In the early Church, the question of who was a lay person or who was not a cleric was not much of a concern since the Church acted as one body. Any action taken by the part of the Church members involved the action of the whole Church. However, this does not mean that in the nascent Church all the members formed a kind of amorphous body in which there were no distinctions. Since the genesis of the Church, there has been a distinction among her members.
There are two different categories of Christ’s faithful. There are the clerics and the lay faithful. The clerics are the ordained members and the lay faithful are the non-ordained members. The two groups are not regarded as different ontologically. One group is not more important or more a member of the Church than the other. Both categories have rights and obligations in the Church.
All who are baptized or are received into the Church are regarded as Christ’s faithful. The term “Christ’s faithful” applies to all baptized Christians regardless of their state or rank in the Church. As one is baptized or received into the Church, he or she gains membership by the virtue of the baptism that is recognized as sacramental.
According to c. 228 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law lay people who are qualified and suitable can be admitted to ecclesiastical offices and functions by the sacred pastors. This paves a way for the active lay involvement in the life and work of the Church.
However, there are limits to lay ministries. These limits need to be observed so that there will be harmony and understanding among all those who are involved in ministries in the Church. Observance and respect of the limits to one’s ministry will remove the situations that can cause conflict between lay persons who are admitted to exercise offices and functions in the Church, and the clergy.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.5 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Proposes a procedure for admitting lay people to ecclesiastical offices
- Examines lay ministries through the 1983 Code of Canon Law
- Discusses the Declaration on Christian Education’s application of ministry to teaching
Table of Contents
Preface
A. Introduction
1. Authorization of Lay Ministries
2. General Requirements for the Exercise of Ecclesiastical Offices and Functions by
3. Procedure of Admission of Lay Faithful to Ecclesiastical Offices and Functions
4. Application of the Term ‘Ministry’ to Lay Activities in the Church
5. Limit to Lay Ministry
6. Loss of Ecclesiastical Offices and Functions
a) Loss of office/function by reason of expiry of predetermined time
b) Loss of office/function by reason of reaching the age limit
c) Loss of office/function by resignation
d) Loss of office/function by reason of transfer
e) Loss of office/function by reason of removal
f) Loss of office by reason of deprivation
B. Lay Persons and Ecclesiastical Offices/Functions
C. Categories of Lay Ministries
1. Lay ministries: Teaching Office
a) Catechists
b) Lay Preacher
c) Theology Teachers
d) Lay Missionaries
e) Mass Media Evangelizers
2. Lay Ministries: Sanctifying Office (Liturgical Ministries)
a) Instituted or Installed Acolyte
b) Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion
c) Instituted or Installed Lectors
d) Commissioned Readers
e) Leaders of Public Prayer
f) Altar Servers or Knights (and Ladies) of the Blessed Sacrament.
g) Psalmists
h) Commentators
i) Cantors or Music Directors
j) Sacristans
k) Choir
l) Organists, drummers, guitarists, trumpeters, etc.
m) Church Ushers
n) Collectors
o) Masters of Ceremony (Liturgical team)
p) Presiders of Funeral Services
q) Assistants at Marriages
r) Extraordinary Minister of Baptism
3. Lay Ministries: Governing Office (Pastoral Ministries)
a) Judges in Ecclesiastical Tribunals
b) Assessors
c) Auditors
d) Chancellors or Notaries
e) Promoters of Justice
f) Defenders of the Bond
g) Parish Pastoral Administrators
h) Diocesan and Parish Pastoral Council Members
i) Finance Administrators
j. Diocesan Finance Committee Members
k) Parish Finance Committee Members
l) Social Action Group Members
D. Conclusion
ENDNOTES
Objectives and Themes
The work explores the juridical status and roles of lay Catholics, asking which ecclesiastical offices and functions they may exercise, how they are admitted, and what limits apply to their ministries.
