Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) - Lay Catholics must receive proper formation if they are to play their proper role in the Church, said the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Archbishop Oswald Gracias at the end of a Bishops’ Conference Assembly in Kerala. In view of this priority the Bishops chose as the theme of their 19 general assembly next year 2007 “The role of the laity for the Church’s life and mission”.
The Bishops agreed that few lay people receive the formation necessary to enable them to fulfil their important duties in the community. To fully understand the situation the Bishops commissioned a study diffused with a questionnaire in the local Church, among priests, religious and lay people to investigate the present situation and offer elements useful for the future.
The Bishops said they wish to hear the laity’s needs and aspirations. Lay Catholics are called to play a leading role in the Church and in society to defend the Christian identity and an important task of evangelisation in keeping with the social doctrine of the Church.
The Assembly stressed the role of the laity in the Church, as encouraged by Vatican II, and called on lay people to help in the campaign launched by the Church in India to make known to non Christians the authentic face of the Catholic community.
There is a new awareness among the laity, adults and young people. Many decide to give some years of their life to mission, leaving jobs to dedicate themselves to evangelisation, works of charity of social services. The laity today carry out a good part of missionary work, starting with the family, from small groups which grow, making Word of God and love for the poor the centre of life. There is a new awareness among lay people and young people of their responsibility as baptised Catholics to spread the Good News of the Gospel in society and in the whole world. (Agenzia Fides 18/7/2006 righe 29 parole 296)
