TheRoyalandConciliarSanCarlosSeminaryisthearchdiocesanseminaryoftheRomanCatholicArchdioceseofManilaItwasestablishedintheyear1702bydecreeofKingPhilipVofSpainAtpresenttheinstitutionhousesseminariansbelongingtovariousdiocesesinLuzonparticularlyfromtheMetroManilaregion


Thereare14priestsfromtheArchdioceseofManilathatcatertheformationprogramofseminariansfortheSchoolYear20082009

SanCarlosSeminarytheArchdiocesanSeminaryofManilawasthefirstdiocesanseminaryestablishedinthePhilippinesItsfoundationwasdecreedbyKingPhilipVofSpainwhoonApril281702orderedtheestablishmentinManilaofaseminaryfortheformationofthediocesanclergyasenvisionedbytheCouncilofTrent
OnDecember81707theseminarywasblessedandinauguratedbyArchbishopFranciscoCuestaandwasnamedRoyalSeminaryofSanClementeinhonorofthereigningPopeClementXI
In1715thenameoftheseminarywaschangedtoRealSeminariodeSanFelipeinhonorofthekingspatronsaintThenextdecadecivilauthoritiesturnedSanFelipeintoauniversitysotheseminarianshavetotakemostoftheirphilosophyandtheologycoursesattheJesuitrunColegiodeSanJoseandattheDominicanrunColegiodeSantoTomasButtheUniversityofSanFelipewasshortlivedandby1730theseminarywasbacktotheexclusiveuseoftheseminariansYearslateraspartofthereformsbeinginstitutedtheJesuitsColegiodeSanIgnaciolocatedonCalleRealdePalacionowGeneralLunaStreetandCalleEscuelanowVictoriaStreetwasconvertedintoadiocesanseminaryIn1786itwasbestowedanothernameREALSEMINARIOCONCILIARDESANCARLOS
Theseminarybuildingwasheavilydamagedduringtheearthquakeof1889soagaintheseminarianshadtobemovedTheVincentianFatherswhohadbeeninchargeoftheseminarysince1862inaccordancewiththewishesofQueenIsabellaIItransferredthestudentstotheirCasadelCampoinSanMarcelinoThreeyearslaterArchbishopPedroPayoconstructedabuildingforseminariansinArzobispoStreetbesidethenewSanIgnacioChurchIn1905ArchbishopJeremiahHartyplacedSanCarlosunderthecareoftheJesuitsItwaslatertransferredtoCavitewiththemissionariesoftheCongregationoftheImmaculateHeartofMaryCICMwhentheytookoverTrinityCollegetherein1909ThreeyearslaterSanCarloswasbackinIntramurosjoiningtheJesuitrunColegiodeSanFranciscoJavieronPadreFaurauntilitwasclosedin1913ArchbishopHartylaterfoundanotherplacefortheSanCarlosSeminaryinarenovatedbuildingnowDonBoscoinMandaluyongCityandtheVincentianswereagainputinchargeoftheseminary
Fortwocenturiesthusthearchdiocesanseminarywasshuttledbeinglodgedwheneveritwasconvenientforthearchdioceseorthecongregationinchargeofit
ItwasnotuntiltheyearsofcalmaftertheWorldWarIIthatthearchdiocesecouldbegintheprocesstowardsthefulfillmentofavisiontohaveapermanentbuildingfortheformationofthearchdiocesesfuturepriestsandtomakeitthebiggestandthemostmodernseminaryinthecountryThroughtheunstintinganduntiringeffortsofArchbishopGabrielMReyesthefirstFilipinoArchbishopofManilathecherisheddreambecamearealityintheearly1950sSanCarloswasfinallygranteditsownfivehectaresiteinSanPedronowGuadalupeMakatiCityalongHighway54nowEDSAConstructionsbeganandonJanuary241953hisEminenceNormanThomasCardinalGilroythenlegatealateretotheongoingFirstPlenaryCouncilofthePhilippinesinauguratedthenewSanCarlosSeminarybuildingTwentyyearslaterin1973HisEminenceRufinoCardinalSantosthefirstFilipinoCardinalinstalledthefirstFilipinodiocesanrectorofSanCarlosFrOscarCruzwhoisnowtheArchbishopofLingayen
OnJune291987theSanCarlosGraduateSchoolofTheologyandtheArchbishopGabrielMReyesMemorialLibrarywerecompletedandblessedbyHisEminenceJaimeCardinalSinArchbishopofManilaandHisEminenceRicardoCardinalVidalArchbishopofCebu
SomeofthehistoriceventsthattookplaceinSanCarlosSeminarywerethefollowingtheSecondPlenaryCouncilofthePhilippinesJanuary20toFebruary171991the6thPlenaryAssemblyoftheFederationofAsianBishopsConferencesJanuary10191995thegracefilledvisitofHisHolinessPopeJohnPaulIIJanuary151995andtheNationalPastoralConsultationonChurchRenewalJanuary20272001
ThroughtheyearstheseminaryhasproducedmanydedicatedandzealousmenwhohaveservedforthemissionoftheChurchSomeofSanCarlosSeminarysdistinguishedalumniareGOMBURZApriestsMarianoGomezandJacintoZamorapriestmartyrswhobecameinspirationforPhilippineindependenceduringSpanishtimesRufinoCardinalSantosthefirstFilipinoCardinalandRicardoCardinalVidalthepresentArchbishopofCebuandmanybishopsandpriestswhodedicatedlyservedthelocalChurch

