| The
Right and Duty of Lay Catholics to Promote the Faith
Also See:
Catholic Apologetics (Topic Page)
|
"[H]e
who is confirmed receives the power of publicly confessing his
faith by words, as it were ex officio." (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history
of the Church")
"All
the members of the Church should make a concerted effort to ensure
that the means of communication are put at the service of the
multiple forms of the apostolate without delay and as
energetically as possible, where and when they are needed."
(Second Vatican Council)
"Can.
211 All the Christian faithful have the duty and right to work so
that the divine message of salvation more and more reaches all
people in every age and in every land." (1983 Code of Canon
Law)
"Can.
210 All Christ's faithful, each according to his or her own
condition, must make a wholehearted effort to lead a holy life,
and to promote the growth of the Church and its continual
sanctification." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Can.
225 §1 Since lay people, like all Christ's faithful, are deputed
to the apostolate by baptism and confirmation, they are bound by
the general obligation and they have the right, whether as
individuals or in associations, to strive so that the divine
message of salvation may be known and accepted by all people
throughout the world. This obligation is all the more insistent in
circumstances in which only through them are people able to hear
the Gospel and to know Christ. §2 They have also, according to
the condition of each, the special obligation to permeate and
perfect the temporal order of things with the spirit of the
Gospel. In this way, particularly in conducting secular business
and exercising secular functions, they are to give witness to
Christ." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Tell
your faithful children of the laity that when, united with their
pastors and their bishops, they participate in the works of the
apostolate, both individual and social, the end purpose of which
is to make Jesus Christ better known and better loved, then they
are more than ever 'a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a
holy nation, a purchased people,' of whom St. Peter spoke in such
laudatory terms. (I Peter ii, 9) Then, too, they are more than
ever united with Us and with Christ, and become great factors in
bringing about world peace because they work for the restoration
and spread of the Kingdom of Christ." (Pope Pius XI, "Ubi
Arcano Dei Consilio", 1922)
"Consequently
true human liberty demands that we use, and share with others, all
these resources which can contribute to the strengthening and
perfecting of our nature... Indeed, all true and active sons of
the Church, since they recognize the priceless gift of the
Redemption, are bidden to ensure, to the extent of their power,
that the Church may use these technical discoveries in so far as
they may assist the sanctification of souls... And further, let it
be permitted even to individual citizens - due regard being paid
to actual circumstances and the safeguarding of principles which
promote the common good - to contribute according to their
capacity to the enriching and development of their own and others'
intellectual and spiritual culture." (Pope Pius XII,
"Miranda Prorsus", 1957)
"Since
the laity, in accordance with their state of life, live in the
midst of the world and its concerns, they are called by God to
exercise their apostolate in the world like leaven, with the ardor
of the spirit of Christ. The laity derive the right and duty to
the apostolate from their union with Christ the head; incorporated
into Christ's Mystical Body through Baptism and strengthened by
the power of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation, they are
assigned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself. They are
consecrated for the royal priesthood and the holy people (cf. 1
Peter 2:4-10) not only that they may offer spiritual sacrifices in
everything they do but also that they may witness to Christ
throughout the world." (Second Vatican Council)
"The
Church was founded for the purpose of spreading the kingdom of
Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father, to
enable all men to share in His saving redemption, and that through
them the whole world might enter into a relationship with Christ.
All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of
this goal is called the apostolate, which the Church carries on in
various ways through all her members. For the Christian vocation
by its very nature is also a vocation to the apostolate. No part
of the structure of a living body is merely passive but has a
share in the functions as well as life of the body: so, too, in
the body of Christ, which is the Church, 'the whole body...in
keeping with the proper activity of each part, derives its
increase from its own internal development' (Eph. 4 :16). Indeed,
the organic union in this body and the structure of the members
are so compact that the member who fails to make his proper
contribution to the development of the Church must be said to be
useful neither to the Church nor to himself." (Second Vatican
Council)
"The
apostolate of the laity derives from their Christian vocation and
the Church can never be without it. Sacred Scripture clearly shows
how spontaneous and fruitful such activity was at the very
beginning of the Church (cf. Acts 11:19-21; 18:26; Rom. 16:1-16;
Phil. 4:3). Our own times require of the laity no less zeal: in
fact, modern conditions demand that their apostolate be broadened
and intensified. With a constantly increasing population,
continual progress in science and technology, and closer
interpersonal relationships, the areas for the lay apostolate have
been immensely widened particularly in fields that have been for
the most part open to the laity alone. These factors have also
occasioned new problems which demand their expert attention and
study. This apostolate becomes more imperative in view of the fact
that many areas of human life have become increasingly autonomous.
