This just in...Lay Movements

Courtesy of CNS (via Amy Welborn):

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Lay movements that enjoyed the strong support of Pope John Paul II believe they have an even stronger ally in Pope Benedict XVI.

In fact, one of the first meetings Pope Benedict has convoked on his own initiative -- rather than confirming a gathering originally planned under his predecessor -- is a Pentecost 2006 encounter with lay-movement representatives.

Leaders of 29 movements and communities, including the Focolare movement, Communion and Liberation, the Community of Sant'Egidio, L'Arche and the charismatic renewal, met in late June with officials of the Pontifical Council for the Laity to begin planning the encounter.

The movements involved are groups of mainly lay people who have a specific itinerary of prayer and formation and, usually, a particular mission or outreach such as evangelization, faith education, charitable work or social justice advocacy.

Read the whole story here.

An Interview...

I know it has been a while since I posted here. We will try to catch up on some things....

Russell Shaw was interviewed by ZENIT on "Why Vatican II Emphasized Lay Apostolate". The whole interview is well worth reading, (11/28/05 daily dispatch) but here are a couple key excerpts:

Q: According to the document, the laity are not limited to apostolate in their parish. National and even international apostolate is encouraged. What does this mean for a layperson?

Shaw: The parish is not the primary place where lay apostolate takes place. Nor is some other Church structure or institution the preferred setting for the apostolate of the laity. Lay apostolate is properly directed to, and takes place in, the secular world. As "Apostolicam Actuositatem" puts it, lay people "ought to take on themselves as their distinctive task this renewal of the temporal order" [No. 7].

Our current overemphasis on lay activity within ecclesiastical institutions and structures arises from the overemphasis on lay ministries since the 1970s. The Second Vatican Council said very, very little about lay ministry.

In speaking about the participation of lay people in the Church's mission, it spoke mainly about lay apostolate, and it made it overwhelmingly clear that this is primarily apostolate that carries the Gospel out into the world. Don't misunderstand -- lay ministry is a good thing. But by stressing ministry instead of apostolate, as is now commonly done, we are getting what the Council intended exactly backward.

Q: What is the place of apostolic and spiritual formation, in light of the call to apostolate?

Shaw:...There is another crucial -- and commonly ignored -- point about the formation of the laity which Pope John Paul makes in his apostolic exhortation "Christifideles Laici." It is that lay formation is, or at least it should be, specifically vocational in nature.

"The fundamental objective of the formation of the lay faithful," he says, "is an ever-clearer discovery of one's vocation and the ever-greater willingness to live it out so as to fulfill one's mission" [No. 58]. The Pope is talking about forming the laity for vocational discernment. The lay groups and movements seem to take that seriously. I wish more people did.

Reminder...

Here's the blurb from Ave Maria Radio about Russell Shaw's interview tonight:

On the Next Kresta in the Afternoon
Mon., Nov. 21 - The US bishops spent a great deal of time in their annual meeting on the role of the laity. Russell Shaw joins us to discuss the Catholic Laity and the Mission of the Catholic Church. We also look at the feast of Mary, Queen of Peace.

And remember his book signing at the Catholic Information Center tomorrow evening at 6:00 PM. Details here.

The Bishops Meeting ... Lay Ministry

An excerpt from this report coming out of the Bishops' annual meeting:

The bishops approved new rules and expectations for the American church's 30,632 "lay ecclesial ministers," many of whom are filling tasks that used to be exclusively assigned to clergy. In some parishes, for instance, they conduct weddings and baptisms.The debate showed that a number of bishops worry that the term "minister" undercuts the status of priests. But it has come into common use for lay professionals who are certified and authorized by bishops.

Addressing that issue, the final text emphasizes the gap in status between lay workers and the clergy.Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., who chaired the drafting committee on lay ministers, told a news conference that the church has long had lay religious educators but what's new is the laity handling pastoral and administrative work."That role has evolved because of the shortage of priests," he said.

Personally, I would like to see the "new rules and expectations" look like...

Russell Shaw will be discussing this and his new book "Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church" on Monday (11/21) evening with Al Kresta (Ave Maria Radio). Check it out. (Local radio affiliates carrying the show are listed in the link - or I think you can listen over the internet.)

Booksignings....

Russell Shaw will be signing his new book "Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church" at the Catholic Information Center in Washington DC (1501 K Street NW) at 6:00 PM on Tuesday 22 November. If you are in the area, stop by. (I will post another reminder next week).

John Meehan will be signing his newest book, "Two Towers: the de-Christianization of America and a Plan for Renewal" on December 6th at 7:00 PM in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church parish hall (Louden Road, Concord, NH). If you are in that area, stop by.

