Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – The six major seminaries in mainland China authorised by the authorities recently ended the academic year with the conferral of the baccalaureate upon 79 seminarians at the end of a first cycle of studies. Immediately after the closing of the year and the presentation of the diplomas, the seminarians were assigned to various parishes and basic church communities for service in pastoral work and other Church activities. According to information supplied to Fides, the 79 seminarians come from different colleges as follows: 28 from the National seminary, 16 from He Bei seminary, 8 from Central China seminary, 15 from Shen Yang seminary , 9 from Shaan Xi seminary, 3 from Beijing seminary. The seminaries of Ji Lin and Si Chuan had no students receiving diplomas.
As from this year Certificates of Baccalaureate issued from seminaries have official recognition. This enables students to continue their studies in government universities in areas connected with the pastoral ministry. What is more, the new official recognition of a Seminary diploma facilitates the entry into the non-ecclesial world of young men who start their studies in a seminary and then after a period of discernment decide not to continue on the path towards the priesthood.
It should be said that in China there are other centres for formation authorised by the Bishops for the formation of priests and Religious men and women.
(NZ) (Agenzia Fides 2015/07/23)
