"Seminarian Is Never Right"
An Analysis
In the eyes of a formator, the seminarian is not always “Never Right.” Comments about the original article are written inside the parentheses. Let’s read.

“If he laughs, they say he is never serious about life. If he doesn’t, then he is trying to carry the whole world on his back.”
(If he laughs, we never say that he isn’t serious about life. We evaluate his laughter whether he’s truly happy or sad. I laugh too but it doesn’t make me less serious about life. If he doesn’t laugh, we don’t exaggerate his silence by saying “He is trying to carry the world on his back.” Rather, we ask him how he feels. Also, who is “they” who said these things?)

“If he cries, he is overly sentimental. If he doesn’t, he is insensitive to the max.”
(If he cries, we never say that he is overly sentimental. We believe that he is honest with how he feels, that he is not detached from his emotions. If he doesn’t laugh (at all), we begin to wonder why. But we would never say that he is overly insensitive.)

“If he drinks, he is a drunkard. If he doesn’t, he is indifferent.”
(If they drink, we don’t say that they're a drunkard. We educate them, though, and teach them how to be responsible with their actions. If one doesn’t drink, we don’t see him as an indifferent person. He is in fact a responsible seminarian. Or maybe, he just doesn’t like the taste. Sue him.)

“If he wears plain clothes, he’s very informal, without class. If he dresses up for an occasion, he is too mundane.”
(If he wears clothes, not proper to the occasion, then he’s reprimanded. Class... we do not care about class. We care about propriety. If he dresses up for an occasion, good. But if he dresses up like an oligarch, overly conscious of his hair, shoes, pants, shirt, and ornaments that's when we reprimand him.)

“If he has a girlfriend, he’s not a good seminarian. If he doesn’t, then he is not a true man.”
(Hold on to your seats. If he’s a seminarian and has got a girlfriend, would you say that he is a good and responsible seminarian? Wouldn’t he be living a double life? And please, don’t use this excuse which is to discern your vocation better. You can discern your vocation perfectly well even without a second party. Would you say that a man who has got two girlfriends is a good man? As a seminarian, you are in fact courting the Church, to make you Her spouse so you can devote yourself fully and faithfully to Her. Also, if he doesn’t have a girlfriend, as a seminarian, he is still a true seminarian, provided that he has got no boyfriend. :D )

“If he seen reading a book, he’s a boring nerd of some kind. If he isn’t, he’s dumb, there’s nothing in his mind.”
(How can we call a seminarian reading a book, a boring nerd? We in fact encourage them to read. The one who does not read, we don’t call dumb, or that there is nothing in his mind. Maybe he’s lazy and has no study habit... but not dumb.)

“If he’s kneeling in the church, he must have grown wings. If he’s not, he has no prayer life.”
(If he’s kneeling in the church, we don’t look for wings. We look for charity from his actions after he prays to validate his public display of piety. Not all who kneel have prayer life and not all who kneel not haven’t.)

“If he reasons out, he is rebellious, full of alibis. If he remains silent, he has no principles, without a spine.”
(If he reason’s out, we listen whether his reasons are in fact reasonable. If he remains silent, it doesn’t mean that he has no principles. Being silent in the midst of an injustice, now that’s a different story.)

“A seminarian’s life is never easy.” (I concur.) “He answers the call whether or not he is chosen at all.” (This doesn’t make any sense. If you are called, it means that you are chosen. The final pick depends on whether or not the seminarian wore his “wedding garment” [if you dig what I mean]. Sorry.)

While in the seminary, they tell him he’s meant for other things; But when he leaves the seminary for good… everybody wonders why? (While in the seminary, formators would help a seminarian discern his life, whether he’s called or not, or whether he’s meant for other things. We would wonder why if we didn't know the reason.)

PS. Who said these things about a seminarian? On whose lens this article was seen through? To whom is this intended? Is this article written to get the attention of the ever watchful and critical seminarians and formators? Reading between the lines, this seems to be written by a seminarian who intends to get a point across, perhaps to educate people about seminary life but fails to be objective. Perhaps, the author wants people to see the seminarians' truest selves. But this article shows only the extreme yet unfounded sentiment of the author without any consideration at all of what exactly happens. Consequently, other seminarians and formators are now under the scrutiny of the public as they are the only ones who would have any knowledge of the seminary life and of seminarians, making them the bashers of those who “kneel, laugh, drink, dress up, etc.” I am not trying to be defensive; I am trying to be as objective as possible. I understand perfectly the sentiments of seminarians as I was in their position once. But this isn’t a very good tool to promote vocations to the priesthood. It will gather hundreds and even thousands of sentimental “likes” and “shares.” But the likelihood of getting hundreds and thousands of vocations is quite remote. Peace, brother seminarians! DorrisWedding long halter formal gowns ?