...and then Pope Francis took seminarians and novices to task for being "too serious, too sad". "Something's not right here," Francis told them pointing out that, "There is no sadness in holiness", and adding that such clergy lack, "the joy of the Lord"....
"If you find a seminarian, priest, nun, with a long, sad face, if it seems as if in their life someone threw a wet blanket over them," then one should conclude, "it's a psychiatric problem, they can leave- buenos dias".
The above two comments made recently by Pope Francis I to seminarians and novices during a four day international event for seminarians, novices and those on a vocational journey, clearly sends a chill to the spine of seminarians. However, we can't deny the truth in the Holy Father's statement as sadness in a person does not equate to holiness and this is especially so for seminarians. There are some seminarians who seems to go around feeling sombre to show his piety / deep holiness and even if there is a smile it would be a smile or a laugh which is with extreme reluctance or controlled mannerism. I can imagine this kind of personality as there is one here in the seminary who seems to frown on priest inserting humour in his homilies and constantly parading himself being full of holiness by rejecting humour and showing constant sadness to the extend of crying on certain occasion during prayers and when reciting the rosary.
Is this type of holiness genuine or is it only as an exhibit for others to see ....only God knows ...and at the end of the day, it is God's will .....on whether one continues or leaves the formation
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