Authentic Human Development
The common good is the "the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily" and concerns everyone's lives. It is comprised of three elements: a respect for the person, the social well-being and development of the group as a whole, and an atmosphere of peace. These conditions are expressed within every group's political community, each of which comprises in part the universal human community (CCC 1905-12). Social justice involves the responsibility the individual has to the society of which he or she is a part and puts at stake "the dignity of the human person, whose defense and promotion have been entrusted to us by the Creator, and to whom the men and women at every moment of history are strictly and responsibly in debt." As a result, social justice can only be achieved through the solidarity of the greater human community (CCC 1928-41). Authentic human development, therefore, occurs through material means in the development of our intellectual and cultural formation program. We engage our various technologies as extensions of ourselves in the world in an effort to order them to our needs (CCC 2293). When the Church speaks of globalization, it does so primarily in economic terms (CCC 2425-26) that are geared toward the service of the political community. What we want to do is translate that in educational terms toward the service of the seminarian population. The Catechism calls for "reasonable regulation of the marketplace and economic initiatives, in keeping with a just hierarchy of values and a view to the common good, is to be commended" (CCC 2425), so we should strive for "reasonable regulation of the teaching and learning environment in keeping with an appropriate level of instruction and a view to the common good." If economic life "is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community" (CCC 2426), then educational life should not be geared simply toward the transfer of information but "ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire student community," for "true development concerns the whole man. It is concerned with increasing each person's ability to respond to his vocation and hence to God's call" (CCC 2461).

Ecumenism/Unity
Dialogue within the Christian churches is intended by the Church to be meaningful in its content and scope as part of developing solidarity within the greater Christian community. Concerning the various Protestant denominations, the "Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers," for "all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church" (CCC 818). We believe, furthermore, that "'many elements of sanctification and of truth' are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: 'the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements'" (CCC 819). In this way, "Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church" (CCC 819). "All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him," therefore, "and are in themselves calls to 'Catholic unity'" (CCC 819). What we search for, therefore, in our authentic engagement with other Christian communities, is that very unity that makes all of us a part of the body of Christ (CCC 820), since "divisions among Christians prevent the Church from realizing in practice the fullness of catholicity proper to her in those of her sons who, though joined to her by Baptism, are yet separated from full communion with her" (CCC 855). For us to speak of an open and respectful dialogue with other Christians, it is important for us to first know ourselves as Catholics and then know others as we do ourselves (CCC 1931). Intellectual and cultural formation, then should focus on those goals in the development of tools that will necessarily assist us in our ongoing dialogue with the Christian world.

Evangelization/Inculturation
The Church considers as a sacred right its mission to evangelize all persons though it recognizes that God has ways known only to himself to lead those who are ignorant of the Gospel to a proper faith (CCC 848). This sacred right to evangelize is considered by the Church to be a missionary mandate from Christ who told us through his apostles to go and make disciples of all nations (CCC 849) for the purpose of helping people to "share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love” (CCC 850). Because the missionary endeavor requires patience to work within a different set of cultural values, "it must involve a process of inculturation if the Gospel is to take flesh in each people's culture” (CCC 854), and this implies a "respectful dialogue with those who do not yet accept the Gospel” (CCC 856). We "proclaim the Good News to those who do not know it, in order to consolidate, complete, and raise up the truth and the goodness that God has distributed among men and nations, and to purify them from error and evil" (CCC 856).

Interfaith dialogue
Dialogue between Christianity and other religions is intended by the Church to be meaningful in its content and scope as part of the missionary task. This missionary task implies "a respectful dialogue with those who do not yet accept the Gospel" under the reasoning that "believers can profit from this dialogue by learning to appreciate better "those elements of truth and grace which are found among peoples, and which are, as it were, a secret presence of God" (CCC 856). The Church proclaims " the Good News to those who do not know it, in order to consolidate, complete, and raise up the truth and the goodness that God has distributed among men and nations, and to purify them from error and evil "for the glory of God, the confusion of the demon, and the happiness of man'" (CCC 856). Furthermore, "in defending the ability of human reason to know God, the Church is expressing her confidence in the possibility of speaking about him to all men and with all men, and therefore of dialogue with other religions, with philosophy and science, as well as with unbelievers and atheists" (CCC 39). For us to speak of an open and respectful dialogue with non-Christians, it is important for us to first know ourselves as Christians and then know others as we do ourselves (CCC 1931). Intellectual and cultural formation, then, should focus on those goals in the development of tools that will necessarily assist us in our ongoing dialogue with the non-Christian world.