its commitment to forming priests capable of responding to today’s pastoral realities through listening, discernment and missionary service.
This focus guided the 121st Plenary Assembly of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, held in Bogotá from July 6–10 under the theme, Initial formation for the priesthood in a synodal and missionary perspective.
The gathering brought together 90 Colombian bishops, along with seminary rectors, formators, seminarians, religious and lay representatives of the Organisation of Seminaries of Colombia, highlighting the shared responsibility of the entire Church in nurturing future priests.
According to the Bishops’ Conference, priestly formation must strengthen the “human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral maturity” of candidates, recognising that preparation for ministry begins long before ordination.
The bishops noted that rapid social, cultural and digital changes, together with emerging pastoral challenges, require a renewed approach to accompanying those discerning the priesthood.
During the assembly, participants worked on updating the Ratio Nationalis, the document guiding priestly formation in Colombia, in line with the synodal journey of the universal Church. The process included prayer, reflection, dialogue and communal discernment.
The bishops stressed that forming priests is not solely the task of seminaries but a mission shared by bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful. The quality of formation, they said, directly influences the Church’s ability to proclaim the Gospel and accompany families, young people and vulnerable communities.
The discussion comes amid a wider decline in priest numbers worldwide. In Colombia, a country of about 52 million people — including around 48 million Catholics — nearly 9,700 priests serve more than 4,600 parishes.
Despite these challenges, the Church’s mission continues through the collaboration of priests, more than 11,000 religious sisters, 51,000 catechists and nearly 73,000 lay missionaries.
The bishops said this shared responsibility is essential in building a missionary Church where priesthood is lived above all as service to God’s people. Fides
