Lay movements & a synodal Church
Stefan Gigacz, Australian Cardijn Institute
Reshaping Global Catholicism? Comparing Models and Experiences of Synodality
EUARE Conference, St Andrew’s, June 2023
St Stephen, the deacon and martyr
One of seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church.
=> “Archdeacon” because appointed by the original Apostles themselves
=> Hierarchical role in providing social services from the time of the early Church
Synodality: Walking together
Natural (real) entities: Universal church, bishops conferences, dioceses… (geographical)
Voluntary/Intentional (personal) entities: (Religious congregations), lay groups, communities, movements, etc
Hybrid entities: Natural and voluntary aspects => Catholic Action
Synodality Ad Intra: Walking together INSIDE
Synodality Ad Extra: Walking together OUTSIDE with other entities
Walking together => From Top down => Bottom up
=> From Hierarchical (Ordination) => Egalitarian (Baptismal)
History: Liberty of association + Recognition by Church
Roman Empire: Foundations, colleges (universitas), corporations (corpora)
Hospices, orphanages, hospitals, monasteries
Middle Ages: Guilds, fraternities and confraternities, an extension of or a Christian version of Roman law “corporations”
852AD: Hincmar of Reims: Prohibiting some association by diocesan laws
Godefroid Kurth: these corporations doted themselves with their own rules, “a genuine constitution”, and although they were subject to “simple oversight by superior authorities”,” the autonomy of corporations was absolute” and they “ruled sovereignly over everything that concerned them.”
Historical associations
1119: Knights Templar: Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon
Knights of Malta: The Sovereign Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem
1617: Ladies of Charity: Founded by St Vincent de Paul = > Association Internationale des Charités (AIC)
1833: Society of St Vincent de Paul
Founded in France by Frédéric Ozanam & Emmanuel Bailly
=> Sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor
=> Lay people organised as a lay movement independent of the Church hierarchy
1886: Assoc catholique de la jeunesse française (ACJF)
Founded by Count Albert de Mun, legitimist (royalist)
Lay movement of young people from well-off classes
Committed to social action from a counter-revolutionary perspective
Charles Maignen: Chaplain (Accompaniment)
1894: Le Sillon: Social action + Democracy
Founded by Marc Sangnier & students at Stanislas College, Paris
Inspired by 2 encyclicals of Leo XIII
1891: Rerum Novarum: On working class & social problem
1892: Au milieu de sollicitudes: Calling on French people to give up on restoration of monarchy & rally to the Republic
=> “Method of democratic education”
Priests & brothers: Counsellors ≠ directors!
1871: Opera dei Congressi
Founded at a meeting of Catholic leaders in Venice on the 300th anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto
Proposed by Carlo Cazzani, on behalf of the Superior Council of the Catholic Youth Society
=> Defend rights of the Church
=> Promote charitable (& social) action
=> Different tendencies => conflicts 1890-1900s
Closed down by Pius XI in 1904
1905: Pius X, Il Fermo Proposito
22. We must touch on another point of extreme importance, namely, the relation of all the works of Catholic Action to ecclesiastical authority….
It will be readily seen that all those works which directly come to the aid of the spiritual and pastoral ministry of the Church and which labour religiously for the good of souls must in every least thing be subordinated to the authority of the Church and also to the authority of the Bishops placed by the Holy Spirit to rule the Church of God in the dioceses assigned to them.
Moreover, the other works which, as We have said, are primarily designed for the restoration and promotion of true Christian civilisation and which, as explained above, constitute Catholic Action, by no means may be considered as independent of the counsel and direction of ecclesiastical authority, especially since they must all conform to the principles of Christian faith and morality.
1910: Pius X, Notre charge apostolique
“The doctrines of the Revolution and Liberalism which have been so often condemned; such are even today the theories of the Sillon
In the first place… The pretension of the Sillon to escape the jurisdiction of ecclesiastical authority.
“The breath of the Revolution has passed this way - their ideal being akin to that of the Revolution – they fear not to draw between the Gospel and the Revolution blasphemous comparisons.
“Yes, we can truly say that the Sillon, its eyes fixed on a chimera, brings Socialism in its train.