This is as it should be, but it sometimes involves a degree of
departure from the ethical and religious order and a serious
danger to Christian life. Besides, in many places where priests
are very few or, in some instances, deprived of due freedom for
priestly work, the Church could scarcely exist and function
without the activity of the laity." (Second Vatican Council)
"There
are innumerable opportunities open to the laity for the exercise
of their apostolate of evangelization and sanctification. The very
testimony of their Christian life and good works done in a
supernatural spirit have the power to draw men to belief and to
God; for the Lord says, 'Even so let your light shine before men
in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven' (Matt. 5: 16). However an apostolate of
this kind does not consist only in the witness of one's way of
life; a true apostle looks for opportunities to announce Christ by
words addressed either to non-believers with a view to leading
them to faith, or to the faithful with a view to instructing,
strengthening, and encouraging them to a more fervent life. 'For
the charity of Christ impels us' (2 Cor. 5 :14). The words of the
Apostle should echo in all hearts, 'Woe to me if I do not preach
the Gospel' (1 Cor. 9:16). Since, in our own times, new problems
are arising and very serious errors are circulating which tend to
undermine the foundations of religion, the moral order, and human
society itself, this sacred synod earnestly exhorts laymen - each
according to his own gifts of intelligence and learning - to be
more diligent in doing what they can to explain, defend, and
properly apply Christian principles to the problems of our era in
accordance with the mind of the Church." (Second Vatican
Council)
"No
one, however, must entertain the notion that private individuals
are prevented from taking some active part in this duty of
teaching, especially those on whom God has bestowed gifts of mind
with the strong wish of rendering themselves useful. These, so
often as circumstances demand, may take upon themselves, not,
indeed, the office of the pastor, but the task of communicating to
others what they have themselves received, becoming, as it were,
living echoes of their masters in the faith. Such co-operation on
the part of the laity has seemed to the Fathers of the [First]
Vatican Council so opportune and fruitful of good that they
thought well to invite it. 'All faithful Christians, but those
chiefly who are in a prominent position, or engaged in teaching,
we entreat, by the compassion of Jesus Christ, and enjoin by the
authority of the same God and Savior, that they bring aid to ward
off and eliminate these errors from holy Church, and contribute
their zealous help in spreading abroad the light of undefiled
faith.' Let each one, therefore, bear in mind that he both can and
should, so far as may be, preach the Catholic faith by the
authority of his example, and by open and constant profession of
the obligations it imposes. In respect, consequently, to the
duties that bind us to God and the Church, it should be borne
earnestly in mind that in propagating Christian truth and warding
off errors the zeal of the laity should, as far as possible, be
brought actively into play." (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae
Christianae", 1890)
"Amid
such reckless and widespread folly of opinion, it is, as We have
said, the office of the Church to undertake the defense of truth
and uproot errors from the mind, and this charge has to be at all
times sacredly observed by her, seeing that the honor of God and
the salvation of men are confided to her keeping. But, when
necessity compels, not those only who are invested with power of
rule are bound to safeguard the integrity of faith, but, as St.
Thomas maintains: 'Each one is under obligation to show forth his
faith, either to instruct and encourage others of the faithful, or
to repel the attacks of unbelievers.' To recoil before an enemy,
or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised
against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of character or
who entertains doubt as to the truth of what he professes to
believe. In both cases such mode of behaving is base and is
insulting to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of
mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of
the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack
of courage on the part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on the
part of Christians is so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom
little would be needed on their part to bring to naught false
charges and refute erroneous opinions, and by always exerting
themselves more strenuously they might reckon upon being
successful. After all, no one can be prevented from putting forth
that strength of soul which is the characteristic of true
Christians, and very frequently by such display of courage our
enemies lose heart and their designs are thwarted. Christians are,
moreover, born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the
more assured, God aiding, the triumph: 'Have confidence; I have
overcome the world.' Nor is there any ground for alleging that
Jesus Christ, the Guardian and Champion of the Church, needs not
in any manner the help of men. Power certainly is not wanting to
Him, but in His loving kindness He would assign to us a share in
obtaining and applying the fruits of salvation procured through
His grace. The chief elements of this duty consist in professing
openly and unflinchingly the Catholic doctrine, and in propagating
it to the utmost of our power. For, as is often said, with the
greatest truth, there is nothing so hurtful to Christian wisdom as
that it should not be known, since it possesses, when loyally
received, inherent power to drive away error. So soon as Catholic
truth is apprehended by a simple and unprejudiced soul, reason
yields assent." (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae Christianae",
1890)
Also
Try: Employing
Means of Communication for the Benefit of the Faith | Heavenly
Patron of Modern Communications Instruments | Missionary
Responsibility of Lay Persons | Obligation
of Catholics to Support the Media | On
Modern Technology
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
Top |
Reflctns.: A-Z | Catg.
| Scripture: A-Z |
Catg.
| Help |
