Priestly Formation through a Psychological Lens: Self-Determination Theory and Meaning in Life among Catholic Seminarians

Catholic priestly formation constitutes the main context for the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral development of seminarians. However, the perceived effectiveness of the formative process and its contributions to seminarians’ commitment to their vocational path remain underexplored. Grounded on Self-Determination Theory and Meaning in Life tridimensional model, this study seeks to examine the relationships between perceived effectiveness of formation process (human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral), basic psychological needs (BPN; autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and meaning in life (i.e., coherence, purpose, and significance). Data were collected through online questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in a sample of 549 Brazilian seminarians, aged 17 to 57 years. Findings showed that spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation favor the fulfillment of BPN, whereas human formation did not show a statistically significant effect. Furthermore, the fulfillment of BPN is the mechanism through which the perceived effectiveness of the formation process contributes to the seminarians’ development of meaning in life. The study offers relevant theoretical and practical implications, providing evidence-based insights to improve formative processes in Catholic seminaries while reducing the psychological distress and disengagement from vocational paths.