=> The Sillon leaders resigned, the movement closed down
1905: Azione Cattolica (Italiano)
Origin: 1867: Two university students, Mario Fani and Giovanni Acquaderni founded the Società della Gioventù Cattolica Italiana in Bologna with the motto "Prayer, Action, Sacrifice" and four fundamental principles:
obedience to the Pope (" sentire cum Ecclesia" );
an educational project based on the study of religion ;
to live life according to the principles of Christianity ;
a widespread commitment to charity towards the weakest and the poorest.
1905: New constitution based on Il Fermo Proposito => Under hierarchical control
=> Model known later as “Italian Catholic Action” = “Pius X Catholic Action”
1921-25: Pax Romana
1888: Fribourg: Provisional committee to bring students together
1921: International Congress of Catholic students in Fribourg, Switzerland
1925: Confederatio studentium universi terrarium orbis catholica
Council of Delegates
President: Max Gressly (Switzerland) Secretary: Giuseppe Spataro (Italy)
Honorary President: Bishop of Lausanne, Fribourg and Geneva
1925: La Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne (JOC)
Founded by Belgian priest, Joseph Cardijn, with lay leaders, based on the Sillon model
Sillon method of democratic education => Method of lay apostolate formation
=> See-judge-act method
Difference from Sillon:
=> Autonomy of lay leadership + Chaplains appointed by hierarchy
=> Partnership model: Clergy at service of lay leadership
=> Specialised Catholic Action = Belgian/French Catholic Action = Pius XI/XII model
1933: Conference of Presidents/International Catholic Organisations
Informal meetings between various international Catholic organisations during the 1930s
Pius XI didn’t want an organised structure that might interfere with Vatican diplomacy
1953: New constitution as Conference of International Catholic Organisations
=> “Protocols” for recognition of each organisation by the Holy See
1951 & 1957: World Congresses on Lay Apostolate
An initiative of Vittorino Veronese, Italian Catholic Action leader and member of Pax Romana
≠ Congress on Catholic Action!
= Congress on Lay Apostolate
=> COPECIAL: Permanent Committee for International Lay Apostolate Congresses
=> Members appointed by the Holy See
Bishop Emile De Smedt
1961: Pastoral Letter: The priesthood of the faithful
1962 conciliar speech: ‘We must be careful lest in speaking about the Church we fall into a kind of hierarchism, clericalism, episcopolatry, or papolatry. What is most important is the People of God; to this People of God, to this Bride of the Word, to this living Temple of the Holy Spirit, the hierarchy must supply its humble services so that it may grow and reach perfect manhood, the fullness of Christ.’
Vatican II: 50 lay auditors
Third Session 1964:
23 new auditors have been appointed to the Council. The 15 women are : Signora Alda Micelli (Italy), president general of the ‘Regalita di Cristo missionaries; Sefiora Pilar Bellosillo (Spain), president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations ; Miss Rosemary Goldie (Australia), executive secretary of COPECIAL ; Mlle. Marie-Louise Monnet (France), president of the International Middle Class Movement ; Miss Anna Maria Roeloffzen (Netherlands), secretary of the International Federation of Young Catholic Women… (The Tablet)
=> Representing their movements/organisations
Cardijn: Roman centre on lay apostolate
1. Most of all this Centre should have a role of information, formation, liaison and animation. It should on one hand inform the hierarchical authorities on current trends, problems, and experiences of the lay apostolate; while on the other hand, it should welcome and faithfully communicate the inspirations and suggestions of the Hierarchy to lay leaders. Ultimately, it should be the summit of dialogue between Hierarchy and laity within the Church itself. Thus, it is not to be the Secretariat of the Hierarchy for controlling or supervising the laity but it should much more be a secretariat of the laity for the Hierarchy, and in view of collaboration with other institutions and organisations outside the Church.
2. This Centre… should be the expression of the apostolate of lay people in the Church, based on the continents and races – for youth as well as for adults – for the various milieux of life and modes of lay life – in view of the problems of coordination and collaboration with public and private institutions at the multiple levels of apostolic action – etc. This is why it cannot be a superstructure, a sort of umbrella body imposed from outside or artificially but should be a peak body, a summit supported by a real and palpable base.
Its value will depend in the first instance on the reality that it represents, namely the concrete existence and consistency of that on which it is built. The centre itself will not impose itself from on high; rather it will grow based on the existing and living lay apostolate.
3. As a result, its direction and leaders must also come and rise from the base, in full submission to the Hierarchy. The fact that its leaders will both come from the movements and will be able to speak in their name, and at the same time will be nominated by the Holy See will evidently provide a test of the value given to the role of lay people in the Church.
