Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 75 No. 1, 2005.
Original scientific paper
Lay Persons in the Teaching Office of the Church
Josip Šalković
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Assuming an acquaintance with the general legal position of lay persons pursuant to canon law, the author of the article focuses on the participation of lay persons in the teaching office of the Church, pursuant to the provisions of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. The provisions of the Code of Canon Law regarding the teaching office were inspired by the Second Vatican Council and stress the duties and rights of all Christ's faithful (Cann. 211), whether individually or in society, to strive so that all persons throughout the world may become acquainted with and accept the divine message of salvation (Cann. 225). The duty and right to spread Christian messages of salvation are a consequence of baptism, incorporation in Christ, in whom the lay faithful constitute the people of God and become parts of Christ's prophetic office (Cann. 204, § 1). The participation of the laity in the teaching office is generally regulated in Cann. 229, which speaks about the duty and right to acquire a certain level of Christian doctrine. In order to obtain the entire general legal position of the lay faithful in the teaching office, it is necessary to compare Cann. 229 with Cann. 210, 211; 214, 216, 217, 218, 225, § 1. The legal and practical provisions of the general law are presented in Book III of the Code (The Teaching Office of the Church). The most specific area of the participation of the laity in the teaching office occurs in catechesis (Cann. 773—780), the missionary activity of the Church (Cann. 781—792), Catholic education (Cann. 793-821) and the use of the means of social communication (Cann. 822-832). The specific quality of this participation is evident in the preaching of God's word (Cann. 762-772). The current Code, in contrast to the previous one, gives the lay faithful an important role in the teaching office, which is also understood to mean their co-responsibility in various Church organizations such as councils (Cann. 339, § 2; 443, §3, 3°, § 4, § 5), synods (Cann. 463, § 1, 5°, § 2; 466), and diocesan and parish councils (Cann. 492; 512; 536; 537).
Keywords
Code of Canon Law; teaching office of the Church; Church offices; lay faithful; duties and rights of the laity
Hrčak ID:
24696
URI
Publication date:
7.9.2005.
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