His parents were István Németh and Mária Szabolics. He began his high school studies at the Nazareth Mission House in Budatétény and completed them in Kőszeg. He entered the order in 1944 and took his first vows in 1946. He left Hungary in 1949 and completed his theological studies at the Sankt Augustin Mission House in Germany. He took his perpetual vows in 1953 and was ordained a priest. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology from St. Augustine University. He earned a master’s degree in French literature in 1971 and another in history in 1975—both from the University of Montreal. In 1983, he completed his doctoral studies in history at the University of Montreal, and in 1986, he successfully defended his dissertation, titled *The Reformation of the Church in Light of Conciliar Statutes and Councils*. His knowledge of Latin greatly facilitated his ability to read the documents of the archdioceses of Mainz, Cologne, and Trier.