Redemptoris Mater seminaries are a fruit of the Second Vatican Council, as well as a product of the initiative of Pope John Paul II. The Second Vatican Council’s Decree On the Ministry and Life of priests, Presbyterorum ordinis, says:

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“Let priests remember, therefore, that the care of all churches must be their intimate concern. Hence, priests of such dioceses as are rich in vocations should show themselves willing and ready, with the permission of their own ordinaries (bishops), to volunteer for work in other regions, missions or endeavors which are poor in numbers of clergy…

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To accomplish this purpose there should be set up international seminaries, special personal dioceses or prelatures (vicariates), and so forth, by means of which, according to their particular statutes and always saving the right of bishops, priests may be trained and incardinated for the good of the whole Church.”[1]

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This idea was praised by Cardinal Pio Laghi, then Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, who said:

“The decree Presbyterorum Ordinis (n. 10) considers that to resolve the problem of the great shortage of priests in certain regions, “it is appropriate also to institute international seminaries”. This idea of ​​the Council found an implementation in the seminary Redemptoris Mater where the presbyters are prepared for the New Evangelization, according to the program of the Neocatechumenal Way. We can also say that this is the implementation of a new form of ministry: the diocesan missionary.”[2]

 

The first of these seminaries was started in Rome in 1988. It was canonically erected by Cardinal Ugo Poletti, who was at that time the Vicar of the Holy Father in Rome.

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[1] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests Presbyterorum Ordinis (December 7, 1965), 10.

[2] L’Osservatore Romano, “Commission for a better distribution of priests in the world”, 15 March 1991.