"The general consequences of this mentality went on Card. Grocholewski and of some peculiar experiences enjoyed before entering the seminar, strike the personalities of the candidates, and in particular, they affect their affective maturity. In some cases, those consequences cause weak character, precarious choices, and vocational uncertainty". Moreover, talking about "difficulties", the cardinal pointed out that "to overcome, by the grace of God, the difficulties which are typical of the gradual development of moral virtues, ‘the help of the spiritual father and of the confessor is fundamental and unavoidable. It must be certain that ‘under no circumstances can the spiritual direction be exchanged for, or replaced by, forms of analysis or psychological help, and that the spiritual life for itself encourages the growth of human virtues, if there are no blocks of psychological nature’". Therefore according to the Prefect for Catholic Education – this means that "resort to experts of psychological sciences can be simply auxiliary, that is, useful just ‘in some cases’, to supply an opinion about the diagnosis, or about a possible therapy, or psychological support to the development of the human qualities required by the exercise of the ministry". (To be continued)
