Original scientific paper
Parish Catechesis in the Renewal of a Parish Community. Involvement of the Lay Faithful in Pastoral Activities
Ivica Pažin
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Teologija u Đakovu
Abstract
The conception of a parish community, its life and activities seems to be clearly defined and determined. Nevertheless, in spite of the excellent conclusions of certain documents of the Second Vatican Council, and numerous later created pastoral and catechetic guidelines and most recent document of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference: “Parish catechesis in the renewal of a parish community – plan and programme”, we are becoming aware of the fact that the very “tissue of the Church – parish community”, is in fact, the community which has to pass the way from the community “provided for” to the engaged community, if it really wants to be the living tissue of the Gospel and of the Good News. Parish catechesis and the engagement of the lay faithful, seen from the perspective of the reflections on the role of priests in this process, are only some of the elements elaborated in this article. To overcome the notion “if we cannot change facts, let’s change the terminology”, the article presents some reflections on parish communities from the point of view of theology and ecclesiology, on the role of the new Programme in parish catechesis, the role of priests and the lay faithful in the renewal of a parish community. All of this is presented first from the perspective of a parish community, then from the perspective of basic communities, that is to say, the living circles of the faithful. The fundamental challenge we are facing does not even include the consideration of how, and to what extent we should include the lay faithful into active pastoral work in their parishes. The real challenge is presented in the necessity to instruct and educate the faithful, so that their mere education bears witness to the fundamental nature of the Church. This is the real role of parish catechesis in the renewal of a parish community which will only after this process develop from the “provided for” into an engaged community.
Keywords
The Church; parish community; living circles of the faithful; parish catechesis; priest; lay faithful; parish community – “provided for” and engaged
Hrčak ID:
40168
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2004.
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