- Authorization, qualifications and admission procedures
- The meaning and limits of lay ministry
- Teaching, evangelization and catechesis
- Liturgical and sacramental functions
- Pastoral governance, tribunals and finance
- Loss of ecclesiastical office or function
Excerpt from the Book
4. Application of the Term ‘Ministry’ to Lay Activities in the Church
It is clear from the above that the original usage of the Greek word diakonia had no exclusive connection with power and authority of ecclesiastical offices. However, before Vatican Council II, the Church applied the term “ministry” in a limited and exclusive manner to the ordained ministry. The 1983 Code of Canon Law is lenient in the usage of the term ministry to some lay activities in the Church on the basis of the fact that the lay persons also share in the munera of Christ or in the ministry of Christ.v
Both clerics and lay people share in the munera of Christ. “Each “munus” has two levels of participation- that of all of the faithful and that of the hierarchy.”vi With regard to the laity, the priestly munus of Jesus is continued and promoted by uniting all the activities of life to the Eucharistic sacrifice thereby effecting the consecration of the world to God.vii On the other hand, the priestly function of the hierarchy is fulfilled in the munus of the sanctifying, which takes into consideration the Eucharistic sacrifice and the overall liturgical worship of the Church.viii
The prophetic munus (office) of Christ is fulfilled by the laity through giving witness to Christ through reception and exercise of charisms they received for the benefit of the Church such as seen in the teaching, preaching, and instructions in schools and catechetical endeavors in the Church. For the ordained members, this prophetic munus is the teaching office which includes the actions of the official magisterium, preaching, instruction in schools, catechetical etc.
The lay persons exercise the kingly munus of Christ by executing their task of bringing the secular world into the reign of God and thus harmonize the secular world with the Churchix, while the hierarchy exercises the same munus through administration and execution of jurisdiction to which the laity can cooperate to certain degree.x
There is a provision for a degree of interchange between these two spheres of activities- the world and the Church. For example, there is a possibility for the lay person to hold Church offices which is in fact part of the office of governing,xi or the clerics entrusting the lay persons to duties of which pertain to the office of teaching or duties which pertain to the office of sanctifying.xii There is no clear boundary in regard to this interchange.xiii Hence, to apply the term “ministry” to the activities of the lay persons in the Church is in the right direction.
Chapter Summaries
Preface: The author introduces the distinction between clergy and laity and the significance of lay participation in the Church.
A. Introduction: This chapter addresses authorization, eligibility, admission procedures, terminology, limits and loss of office.
B. Lay Persons and Ecclesiastical Offices/Functions: The author relates ecclesiastical offices to the teaching, sanctifying and governing functions and distinguishes installed, commissioned and de facto ministries.
C. Categories of Lay Ministries: This chapter describes teaching, liturgical and pastoral roles, including their functions and qualifications.
D. Conclusion: The conclusion considers lay participation alongside the responsibilities of ecclesiastical authorities.
Keywords
lay faithful, Catholic Church, lay ministry, canon law, ecclesiastical office, authorization, teaching office, sanctifying office, governing office, liturgical ministry, pastoral ministry, Vatican II, lay participation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the work about?
It examines the offices and functions that lay Catholics can exercise in the Church.
What are its central themes?
Its themes include authorization, qualifications, the limits of ministry, and teaching, liturgical and governing roles.
What is the work’s primary objective?
It seeks to clarify the juridical status and practical roles of lay people in ecclesiastical offices and functions.
What method does the author use?
The author discusses provisions of canon law and Church documents alongside descriptions of individual ministries; the work does not present an empirical research method.
What does the main body cover?
It groups lay ministries under the Church’s teaching, sanctifying and governing offices and describes their responsibilities and qualifications.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include lay ministry, canon law, ecclesiastical office, liturgy, pastoral governance and lay participation.
How does the author distinguish types of lay ministry?
The work distinguishes installed ministers, commissioned or assigned ministers, and de facto ministers.
What procedure does the author propose for admission to ministry?
The proposed procedure includes identifying roles, selecting and assessing candidates, making written appointments and commissioning those selected.
Which tribunal roles are discussed?
The work discusses lay participation as judges, assessors, auditors, promoters of justice and defenders of the bond.
- Quote paper
- Ignatius Ayivor (Author), 2010, Ministries and functions the lay faithful can exercise in the Catholic church, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/377969
