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The Foundations and Structures for Shared Responsibility Rev The Foundations and Structures for Shared Responsibility Rev. James H. Provost The twentieth century has seen important council reorganized their constitution on the developments in official church recognition of the Church to place the treatment of what is common responsibility of lay persons. Lay persons have to all the People of God, hierarchy and laity alike, always been crucial to the life of the Church, before the sections that deal with the hierarchical ranging from the role exercised by parents in structures of the Church and lay persons in the handing on the faith, to the special positions Church. This was a major shift in the way of exercised by key lay people down through history. thinking that had marked the Church for over a But in the current century, the attention of the thousand years. Instead of seeing Catholics as Church's official magisterium has been turned to composed of two types of persons, we are the responsibility of all lay persons in the life and recognized as being first of all one people who work of the Church, with some remarkable results. have more in common than that which separates us into different categories. Between the world wars the popes placed Second, the council addressed the special emphasis on "Catholic Action." Eventually responsibility of all the People of God for the described as the participation of the laity in the communion that is the Church and the mission apostolate of the hierarchy, it was an official Christ gave the Church. Here again a new way of effort to include lay persons in the Church's thinking was adopted, recognizing that the mission in the world and also, to some extent, in members of God's people have a true equality with the inner life of the Church itself. The regard to the dignity and the activity common to development of lay apostles, as they were all the faithful for building up the Body of Christ. sometimes called, was a first and important step Even where there are differences, as between the toward the fuller recognition of the responsibility priesthood of all the baptized and the ordained of all Christians. priesthood, these are intended to be complementary, working together for effective Church Teaching at Vatican II mission as a Church. Many bishops came to the Second Vatican Third, Christ is seen as the basis for lay Council with Catholic Action and the lay involvement in this mission. Shifting from the apostolate as part of their own backgrounds. They emphasis on participation in the hierarchy's sensed a need to recognize these practical apostolate, the council recognized a lay apostolate experiences in their churches. In discussing the to which Christ commissions those who are nature and mission of the Church, they developed baptized and confirmed. Further responsibilities a more explicit statement on Christian and rights are found among the People of God as a responsibility in the context of a deeper result of the action of the Spirit in granting a understanding of the Church itself. As a result, at variety of gifts to Christians. The role of the least three major elements of the council's hierarchy is to assure order in the communion of teaching developed an explicitly theological basis Christian life, to test various initiatives to be sure for shared responsibility. they are genuine, and to support all the faithful in First, the council developed an understanding carrying out the mission that hierarchy and laity of the Church as the People of God. After are called to fulfill. debating the point specifically, the members of the The Foundations and Structures for Shared Responsibility Page 1 The Second Vatican Council went on to various ways both clergy and laity are responsible apply these new ways of thinking to the for addressing concerns within the Church and in responsibility all share for the communion and the the world. mission Christ gave the Church. In various Finally, the council looked at the method for documents the council addressed the source for living up to one's Christian responsibilities. This that responsibility, its object, where it is to be begins with an attitude of concern and solicitude applied, and the methods for carrying it out. Let us for the communion and mission of the Church. It briefly explore each of these in turn. is worked out in various structures, ranging from There are three levels to the sources of the many organizations that Christians set up to responsibility for the Church's communion and carry out their responsibilities, to offices mission. Baptism and confirmation are presented organized by the hierarchy, to mutual as the first and essential basis. All are equal in collaboration in various church bodies or councils terms of their dignity as initiated Christians and in that plan what is needed for the life and work of regard to the responsibilities of the baptized. A the Church, or to coordinate the efforts of various second source are the gifts of the Spirit known as groups. "charisms," whether the ordinary types that are Vatican II presents two types of councils, found widely distributed in the Church or the which the United States experience has usually more spectacular kinds that are spoken of in the combined into one. Pastoral councils, whether at Scriptures. There is a third source for certain the diocesan or parish level, are described in terms offices or services provided in the name of the of pastoral planning, investigating what is needed Church; here the hierarchy must provide for the communion and mission of the Church to authorization for someone to assume such progress, and then proposing practical steps to responsibilities. carry this out. Other councils are described whose Whatever the source, all are responsible in purpose is to coordinate lay apostolates and various ways for the threefold work that comprises organizations. These could exist at all levels of the the mission of the Church; to teach, to sanctify, Church, from the parish through the deanery and and to govern. This last applies both to diocese to national councils. In many parishes and establishing the reign of justice and peace in the dioceses in the United States, the pastoral council world, and to the inner life of the Church's has combined representatives of various active communion. The object of the various organizations and a cross section representing the responsibilities of the pope and bishops, of priests, Church generally, attempting to draw on the best of parents, of religious, indeed of all Christians of both approaches for planning and coordinating are presented in these terms. the Church's communion and mission locally. Where this responsibility is to be carried out After the Second Vatican Council, the was also addressed by the council. Each person is question arose as to what term to use for the called by Christ to be a responsible Christian in collaboration of bishops, clergy, religious, and the context of his or her life and condition in the laity in the communion and mission of the Church. Church. The council described the usual condition It took some time to find a label that was of lay persons as being in the world, sanctifying acceptable. Some drew on the word "collegiality," the secular world through their lives and work. which the council used in a special meaning to Clergy were described as being usually involved relate the pope and bishops as successors in the in the works of the Church, ministering to and mission of the apostles. "Collegiality" carries such supporting the Christian community. Yet in a technical meaning that it did not seem well The Foundations and Structures for Shared Responsibility Page 2 suited for the broader use applied to all the added that structures such as pastoral councils Church. should be provided for this, the Code leaves many of the structural details for implementing these "Coresponsibility" and "shared responsibilities up to local decisions. responsibility" are other terms that were tried. "Coresponsibility" has the disadvantage of In dealing with lay persons specifically, the seeming to imply that all have the same Code reaffirms their role in the Church's mission responsibilities, rather than that all are equally (c. 225) and their role in contributing to the inner responsible but for carrying out different life of the Church under church authorities, either responsibilities or tasks. "Shared responsibility" as office holders or as advisors (c. 228). Bishops meant to some the extension of a responsibility are to be concerned with the faithful in their that properly belonged only to a few (e.g., the dioceses (c. 383, § 1) and to foster and coordinate bishops) but which they shared or parceled out to the various aspects of the apostolate there (c. 394, others. This has been corrected in recent years. § 1). Pastors of parishes have a similar Shared responsibility now refers to a responsibility (c. 529, § 2). responsibility we share to build up the communion Because of the diversity that exists in a of the Church and to carry on the mission that worldwide Church, the Code does not require a Christ gave to the Church, but which we do by Diocesan Pastoral Council in every diocese and fulfilling the various tasks or responsibilities leaves the decision on whether to require parish proper to each Catholic. councils up to each diocesan bishop, in Canon Law consultation with the presbyteral council (c. 536). The law does encourage Diocesan Pastoral In 1983 Pope John Paul II issued a new Code Councils, in keeping with local pastoral needs (c. of Canon Law, drawn up to implement the 511), and indicates its responsibility is to work decisions and way of thinking of the Second with the bishop in regard to everything that Vatican Council.
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