Of course if you can't make either signing, you can still get either of these important books here!

This post by the man with the black hat hits the nail on the head when he writes:

But if the example of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin are any indication, we don't need the bishop's permission, or a masters in theology, to perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in our lives.

and later:

There was a time when, for a group to publicly call itself "Catholic," it had to obtain the permission of the local bishop. This manner of structuring the lay apostolate, known as "Catholic Action," ensured the integrity of identity of the endeavor or endeavors. That way, if you were in the business of, say, placing children for adoption, there was a priority on placement in homes dedicated to sharing with these little ones the gift of the Faith. This, as opposed to whatever your Federal grant money, or some feminazi nun with an attitude problem, told you to do (unmarried couples, gay couples, et cetera). Or if you were a doctor who worked at a free clinic operating as "Catholic," it was safe to say you weren't handing out condoms. But it's different now. Even an "official" Catholic charitable work is problematic. You can read all about them in the Catholic blogosphere.

Courtesy of Zenit:

Thirteen Mexicans martyred during the religious persecution of the 1920s will be beatified in Guadalajara next Sunday according to Benedict XVI's new guidelines. Among the martyrs who died during the so-called Cristero war of 1926-1929, the most outstanding is Anacleto González Flores. He was a lay leader who was very active from 1915 until the year of his martyrdom, 1927, at the hands of the federal army commanded by Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles. González Flores founded the Popular Union, better known as the "U," a movement that included labor, women and farmers. It promoted catechesis and actively opposed the local and federal governments in their measures to suppress religious freedom.

González Flores was arrested on March 31, 1927, and martyred the following day. His executioners hanged him by his thumbs and then, at bayonet point, kept torturing him to disclose the whereabouts of the archbishop of Guadalajara and other leaders of the Cristero Revolution. Finally, the steel blade fatally pierced his heart. At the same time, his companions in the struggle and martyrdom were shot in the courtyard of the same prison.

Flores asked to be killed after his companions, so as to be able to console them. Before dying, González Flores told the general in charge: "I forgive you from my heart; we will soon meet before the divine tribunal, the same judge who will judge me will judge you; then you will have an intercessor in me with God."

You would think living in the neighboring country, we would hear more about the Mexican martyrs. This month the Knights of Columbus Magazine, "Columbia" had a short piece on some of these martyrs, but in general they are off the radar screen. Even growing up attending Catholic schools, we never heard of Catholic persecution in Mexico-or perhaps I wasn't paying attention?. [This would be a good subject for book - (maybe bi-lingual) for Requiem Press - any authors out there?]

Sunday's Angelus...

Angelus address of Pope Benedict XVI - 13 November 2005:

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Proclaimed blessed this morning in St. Peter's Basilica were the Servants of God Charles de Foucauld, presbyter; Maria Pia Mastena, founder the Sisters of the Holy Face; and Maria Crocifissa Curcio, of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. They are added to the great number of blessed who, during John Paul II's pontificate, were proposed to the veneration of the ecclesial communities in which they lived, with the awareness of what the Second Vatican Council intensely stressed, namely, that those who are baptized are called to the perfection of Christian life: priests, religious and laity, each one according to his own charism and specific vocation.

In fact, the Council paid great attention to the role of the lay faithful, dedicating a whole chapter to them, the fourth, of the constitution "Lumen Gentium" on the Church to define their vocation and mission, rooted in baptism and confirmation, and oriented to "seek[ing] the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God" (No. 31).

On Nov. 18, 1965, the fathers approved a specific decree on the apostolate of the laity, "Apostolicam Actuositatem." Above all it stresses that "the success of the lay apostolate depends upon the laity's living union with Christ" (No. 4), that is, a solid spirituality, nourished by active participation in the liturgy and expressed in the style of the evangelical beatitudes.

Of great importance for the laity, moreover, are professional competence, a sense of family, a civic sense and social values. Although they are called individually to offer their personal testimony, especially precious wherever the freedom of the Church finds impediments, the Council stressed the importance of the organized apostolate, necessary to influence the general mentality, social conditions and institutions (cf. No. 18). In this connection, the fathers encouraged the various lay associations, insisting also on their formation in the apostolate. Our beloved Pope John Paul II wished to dedicate the 1987 synodal assembly to the topic of the vocation and mission of the laity, after which the apostolic exhortation "Christifideles Laici" was published.

In conclusion, I would like to recall that last Sunday in the Cathedral of Vicenza a mother of a family was beatified, Eurosia Fabris, known as "Mamma Rosa," model of Christian life in the lay state. Let us commend all the people of God to all those who are already in the heavenly homeland, to all our saints and, first of all, to Mary Most Holy and her husband, Joseph, so that in every baptized person the awareness will grow of being called to work with commitment and fruitfulness in the vineyard of the Lord. (courtesy of Zenit)

Lay Spirituality....

