Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life
By Alessandro Di Bussolo
The desire to embrace men and women of all conditions, cultures, and geographical origins led 杏MAP导航 Francis, in 2016, to establish this new structure within the Holy See, combining the responsibilities of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. The areas of its competence “concern the daily lives of many people,” said 杏MAP导航 Francis, and this makes it a “popular” dicastery. The Prefect, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, is assisted in the leadership of the dicastery by the Adjunct Secretary, Bishop Dario Gervasi, and the Secretary, Doctor Gleison De Paula Souza.
Historical Notes
Established by 杏MAP导航 Francis in August 2016 with the motu proprio Sedula Mater, the Dicastery brought together the competences concerning the laity, the family, and life, previously entrusted to the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family.
The former was created by St. Paul VI in 1967, with the motu proprio Catholicam Christi Ecclesiam, which put into practice a proposal from the Second Vatican Council’s decree Apostolicam actuositatem. With its “youth section,” established by St. John Paul II, the Pontifical Council for the Laity—now the Dicastery—has been involved in organising World Youth Day since 1985, in collaboration with local committees. In June 1988, the 杏MAP导航 delineated its competences and structure with the apostolic constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia.
The Dicastery for the Family, for its part, was established by John Paul II with the motu proprio Familia a Deo instituta in 1981, replacing the Committee for the Family that had been created by Paul VI in 1973. Since 1994, the Year of the Family, the Pontifical Council for the Family—now the Dicastery—has been responsible for organising the World Meetings of Families, starting with the first one held in Rome.
Competence
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, is responsible for promoting the apostolate of the lay faithful, the pastoral care of young people, the family and its mission according to God’s plan, the elderly, and the promotion and protection of life. It promotes the vocation and mission of all lay people, both as individuals and as members of associations, movements and communities, in every sphere, civil and ecclesial.
The Dicastery expresses the Church’s concern for young people, promoting their active engagement with the challenges of the world. It supports the 杏MAP导航’s initiatives in the field of youth ministry and is at the service of Episcopal Conferences and international youth associations and movements, in order to promote collaboration and the organization meetings at the international level. The Dicastery contributes to ecclesial reflection on the identity and mission of women and men in the Church and in society by promoting their participation, valuing their feminine and masculine characteristics, and developing models of leadership roles for women in the Church.
It studies issues relating to cooperation between the laity and ordained ministers, by virtue of Baptism, in order to foster in both a sense of shared responsibility for the life and mission of the Church. Its task is to evaluate and approve proposals from Episcopal Conferences regarding the establishment of new ministries and ecclesiastical offices to be entrusted to the laity, according to the needs of particular Churches.
The Dicastery accompanies the life and development of associations of the faithful and ecclesial movements. It recognises or erects those of an international character in accordance with the provisions of canon law and approves their statutes, without prejudice to the competence of the Secretariat of State. It deals with any appeals relating to the associative life and apostolate of the laity.
The Dicastery promotes the pastoral care of marriage and the family based on the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church. It works to ensure the recognition of the rights and duties of spouses and the family in the Church, society, the economy, and politics. It promotes international meetings and events. In coordination with the Dicasteries for Evangelisation and for Culture and Education, it supports the development and dissemination of models for transmitting the faith in families and encourages parents to live their faith concretely in their daily lives. With the support of experts, it studies and explores the causes of crises in marriages and families. Further, it gathers and proposes models of pastoral accompaniment for those who are civilly divorced and remarried, and also for those who live in situations of polygamy.
The Dicastery supports initiatives in favour of responsible procreation, as well as the protection of human life from conception to its natural end, taking into account the needs of the person in the different stages of development. It promotes and encourages organisations and associations that help families and individuals to responsibly welcome and protect the gift of life, especially in the case of difficult pregnancies, and to prevent recourse to abortion.
It studies the main problems of biomedicine and law relating to human life, in dialogue with the various theological disciplines and other relevant sciences. It examines developing theories concerning human life and the reality of the human race, in conjunction with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Congregation collaborates with the Pontifical Academy for Life and with the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences.
Walking together to evangelise
Meeting with participants in a conference organized by the Dicastery in February 2023, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, “How I wish that all of us might cherish in mind and heart this lovely vision of the Church! A Church that is intent on mission, where all join forces and walk together to proclaim the Gospel. A Church in which what binds us together is our being baptized Christians, our belonging to Jesus. A Church marked by fraternity between laity and pastors, as all work side-by-side each day in every sphere of pastoral life, for they are all baptized.”
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
