杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

Laypeople in the Church can and must carry out many instituted ministries, supplementary services, assignments and offices, which, however, should "never become self-referential鈥�, but always tend "to transform society" by bringing Christian values into the world.

杏MAP导航 Francis made this remark on Saturday in his address to the members of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life as they concluded their Plenary Assembly on the theme 鈥淭he laity and ministeriality in the synodal Church鈥�.

Welcoming the participants in the Clementine Hall, the 杏MAP导航 reaffirmed that "the willingness to serve the brethren, and in them, to serve Christ" is the true motivation that must inspire any faithful who assumes an ecclesial task and  any commitment to Christian witness in the reality where he or she lives鈥�

The origin of the ministeriality of the Church

Referring to the theme of the three-day session, 杏MAP导航 Francis reflected on the meaning of ministeriality in the Church and on the role of laypeople in this context.

He noted that when we speak of Church ministries in general, the thought immediately goes to 鈥渋nstituted鈥�  ministries such as the ones of lector, acolyte, and catechist 鈥渨hich are all well known鈥�.

However, he said, these instituted ministries 鈥渄o not represent the full extent of the ministeriality of the Church, which is broader and, ever since the first Christian communities, regards all the faithful鈥�.  

The  common priesthood of all the faithful based on Baptism

The 杏MAP导航 recalled that its origin lies in Baptism and in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, the Sacrament is "the root of the common priesthood of all the faithful which is in turn expressed in the ministries鈥�.

This is because all the baptized 鈥� whether lay people, celibate, married people, priests, religious 鈥� are Christifideles, that is believers in Christ, 鈥渁nd are therefore required to take part in the mission He entrusted to the Church, also through the assumption of specific ministries鈥�.

The ministry of the laity in particular, the 杏MAP导航 continued, also 鈥渟tems from the charism that the Holy Spirit distributes within the People of God for its edification鈥�. This, the 杏MAP导航 said, explains even more clearly why the ministeriality of the Church cannot "be reduced merely to instituted ministries, but rather embraces a far vaster field鈥�.

Participating  in the prophetic and regal function of Christ

Even today, "as in the first Christian communities,  faced with particular pastoral needs, without resorting to the institution of ministries, pastors can entrust certain supplementary functions to laypeople, that is, temporary services, as in the case of the proclamation of the Word of the distribution of the Eucharist.鈥�

Moreover, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued, 鈥渂esides the instituted ministries, supplementary services, and other regularly entrusted offices, the laity can carry out a range of tasks, which express their participation in the prophetic and regal function of Christ: not only within the Church, but also in the environments where they live鈥�, for example in reaching out to those affected by old and new forms of poverty, including migrants.

Family ministry

The 杏MAP导航 also mentioned the field of family ministry which is all the more relevant today in light of the many challenges the family is facing and which was another focus of the Plenary.

Recalling the magisterium of 杏MAP导航 St. John Paul II and of 杏MAP导航 St. Paul VI, 杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted, amongst other things,  the educational mission of the family as a ministry of evangelization.

Mission and service

All these ministries, services, assignments and offices, the 杏MAP导航 emphasized, 鈥渕ust never become self-referential鈥� and have two fundamental things in common: "Mission and service", because they  "are an expression of the one mission of the Church and all are forms of service to others鈥�.

Only by serving the brethren 鈥渁nd in them, Christ鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis concluded, will 鈥渁ll the baptized be able to discover the meaning of their own life, joyfully experiencing being 鈥榓 mission on this earth鈥� that is, being called, in different ways and forms, to 鈥榖ring light, bless, enliven, raise up, heal and free鈥�.