AA26: Diocesan Councils
26. In dioceses, insofar as possible, there should be councils which assist the apostolic work of the Church either in the field of evangelisation and sanctification or in the charitable, social, or other spheres, and here it is fitting that the clergy and Religious should cooperate with the laity.
While preserving the proper character and autonomy of each organization, these councils will be able to promote the mutual coordination of various lay associations and enterprises.
Councils of this type should be established as far as possible also on the parochial, interparochial, and interdiocesan level as well as in the national or international sphere.
AA26: Holy See Secretariat for Lay Apostolate
A special secretariat, moreover, should be established at the Holy See for the service and promotion of the lay apostolate.
It can serve as a well-equipped center for communicating information about the various apostolic programs of the laity, promoting research into modern problems arising in this field, and assisting the hierarchy and laity in their apostolic works with its advice.
The various movements and projects of the apostolate of the laity throughout the world should also be represented in this secretariat, and here clergy and Religious also are to cooperate with the laity.
AA26: Movements have a role
Latin: In hoc secretariatu varii motus et incepta apostolatus laicorum in universo mundo existentia suas partes habeant, cooperantibus cum laicis etiam clericis et religiosis.
English: In this secretariat, the various movements and projects of the apostolate of the lay people in the whole world should have their role, cooperating with the lay people as well as the clergy and religious.
French: Les divers mouvements et organisations apostoliques des laïcs du monde entier devraient être parties prenantes de ce secrétariat où se retrouveraient aussi des clercs pour collaborer avec les laïcs.
ICO proposal for choice of lay members
Lay members of the envisaged Concilium de Laicis should be nominated as follows:
One part by the Conference of International Catholic Organisations,
another part from representatives of different movements of the laity organised on a national level, with the provision for an equal distribution according to continents, languages and kinds of apostolic movements;
a third part, a minority, of eminent catholic personalities chosen according to their personal competence.
The members from these two latter categories should be chosen from lists presented by national Councils of the lay apostolate mentioned in paragraph two of number 26 of the Conciliar Decree.
Fiévez: Not what World Congresses wanted
When COPECIAL was de facto recognised, it bore the seeds of the future Council of the Laity. The members of COPECIAL were taken over by the Council of the Laity created by the Council, with a semblance of democratic structure.
Its president was Cardinal Roy (fortunately) and its secretary Mgr Glorieux.
It had ten or twelve full members, including Ric Vendrik from Holland, Branca Alves from Brazil and myself, who were the opponents.
There were also twelve consultants, all bishops or archbishops, including Wojtyla, who was as silent as a carp.
This Council, whose orientation has become rotten (s’est pourrie), was not at all what the World Congress and Veronese had wanted. A fortiori Cardijn! Gradually, it became what it is today (1990s): the Pontifical Council for the Laity, i.e. a Roman dicastery, the supreme authority of the laity!
Statutes of Dicastery for Laity, Family & Life
Art. 3
§ 1. The Dicastery has its own members, among whom there are lay faithful, men and women, celibates and married couples, coming from different areas of expertise and from different parts of the world in such a way as to reflect the Church’s universal character.
§ 2. The Dicastery arranges for its own Consultors.
=> Apostolicam Actuositatem §26 ≠ Implemented
When will AA26 be implemented?
Diocesan and national level
Diocesan Councils promoting “the mutual coordination of various lay associations and enterprises”
Global level
“A special secretariat, moreover, should be established at the Holy See for the service and promotion of the lay apostolate… The various movements and projects of the apostolate of the laity throughout the world should also be represented in this secretariat, and here clergy and Religious also are to cooperate with the laity.”
Australian Plenary Council 2021-22
=> No representation of lay movements
Except Society of St Vincent de Paul
2021-24: Synod on Synodality
Question:
Where are the lay movements and organisations represented in the Synodal process???
Caritas Internationalis: Still clerical!
ONE lay president in 72 years of history replacing deceased bishop
Every other president was a bishop or cardinal
Similar clerically-dominated structures at national level
Conclusion
Ad Intra: Movements and associations => Often already have very synodal structures and ways of working/walking together => Offer models and experience
Ad Extra: Lay and baptismal movements have been largely ignored in the context of developing synodality => Needs to change