I can't believe it has been a whole week since the last post here on Catholic Laity. I have been reading the November issue of crisis Magazine. Their cover story, "Benedict and the 'True Time' of Vatican II", by Randy Boyagoda-unfortunately not available online, is worth the read.

Below is an excerpt from John Meehan's Two Towers (of course available from Requiem Press) on Lay Spirituality and Vatican II.

Genuine lay spirituality embraces all the activities of and integrates practically a lay person’s baptismal and human existence. Whether in marriage or in single, celibate life, even in the most ordinary conditions and commonplace situations of daily living, from regular labor to social and family engagements, there the laity are immersed in the practicality of lay spirituality. ....

The Fathers of Vatican Council II place lay spirituality in its proper setting. The setting in place has surpassed, sometimes with difficulty, the petty idea that a lay person has no specific spirituality; or, if he or she has one, it is limited to a number of external devotional practices that, more or less, are artificially imposed on their duties in life; or, more fallaciously, devotional practices replace the duties of his or her state in life; or, more destructively, he or she is taught to imitate clerical or consecrated religious spirituality. It certainly would have been of little use for the Council Fathers to proclaim the ecclesial right of lay people to their own spirituality, to allow the laity to follow their own spirituality within the unity of the Catholic Church, unless they were given adequate freedom to exercise that right fully. Within the basic unity of lay spirituality, then, the unique features of a particular lay person’s spirituality is not only to be recognized, it must be guarded.

Sudden death...

This Sunday we will hear the gospel of the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins. It seems appropriate as the Church ends its year that we meditate on our own death-especially as we remember in November, first those who have received their reward in Heaven when we celebrate All Saints Day, and those for whom we especially pray for as they are still waiting in the cleansing of Purgatory.

I was browsing again through the writings of my favorite lay saint, Thomas More. Here is a humorous story he recounts in his "Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation" which warns us of the folly of being unprepared for the Bridegroom:

"They tell of one that was wont always to say, that all the while he lived he would do what he list (wished), for three words, when he died, should make all safe enough. But then so happed it, that long ere he were old, his horse once stumbled upon a broken bridge, and as he laboured to recover him, when he saw it would not be, but down into the flood headlong needs he should; in a sudden flight he cried out in the falling, “Have all to the devil!” (or “Well, I’ll be damned!”) And there he was drowned with his three words ere he died, whereon his hope hung all his wretched life. And, therefore, let no man sin in hope of grace: for grace cometh but at God’s will… "

The version of "Dialogue" I quote from was published around 1909 and is very faithful to a version of the orginal work published in 1573. Of course Scepter Publishers has a modern translation of a "Dialogue" in which this story retains all its charm.

more Catholic subculture and Catholic fiction

The discussion on 'Catholic' fiction and to a lesser extent subculture started at People of the Book. We picked up on the Catholic subculture mention yesterday in a larger context below, and Amy Welborn's blog picked up the 'Catholic' fiction discussion here. However towards the end of the discussion, Daniel Nichols of Caelum et Terra mentions that he wrote a lengthy piece on Catholic subculture in the last issue of the magazine Caelum et Terra - which unfortunately is not online. Personally, I would like to see that essay...

Catholic Subculture

In 2001 Russell Shaw wrote an article (read the original at CatholicExchange.com here) about restoring the Catholic subculture in this country. He wrote:

"That means rebuilding a subculture. With all its limitations, the one of the past had some important strengths. Indeed, for a time back in the 1940s and 1950s it may have positioned the Catholic community to become the main culture-forming agent in America. But the subculture was scrapped, the moment passed, the opportunity lost."

Yesterday I was reading about Catholic publishing houses and the renewal of Catholic fiction at People of the Book. Regina Doman is quoted as saying (original article here) that "the fact remains that a steadily growing number of Catholics, especially Catholic parents, are searching for alternative culture and are putting their money towards creating one. And this subculture that is being created through their buying choices does include (or will include) entertainment. "

She also says, "There is also the growing perception among Catholics that mainstream values and culture are becoming increasingly amoral and sometimes anti-Catholic, which in many cases causes them to try to create or search for alternative forms of culture."

In his new book, "Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church" (yes it was released on 1 November and is ready for shipment-order your copy today here), Russell Shaw again brings to fore the necessity of a Catholic subculture:

"The new Catholic subculture must instead be built upon an infrastructure of dynamically orthodox institutions, programs, and movements committed to forming and motivating Catholics for the evangelization of the secular world. Here and there, it may be starting to happen. If it is to succeed, lay women and men must play a key role."

