Vatican II’s Decrees on the Priesthood

Dr. Schreck talks about the Second Vatican Council’s decrees on Priestly Formation (Optatam Totius) and on the Ministry and Life of Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis).  The former emphasized the centrality of spiritual and pastoral formation of priesthood candidates, while the latter was a ground-breaking document that addressed the life of priests and their particular path to holiness. Dr. Schreck shows how priests are “set apart” through their ordination but not “separated” from the people they serve, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.