Those who are responsible for the moral training of seminarians must always aim at making them acquire all the virtues the Church demands in priests. Of these virtues We have already spoken in another part of this Exhortation and, therefore, there is no reason to return to the subject here. But We cannot refrain from indicating and recommending among all virtues that aspirants to the priesthood must firmly possess those upon which the moral structure of the priest is built, as upon solid pillars. Particularly Obedience
It is necessary that young men acquire the spirit of obedience by accustoming themselves to submit their own will sincerely to that of God manifested through the legitimate authority of the superiors. Nothing can be lamented more in the conduct of the future priest than that it is not in conformity with the Will of God. This obedience must always be inspired by the perfect model, the Divine Teacher Who on earth had but one single program “to do thy will, O God”.78Hebr., X, 7.
From the seminary on, the future priest must learn to give filial and sincere obedience to his superiors in order to be always ready later on to obey his Bishop docilely according to the teaching of the invincible Athlete of Christ, Ignatius of Antioch: “Obey ye all the bishop as Jesus Christ obeyed the Father”.79Ad Smyrnaeos, VIII, 1; Migne, P.G., VIII, 714. “He who honors the bishop is honored by God”. “He who does anything without the Bishop’s knowledge, serves the devil”.80Ibid., IX, 1, 714, 715. “Do nothing without the bishop, keep your body like the temple of God, love union, flee discord, be an imitator of Jesus Christ as He was an imitator of His Father”.81Ad Philadelophienses VII, 2; Migne, P.G., V, 700.