Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kochi (Agenzia Fides) - It is important to help lay Catholics realise that they have great relevance in the pastoral activity of the Church and its mission to carry Christian values to the fields of politics, media, social action and education in India, said Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and president of the CCBI Conference of Indian Catholic Bishops of Latin Rite. During a recent meeting of the Conference, commenting a reported fear of a deliberate attempt on the part of the clergy to exclude the laity from pastoral work, Archbishop Gracias said it was a “misconception to think that the laity are a passive flock”.
The Archbishop called for more collaboration between clergy and lay people in the different church realities, noting that lay Catholics are present in many areas where clergy and religious are denied access. He recalled that the laity have a great potential for evangelising and he stressed also the special contribution offered by Catholic women.
Lay people today must be encouraged to speak about Christ and offer living witness of the faith in the family, in Bible study groups, in work to assist the poor and the excluded. Lay people are signs of hope and they represent a challenge for the clergy and religious, the Archbishop said. “The laity are called to take up leadership in the Church to defend Christian identity in society, to announce the Good News of the Gospel to the poor and work for development in keeping with the Social Doctrine of the Church” he concluded.
A field in which lay people are called to play a major role is the campaign to abolish unjust and exploited ‘anti-conversion’ laws approved in certain states of the Indian Union. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 19/1/2007 righe 26 parole268)
