"Secular character" of the Laity or of the Church? The Postconciliar Significance and Development of Vatican II’s Teaching on the "Indoles saecularis" of the Laity (Dublin 2002) (original) (raw)
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One of the most important fruits of the renewed conciliar ecclesiology was surely rediscovering of the role of the laity in (or, better, as) the Church and in the world. However, while attempting to emphasise the laity’s integral role, the Council left behind itself some ambiguities and not resolved issues, which have been influencing the postconciliar both pastoral and theological development up to now. In order to understand properly the complex area of these developments, this essay will focus on the meaning of the original conciliar concept of the “secular character” of the laity in Lumen gentium (and in some other relevant documents) as one of the core issues in the conciliar theology of the laity.
The Decree Apostolicam Actuositatem. Highlights of Vatican II's Teaching on Laity
Annales Theologici, 2017
1. Introduction We often speak of a mutual illumination between history and theology. By that we mean that if historical reality usually precedes theology, theology in turn enriches succeeding historical reality. Indeed, the history of theology and the theology of history are interwoven and mutually reinforce each other. This interesting connection is particularly highlighted in the topic we are reflecting on today. On the one hand, we can say that the life and ecclesial role of the laity preceded theology, and that the theology of the Council encouraged and developed these later on. On the other hand, however, we see that this connection is neither linear nor absolute. Concretely, the doctrine of the Council has introduced several new features in the life of the laity hardly hinted at in their experience previous to the Council; and the history of the reception of these innovations in the post-conciliar period shows how some elements penetrated deep into the fabric of the Church, yet others remained inoperative or even forgotten. I was given the task of shedding light on the " novelty " of Vatican II's teaching on the laity, articulated in the Decree Apostolicam actuositatem, whose 50th anniversary of publication we are celebrating. I shall do that by looking back to the situation of the laity in the Church prior to the Council, which is the best context in which we can better appreciate these innovative elements. The vicissitudes undergone by the doctrine taught in the Decree in the period after the Council will be dealt with by the succeeding speakers. The following is the outline of this speech. First, and very briefly, I shall run through the history of the term " lay ". Then, I shall present the situation of the laity in the period prior to Vatican II (starting from the beginning of the last century) from a threefold perspective: the pastoral realities, pronouncements of Magisterium and theological positions current at the time. As regards the analysis of the text, I will not dwell on its genesis and development during the Council, especially because that aspect has already been thoroughly studied. Rather, I will focus my analysis on the final text, highlighting its salient, and in a sense innovative, features. By way of ending, I will then make a few concluding remarks.
Illustrating the theme of laity today, more than fifty years after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, after the constitution Lumen Gentium, the decree Apostolicam Actuositatem, Paul VI's exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, John Paul II's Christifideles laici and Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium, is a significant opportunity. Already some theologians of the Nouvelle Théologie such as Congar , lay people such as Guitton , other theologians such as Philips , and the pontifical magisterium itself with Pius XI , had drawn attention to the need on the part of pastors to help the lay Christian faithful to grow and mature in their awareness of their vocation and mission. The teaching of John Paul II in Christifideles Laici, made a synthesis by identifying in the binomial vocation - mission, the key to retaining the decisive factors proper to the historical development of the theology of the laity .
E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 2020
The nature and the missionary role of the laity in the church is one of the issues currently vital to the church and theologians. From the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) perspective, the word laity is technically understood to mean all the faithful except those in holy orders and those in the state of religious life specially approved by the Catholic Church (LG31). These faithful are by baptism made one with Christ and constitute the People of God; they are sharers in the priestly, prophetic and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry out for their own part the mission of the whole Christian people in the church and in the world. However, the distinction between the ordained and the lay is a real one. A great deal of attention has been paid to the ordained ministry of the Church, its nature, its authority and its functions. The laity tends, by way of contrast, to be taken very much for granted, as though in their case no special problems arise. This study discusses the nature...
Fifty-four years after Vatican II, it seems to the researcher that the role of the laity in the Roman Catholic Church is still problematic to some clergy and the laity. Some clergy and the laity still see the laity's role in the Roman Catholic Church as passive and overstretching their bounds when they wish to participate fully in the mission of the Church as priests, prophets and kings. There is an underlying tension between some clergy and the laity as to the proper role of the laity in the Church and in the world, whereas Vatican II clearly defined the role of the laity in the Church and in the world. In this article, the researcher seeks to lay bare the role of the laity in the Roman Catholic Church and in the world as prophetic, priestly and kingly; and to point out that there are some places in the world, such as the family, socio-cultural, politics, economics and so on, where only the laity are more qualified and competent and can more effectively preach the gospel by their words and deeds. Therefore, the article recommends that the clergy and the laity are both called by their baptism and confirmation to take active roles in the Church and collaborate in the mission of Christ for the spreading of the kingdom of God on earth.
LAITY: From Pay, Pray, Obey to Co-Responsibility for the Church
At the beginning of the 20th century, it was literally true that the laity were expected to pay, pray and obey. Theologians who tried to re-think the position of the laity (notably Yves Congar) were admonished and silenced. The history of the role played by lay persons was not always so secondary. The first councils of the Church were called and controlled by secular Emperors. Lay people have carried the church through difficult times. But who knows about this. Vatican II saw the theological importance of the laity. The present book (using research done by the World Council of Churches) presents the multi-faceted role played by lay people and concludes by asking a question whether at this moment when there is a shortage of priests, lay persons can play an even more significant role. The book is published by CREATE SPACE and is available at amazon.com
Formation of Lay Catholics: Franciscan Inspirations
Religions
Currently, the formation of lay Catholics is one of the key tasks of the Church. The Synod of Bishops, Towards a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission, convened by Pope Francis, served as a reminder of this. In its new format, i.e., phased consultations and meetings, the Synod calls for the involvement of lay Catholics in listening to one another and recognising directions for the Church renewal. This emphasises the need for an ongoing effort to form the faithful. There are many suggestions in the Church for the formation of lay Catholics. Franciscan spirituality, which continues to inspire and attract people, is one of these suggestions. In his teaching, the current pope likes to refer to St. Francis of Assisi, drawing from his writings and example of life. This work aimed to present selected elements of Franciscan spirituality that seem useful in the formation of lay Catholics for their service in the Church and the world. Six elements that can be drawn from rich F...