catholic action: a particular lay vocation

Catholic Action:

a particular lay vocation

A personal response in a communitarian dimension

Catholic Action

•Is a particular vocation

•It is a call to holiness

»It stems from the Christian Initiation

promises.

»It is strengthened through the listening to

the Word of God, through participation in

the Eucharist and through the exercise of

love and pardon.

Catholic Action: a particular lay vocation

• CA requires fidelity and

commitment towards:

»The growth of all the Christian community,

»Pastoral projects and

»The spreading of the spirit of the Gospel in

all spheres of life (reference to ChL 31).


Catholic Action: a lay vocation

Catholic Action: a call to sanctity

» by serving the particular Church and its

mission as the fundamental orientation of

its apostolic commitment.

» by putting all its apostolic energy at the

service of communion.


San José

Moscatti

Santa Gianna

B. Molla

San José

Pampuri

Pierina

Morosini

Eduardo Pironio

Catholic Action is called to be

«a home and a school of sanctity»

San David

Roldán Lara

Pina

Suriano

Pier Giorgio

Frassatti

San Salvador

Lara Puente

San Manuel

Morales

You, Catholic Action Associations can vaunt of a long and

fruitful history, written by courageous witnesses to Christ and

his Gospel, some of which have been acknowledged by the

Church as blessed and saints. Today you are called to follow

in their track, to renew the commitment on the road to

holiness. Benedict XVI to IFCA 2012

CATHOLIC ACTION in Vatican Council II

Explicit quotations

•Christus Dominus 17 Decree on the pastoral ministry of Bishops.

•Apostolicam Actuositatem 20 Decree on the apostolate of the laity.

•Ad Gentes 15 Decree on the missionary activity of the Church.

Catholic Action in Vatican Council II

Catholic Action in Christus Dominus 17

• Various forms of apostolate should be encouraged in the whole diocese.

• The faithful should be strongly urged to assume their duty of carrying out the apostolate, each according to his state in life and his ability. They should be invited to join or assist the various works of the lay apostolate, especially Catholic Action.

Associations, which directly or indirectly have a supernatural goal should also be promoted and supported.

These forms of apostolate should be adapted to current needs…


Catholic Action in Apostolicam Actuositatem 20

• History

• Characteristics: a) The immediate aim of these associations is the

Church’s apostolic aim.

b) The laity, in their own way,…assume the responsibility of running these organizations.

c) The laity act together in the same manner in which an organic body works.

d) These lay people…act under the superior guidance of their Hierarchy .


Catholic Action in Ad Gentes

After having described the mission, that of announcing the good news [1-13] and having stressed the importance of the catechumenate and of Christian initiation [14], when it speaks about the formation of the Christian Community it says:

“Lay people have an important part to play in the attainment of these goals and as such they deserve special attention”…


Catholic Action in Ad Gentes 15

Besides, various types of ministries are necessary for the building of the Church and for the growth of the Christian Community. These should stem from divine inspiration from among the faithful and should be carefully fostered and cultivated by all. Among these are the offices of priests, deacons and catechists as well as of Catholic Action.


Non explicit Quotation

•Lumen Gentium 33 Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.

•Apostolicam Actuositatem 24 Decree on the apostolate of the laity.

•Ad Gentes 21 Decree on the missionary activity of the Church.


Relevant Aspects in the conciliar documents


Catholic Action is in principle diocesan or it doesn’t exist:

•It is the Bishop who invites and encourages the lay faithful entrusted to him to involve themselves in apostolic work. He is the one to appeal for active participation and to convene Catholic Action.

•It is the Bishop who invites and encourages priests to promote these forms of lay apostolate.


• Relevant Aspects in the conciliar documents

Catholic Action is a vocation which:

•Traces its origin in the Apostolic Community.

•Has a charism which is identified by these four characteristics: It is – Missionary, Lay, Organic, Diocesan.

•As an organization it may exist under a different name but its vocation should be the same.


• Relevant Aspects in the conciliar documents

Catholic Action is a ministry which is carried out by lay people:

•They are called by God and they receive their “mandate” from the Church.

•They are at the service of the Community and adapt themselves to it thus contributing towards the building, consolidation and growth of the Church.