I think on one hand, Catholics, especially Catholic families are desiring a renewal of a Catholic subculture - for the healthy upbringing and formation of their children and for the spiritual lives of the parents. [See also the discussions which arise from time to time on some blogs about Catholic Resettlement proposals - sorry, can't find the links this morning-these are really desires for a Catholic subculture). On the other hand there is a need for a Catholic subculture to be the basis for the evangelization of the larger culture. These two reasons for a renewed Catholic subculture are necessarily complimentary and must go hand-in-hand: we can't hide from the larger world in our own enclaves, (putting our candles under the bushel basket); yet we cannot kneel to the values of the secular culture we live in either.

The solution is a new Catholic subculture. And as Russell Shaw says, "Here and there, it may be starting to happen" ...

Feast of All Souls

Following is the introduction (minus 1 paragraph) to "Daily Prayers for the Church Suffering-a committment to praying for the holy souls in purgatory", which was Requiem Press' very first release:

“It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” 2 Macc. 12:46

“There shall not enter into it anything defiled…” Apoc. 21:27

Praying for the souls of the dead is a tradition which goes back to our Jewish heritage. Judas Machebeus collected silver to send to Jerusalem to be offered for the sins of those fallen in battle. He understood that nothing unclean or defiled could stand before God and therefore provided for the offerings for the souls of those who had died so that they could see God. Reading of thePsalms bears out this understanding: “Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest in thy holy hill? He that walketh without blemish …” (Ps. 14:1-2)

Our Catholic heritage is no less rich in the theology of praying for the souls of our beloved departed. In the gospel of St. Matthew, in the parable of the unjust servant, our Lord tells us that our debts must be paid. (“And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt” - Mt. 18:34).

St. Paul says that we are saved only through fire (1 Cor. 3:15). St. Peter likens our trials to gold being tested by fire. (1 Peter 1:7).

The councils of Lyons II (1274 A.D.), Florence (1439 A.D.) and Trent (1563 A.D.) reaffirmed earlier traditions in the Church of the existence and purpose of purgatory – that place where those who have departed in the love of God but before complete satisfaction has been made for their sins may be purged in order that they can approach God unblemished. Further, the custom and tradition of the Church Militant – the faithful left here on earth–of praying, sacrificing, and giving alms on behalf of those souls in purgatory to make satisfaction for their sins and thus to shorten their time of purging, was reaffirmed by these councils also.

Purgatory is truly a grace of God because it is the nature of God which demands that those approaching be unblemished, and thus without purgatory, many would never reach Heaven.

St. Catherine of Genoa wrote that the soul, upon death, finally free of worldly attachments, is able to see itself as it really is; seeing the stains from its sins and desiring God, the soul throws itself into the fires of purgatory to be cleansed in preparation for the audience with God.

These holy souls in purgatory, the Church Suffering, can not help themselves. The Church Triumphant, those who have entered into their Heavenly reward; the Church Suffering; and the Church Militant – these three are in reality one Communion of Saints. As the Church Militant we ask the Church Triumphant to intercede for us before God; we offer our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving to aid the Church Suffering. At every Mass during the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray for the souls of our departed loved ones, those gone before us “marked with the sign of faith.”

With all this Catholic tradition, however, it seems that prayers for the holy souls in purgatory have waned as a private devotion in recent years. Funeral notices for Catholics rarely plead for Masses to be said for the departed. The Truth that God is all-merciful has been distorted to exclude the notion of purgatory–even though this exclusion distorts the true nature of God and the true nature of God’s mercy.

It is hoped that this simple exercise [offering a short prayer for the holy souls], taking less than two minutes every day, will become a habitual and devout practice among the Church Militant so that the Church Suffering may be aided and granted their deepest longings.

This practice too, will help us advance in our own spiritual life. These prayers will help us to contemplate more fully our own day of judgment, our own longing for God, and our devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the altar. The devout practice of prayer and sacrifice for the holy souls focuses our attention on our own sinfulness and on our own need for God’s mercy. This act of charity for our suffering brethren will help us to become less selfish and more detached from the worldliness around us. The more we love, the more we have the capacity to accept God’s love for us.

Since the practice of praying for the souls in purgatory has slowed- many, many souls are waiting and longing for God; with no help coming from us. We need to be more prayerful. We need to pray for our priests and bishops-and for those priests and bishops suffering in purgatory. We need to pray for our family and friends – and for those family and friends suffering in purgatory. We need to pray for the conversion of sinners–and for those suffering in purgatory who have no one praying for them.

By praying for these souls that long for God, may our own longing for God be increased.

Oremus pro invicem! – Let us pray for each other!

Eternal rest grant to them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.