ASIA/JAPAN - Lay ministry, more public witness, for a Church throbbing with life:

Friday, 13 January 2006

Osaka (Fides Service) - To bring back a Church that is throbbing with life and gives more public witness to Jesus Christ, the diocese of Osaka published a pamphlet prepared by the diocesan Lay Ministry Team giving a basic introduction to the idea of lay ministry in the Church. Based on the documents of Vatican II, the pamphlet outlines the modern view of the Church, confirms the role of the laity, classifies the kinds of ministries and emphasises the need to cooperate with the priest.
Starting from the basic idea that everyone has some special talent or charisma, the pamphlet stresses that there is a ministry that fits each person’s situation and circumstances. The aim is also to increase awareness that the Church is very wide and extends far beyond the parish. However the diocesan lay ministry team admits that there are some priests whose attitude to lay ministry is far from positive. The head of the Osaka diocesan lay ministry team layman Shikijima Yasuo said the team’s work in the past five years had clarified the role and of position of the laity but a lack of understanding for lay ministry still persists. He stated “We are not saying ‘take on this duty because we have no priests to do it’. Our aim is to being back a Church that is throbbing with life, a Church that will produce priests”. The pamphlet contains topics for group discussion and sharing and is available on request to other dioceses and institutions.
Recently the necessity to form lay people to collaborate in pastoral work at all levels was stressed by Bishop Kikuchi Isao Niigata. For its part the Japanese Bishops’ Conference has said repeatedly lay that Catholics are called to be ever more present in the sector of school pastoral and in Catholic schools primary channels of evangelisation. (Agenzia Fides 13/1/2006 Righe: 26 Parole: 261)


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