Catholic action in Vatican Council II

• Relevant aspects in the conciliar documents

The importance of associated apostolate:

• this type of apostolate is an answer to human and Christian exigencies.

• at the same time it signifies the communion and unity of the Church in Christ.

• very often this requires a combined effort in Church communities as well as in various other spheres (AA 18).


• Relevant Aspects in conciliar documents

The mission of apostolic associations:

• offer support to their members and prepare them for apostolic work.

• organize and regulate their apostolic work.

• better results can be expected than if each member were to act on his own (AA18).


• Relevant Aspects in conciliar documents

“You have chosen to live, as lay people, for the Church and for its entire mission...”

John Paul II

Apostolicam Actuositatem

Catholic Action The 4 characteristic notes

Key to the reading of these notes

•These have to be read in the light of the Council

•Catholic Action can only be defined within the Church.

•They are all related to one another and they have to be taken all together.

Apostolicam Actuositaten: the 4 characteristic notes

First note: Catholic Action’s Ecclesial character

“The immediate aim of organizations of this kind is the Church’s apostolic aim, that is to make the gospel known and men holy and to form in them a Christian conscience, so that they can infuse the spirit of the gospel into the various communities and spheres of life” (AA 20.a)


Second note: Lay people as protagonists Catholic Action’s secular nature

“Lay people, collaborate with the hierarchy in their own secular way, by bringing forward their experiences and by assuming responsibility for the running of these organizations. They study the circumstances in which pastoral work has to be carried out and draft and execute the plan of action.” (AA 20.b)


Third note: United as an organic body

“The laity act together in the same

way as an organic body so that the

Church is seen better as a community

and so that the apostolate is more

effective.” (AA 20.c)


Fourth note: Under the higher direction of the Hierarchy

These lay people, whether they offer themselves freely or are invited to give their share, cooperate directly with the hierarchy. They all function under the higher direction of the hierarchy itself, which can sanction this cooperation by an explicit «mandate».” (AA 20.d)


Fourth note: Under the higher direction of the Hierarchy

»This means constant and trustful dialogue

among the Bishop, priests and lay people.

»This does not diminish the importance of the

vocation of the laity but rather gives its more

importance. It puts a greater responsibility on

the Association to animate the different spheres

of life.


Catholic Action in Christifideles laici

The Vocation and Mission of the Lay

Faithful in the Church and in the World

Among the various forms of the lay

apostolate which have a particular

relationship to the hierarchy, the Synod

Fathers have singled out various

movements and associations of Catholic

Action in which "indeed, in this organic

and stable form, the lay faithful may freely

associate under the movement of the Holy

Spirit, in communion with their bishop and

priests,

(continues)


The participation of lay faithful in the life of the Church as an Organic Communion

so that in a way proper to their vocation

and with some special method they

might be of service through their

faithfulness and good works to promote

the growth of the entire Christian

community, pastoral activities and

infusing every aspect of life with the

gospel spirit“ (31)


The participation of lay faithful in the life of the Church as an Organic Communion

Catholic Action A specific way and a particular

method of being of service

“The Church cannot do

without Catholic Action.

The Church needs groups

of lay people who, faithful

to their vocation and in

close collaboration with

their legitimate Pastors, are

ready to share with them

the daily hard work of

evangelizing all spheres of

life.”

John Paul II

(Rome, 26 April 2002)

“First and foremost, as an

Association, it should be a

good example of unity.

Notwithstanding the

differences in ages, conditions

of life, geographical distances

and the varied living

circumstances, the association

proves that, in spite of

everything, a spirit of

communion can still prevail.”

John Paul II

(Rome, 8 September 2003)

The three assignments

John Paul II’s legacy to Catholic Action Contemplation, Communion, Mission

Dear CA members, I invite you to renew your ‘yes’ and I entrust you with three assignments:

• Contemplation

• Communion

• Mission

“Dear friends, respond generously to this call to holiness in accordance with the ways that best suit your secular condition! Continue to let yourselves be inspired by the three great "consignments" that my Venerable Predecessor, the Servant of God John Paul II, entrusted to you at Loreto in 2004: contemplation, communion and mission”

Benedict XVI

to Catholic Action

Rome 4 May 2012

catholic action: a particular lay vocation

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