SW News: The Spanish Catholic outfit Centro Academico Romano Fundacion (CARF), which monetarily supports the formation of priests and seminarians around the globe, has come out with its annual report for 2021. The report says that it was able to fund the formation of more than 1,600 priests, seminarians and religious from 131 countries around the world after heeding the appeal of more than 800 prelates.

Spain-based CARF’s report says that the pandemic caused a drop in one-off donations but other sources of income have witnessed a boost. Income from legacies and inheritances saw a 30 per cent growth.

The foundation received more than 9.7 million euros from 6,500 benefactors. Out of this amount, as much as 5.3 million was allotted for the training of students. Scholarships for priests and seminarians studying in Rome and Pamplona in Spain amounted to 2.8 million euros.

The annual cost of a scholarship is 18,000 euros for priests and seminarians. Out of that total amount, 11,000 euros goes for accommodation and 800 euros for human and spiritual formation. Tuition fees come to 2,700 euros and 3,500 euros for supplement training. On the other hand, the personal expenses of candidates should be met by themselves or their respective diocese or religious congregation.

Last year, 10 beneficiaries of the CARF scholarships were consecrated as bishops and since the foundation was established in 1989, as many as 122 beneficiary priests have been elevated to the episcopate.

According to the president of CARF José Enrique Fuster, "All Christians are co-responsible for the new evangelization." During the release of the figures, he also expressed gratitude to God for having made the formation of so many priests possible”.

Luis Alberto Rosales, general director of the foundation, said that a well-trained priest is not only the cynosure of spiritual development, but also human, cultural and social wherever he undertakes his responsibilities. He added saying that is the reason why CARF also supports some solidarity projects of priests in their native dioceses.