SanCarlosSeminarygivestheformationtoprospectivepriestsprimarilyfortheArchdioceseofManilaNeverthelesstheseminaryalsoacceptsseminariansfromotherdiocesesinthecountryandabroadinspecialarrangements
AyoungmanisacceptedafterrigorousscreeningAhighschooldiplomaandbaptismalcertificatearetheminimumrequirementsyetstandardsofintelligenceandpsychologicalmaturitymustalsobemetThepriestlyformationisholisticTheseminaryorganizesitsprogramsofformationunderfivemainaspects

ThewholeworkofpriestlyformationwouldbedeprivedofthenecessaryfoundationifitlackedasuitablehumanformationHumanformationisthebasisofallpriestlyformationSoweseethatthehumanformationofthepriestshowsitsspecialimportancewhenrelatedtothereceiversofthemissioninorderthattheministrymaybehumanlyascredibleandacceptableaspossibleitisimportantthatthepriestshouldmouldhishumanpersonalityinsuchawaythatitbecomesabridgeandnotanobstacleforthemintheirmeetingJesusChristtheRedeemerofmanPopeJohnPaulIIPastoresDaboVobis43

SpiritualformationshouldbeconductedinsuchawaythatthestudentsmaylearntoliveinintimateandunceasingunionwithGodtheFatherthroughhisSonJesusChristintheHolySpiritThosewhoaretotakeonthelikenessofChristthepriestbysacredordinationshouldformthehabitofdrawingclosetohimasfriendsineverydetailoftheirlivesTheyshouldlivehispaschalmysteryinsuchawaythattheywillknowhowtoinitiateintoitthepeoplecommittedtotheirchargeTheyshouldbetaughttoseekChristinfaithfulmeditationonthewordofGodandinactiveparticipationinthesacredmysteriesoftheChurchespeciallyintheEucharistandtheDivineOfficetoseekhiminthebishopbywhomtheyaresentandinthepeopletowhomtheyaresentespeciallythepoorlittlechildrentheweaksinnersandunbelieversWiththeconfidenceofsonstheyshouldloveandreverencethemostblessedVirginMarywhowasgivenasamothertothedisciplebyJesusChristashewasdyingonthecrossPastoresDaboVobis45quotedfromVaticanIIOptatamTotius8

OfspecialimportanceisthecapacitytorelatetoothersThisistrulyfundamentalforapersonwhoiscalledtoberesponsibleforacommunityandtobeamanofcommunionThisdemandsthatthepriestnotbearrogantorquarrelsomebutaffablehospitablesincereinhiswordsandheartprudentanddiscreetgenerousandreadytoservecapableofopeninghimselftoclearandbrotherlyrelationshipsandofencouragingthesameinothersandquicktounderstandforgiveandconsolePastoresDaboVobis43

TobepastorallyeffectiveintellectualformationistobeintegratedwithaspiritualitymarkedbyapersonalexperienceofGodInthiswayapurelyabstractapproachtoknowledgeisovercomeinfavorofthatintelligenceofheartwhichknowshowtolookbeyondandthenisinapositiontocommunicatethemysteryofGodtothepeoplePastoresDaboVobis51

ThewholeformationimpartedtocandidatesforthepriesthoodaimsatpreparingthemtoenterintocommunionwiththecharityofChristthegoodshepherdHencetheirformationinitsdifferentaspectsmushhaveafundamentallypastoralcharacterHencetheyshouldbetrainedfortheministryofthewordtheministryofworshipandsanctificationandtheministryoftheshepherdthattheymayknowhowtorepresentChristtohumanityChristwhodidnotcometohaveservicedonetohimbuttoserveothersandtogivehislifeasaransomforthelivesofmanyMk1045Jn131217TheCounciltextinsistsuponthecoordinationofthedifferentaspectsofhumanspiritualandintellectualformationAtthesametimeitstressesthattheyarealldirectedtoaspecificpastoralendThispastoralaimensuresthatthehumanspiritualandintellectualformationhascertainprecisecontentandcharacteristicsitalsounifiesandgivesspecificitytothewholeformationoffuturepriestsApostolateworkscatecheticsandseminarsoutsidearesomeoftheprogramsinlinewiththePastoralFormationPastoresDaboVobis57
ThesumtotalofaseminarianstrainingisforhimtogrowinhisidentificationwithJesusChristInresponsetogracehebuildsuphiscommitmenttopersonalsanctificationtodiscernmentofhisvocationtoconstancyinprayertodiligenceandcompetenceinstudiestopastoralinvolvementInthefinalyearspriortoordinationheseeshimselfandhismissionasanimatedbytheloveofGodentrustedtothematernalcareofMarycommittedtoalifeofprayeranddiscernmentgroundedintheMasstoselfdiscoveryandselfacceptancetosimplicitychastityhumilityanddocilitytostudyandworktotheappreciationoffaith


TheseminaryformationcomprisesthreestagesPreCollegeorJunioratealthoughatpresentitiscalledFormationYearDepartmentPhilosophyandTheology