The Laity: CALLED TO ACTION

(Focusing On Their Rights and Duties)

“At no time have men had such a keen sense of freedom, only to be faced

by new forms of slavery in living and thinking. There is on one hand a lively

feeling of unity and of compelling solidarity, of mutual dependence, and on

the other a lamentable cleavage of bitterly opposing camps.”

(Gaudium et Spes 4)

We affirm the vision and focus of Vatican II in the importance it gives to the laity. The laity now feels a matured outlook of interdependence and self-direction among each other and the clergy. This action calls for more shared kind of spiritual life and responsibility resulting in a unity of ministry – respecting each others rights and duties, with complete knowledge of the bounds and limits of each other’s gifts. But sad to state, we are still in the debilitating throes of sticking to the traditional way of excessive clericalism or secularization in stead of a more fraternal and shared giftedness.

Vatican II reminds us that there is only one holiness in the Church – God's. "They are really made holy...All the faithful of Christ, of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity" (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, #40). There are to be no second-class citizens in the Church, negating the truism that the clergy and religious belonged to a segregated elite group. All are called to receive God's holiness not just the clergy and religious.

The Church, like any organization, has laws. These bind the consciences of Catholics in varying degrees of seriousness, according to the matter or events tackled.

Canon law never explicitly addressed the laity until it was revised in 1983 and it defined with mirror-clear clarity the rights and duties of the laity. It was aptly said by Renato Cardinal Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace that, "Religion cannot be relegated to a corner of the private sphere of life and in this way risk losing its social dimension and its charitable action toward vulnerable people it serves without any distinction." Though, secularism is a Church-recognized value:”unfortunately, a secularism prevails today that is often intolerant" and "increasingly anti-Christian." This reality was stressed by then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Tensions and divisions among the laity, and between laity and clergy, have become, though not visible to the naked eye, an indelible part of the Latin Church characteristic of the post-Vatican II era caused perhaps by personal and selfish motivations and intentions which in most parts are not palatable for Christ’s laity. Perhaps this is understandable, as people accept change differently, although with varied emotive and spiritual responses. This is, especially, too glaring and patent as not to be felt nor seen when it deals with matters as personal as faith, spirit, and church. The subtly disguised tiers of suspicion and bitterness with which lay initiatives have been subjected to by the ordained clergy have tremendously increased causing the heavy dehydration of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. These resultant conflicts are seriously dispiriting and daunting to be simply ignored.

This condition perhaps triggered the promulgation of several pre- and post- conciliar documents of Vatican II, notable among them are: Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Catholic Church; Apostolicam Actuositatem (Decree on the Apostolate of the Lay People; Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church; etc. All of these speak of the rights and duties of the laity. The latest being the revised Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici), where the real and authentic teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is buttressed. Canon law is, as is true with all man-made laws, imperfect and still shut- close to the wisdom and findings of secular jurisprudence that could aid the church in handling certain issues of justice. And it still adheres to a sharp division between laity and clergy, lacking provisions for all the people of God to participate in decision-making in the church. Though much has been done, more can be expected, if and when, we the muzzled and shackled laity become aware, practice, and safe-guard our rights and duties.

Knowledge of the doctrines of the Church and the WORD is not now within the exclusive competence of the ordained clergy. Attuned to the call of Vatican II and recognizing that all believers can contribute to theological reflection and progress when it expressed the hope that lay people, not only the clerics, be well informed in the sacred sciences. (Gaudium et Spes 62) More and more of the lay faithful, have on their own efforts, are presently efficient, competent and “possess a lawful freedom of inquiry, freedom of thought and of expressing their mind with humility and fortitude in those matters on which they enjoy competence.” (supra) Theology has now become a nourishing food for the long starving, deferential, and subservient laity.

Some of the pertinent Canons are:

Canon 208 is anchored in the reality that all the faithful “are truly equal in their dignity and their activity in cooperating in building up the body of Christ.” In the Code of 1917, the Church was perceived as “a society of unequals, depending upon whether one had received ordination or not.” (New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, Beal, et al., 258) Simply it connotes that the participation of the Laity was on POP basis only: pray, obey, pay. This revised provision has led to a giant shift in understanding the relationship of the laity vis-à-vis the clergy and the Church. Presently, it reflects a communio ecclesiology and develops theologically the implications arising from baptism (C204). From this communio, the fundamental equality of the people of God derives a sacramental source. The laity is obliged to stay in communion with the church, lead a holy life and promote the growth of the church. These rights of the laity include: access to the Sacraments, Christian education, due process, association and assembly, and to their own spirituality.



Cc 212 ¶2 and 212 ¶3

The first says the faithful have “the right” to make known “their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires” to their pastors.

The second says, the faithful “have the right and even at times the duty” to make their opinions known to their pastors and to the rest of the Christian faithful.

The Christian faithful are obliged to express their opinions about the good of the church to their bishops, parish priests, and fellow church members. Not only is it their right, but it is their obligation as members of the Body of Christ. In doing this, they actively participate and partake, by virtue of their Baptism, in the priestly, prophetic and kingly character of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our lay brothers and sisters have to get people to re-vision their role as Catholics, to start taking some responsibility for the condition of the Church, for we can no longer sit and weep and moan about what is going on unless we take an active role in matters of the Church most especially where we are involve daily – our Parishes. We must be in communion with the Church. It is in dealing and dialoguing with the clergy that we are heard and our views made known. Differing theologies have always been a part of our Christianity and we should not allow anyone to disregard us or cast us out just because we may not agree with all church teachings. Provided, the things we oppose are not instituted doctrines or dogma. No one can tell us we do not belong.

In this time where the raging storms of dissent magnify our spiritual, social and religious divisions, we are reminded in words as well as in deeds that Jesus’ teachings of love and compassionate living are core to the Christian faith as we the obedient lay move forward and be more involved in greater leadership roles, as lay leaders, in our church. There is no room in the Church for selfish and individual activities whether they be lay or clergy. We are all called not in isolation but to be a community of believers.

“You have been purchased at a price. Do not become slaves to human beings.” (1Cor 7: 23)

–ricardo r. ampil 09.02