Every time I hear another story about how a Catholic parish
is changing to be more like a protestant church I feel sick.
Unfortunately it is happening again, this time to our
Catholic brethren in Canada. The
Archdiocese of Saint Boniface recently announced its five year “Action Plan” in
which they will work hard at turning much of the parish over to the laity to run.
Archbishop Albert LeGatt seems thrilled with the "Action Plan" to hand over more parish authority to the laity. This plan means parish priests will have less authority over their own parishes while the laity have more control and power than ever before. This is how protestant congregations work, the congregation dictates to the minister how things will go and if he doesn't like it, he's voted out and a new puppet is installed.
“The
proposal to involve lay people in making decisions will be presented to
priests, deacons and lay leaders at an all-day meeting on May 28, says
Pierre-Alain Giffard, director of pastoral services for the archdiocese.
"We're
looking at building healthy, relevant and missionary parishes that aim at
spiritual growth and involving people in ministries," says Giffard, who
holds a doctorate in theology specializing in church growth.” –end quote-
And this gem about a parishes 'decision-making powers' to move from the priest to the laity.
Quote: “Giffard
says the proposal calls for decision-making powers to move from the parish
priest to include a parish leadership team responsible for faith formation,
social justice, fellowship, finance, liturgical functions and proclaiming the
faith.
This
restructuring proposal grows out of a five-year action plan
(http://www.archsaintboniface.ca) calling for spiritual and pastoral renewal
involving all Catholics in the diocese, says Archbishop Albert LeGatt.
"It's
also asking the parishes to engage in a visioning and planning process for
their parish life, which is more than just keeping up the building," says
LeGatt, who compares the shift in structure to building a bridge span by span.
[Archbishop LeGatt says] "The
next span in the bridge is about giving greater authority to the lay people and
authority given in a consultative and service manner."
Changing
the lines of authority in the Catholic church may take years to implement, says
a retired professor of Catholic history and longtime advocate for change in the
governance of the church.
"We've
had a clericalized top-down leadership for centuries encoded in canon
law," says Richard Lebrun, adding it is ironic the hierarchy of the
archdiocese is now telling the lay people how to get involved.” –end quote-
Yes, how ironic indeed!
DIOCESAN GUIDING PRINCIPLES -
FIRST GUIDING
PRINCIPLE Call upon the gifts and charisms of all the baptized. Rethink and adapt to
the changing circumstances in our communities, the vocations and the roles, the
calls and the responses to the ministries and services of the Church. The
spiritual and pastoral renewal depends upon the willingness of the baptized to
share their gifts and charisms.
SECOND GUIDING
PRINCIPLE Broaden the outreach of the Gospel and the faith of the ChurchStrive for a greater
life-giving presence of the Church.
THIRD GUIDING
PRINCIPLE Assert Catholic identity -Express our Catholic
identity.
FOURTH GUIDING
PRINCIPLE Give visibility to the Church- Increase the visibility of the Church in the public
forum.
FIFTH GUIDING
PRINCIPLE Develop the spirituality of stewardship- Integrate the spirituality of
Christian stewardship into parish and diocesan activities.
Here are some specifics:
NATHANAEL
DESCRIPTION OF
SERVICES - Nathanael is a journey of
discernment and formation designed to offer the baptized the opportunity to
enrich and deepen their faith, to witness more effectively in the world, to
evangelize and, if such is their call, to exercise leadership in the Church. It
leads the baptized to rediscover and mature in their baptismal commitment, and
to engage more fully in the mission of Christ and of the Church. Nathanael is
placed under the responsibility of the Diocesan Coordinator of Evangelization
and Adult Faith Formation aided by a formation team.
And…
SOCIAL PASTORAL MISSION
The social
pastoral mission of the Church is the embodiment of a concrete and life-giving
concern for evangelization in the social, economic, cultural, and political
realities of society (Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church). Its goal is to promote social
justice, respect for human rights and dignity, as well as a greater
transforming force of our society so it is truer to the Gospel. Through His
Word, God calls upon all the faithful to look after the poor and downtrodden,
through individual and collective action as people of good will sharing and
manifesting God’s love.
And…
SOCIAL JUSTICE
DESCRIPTION OF
SERVICES - Social justice promotes equal rights and community
solidarity. It strives toward a just society in social, economic, and cultural
terms. It works toward giving everyone the same opportunities for success but
also promotes an equitable distribution of wealth.New Projects and
Implementation phases 2013-2018 Take an inventory of existing
social justice initiatives in the Archdiocese
Develop activities through networking with other provincial
organizations involved in social justice.
So what do you think
Catholics?
Is it a good idea for the laity to
take over and become more like the 30,000+ protestant denominations out there?
Will this “action plan” grow
better Catholics or closet protestants who call themselves Catholic?
In Christ,
Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner
**For some reason Blogger isn't accepting any Youtube video codes today, so to watch Archbishop LeGatt on Youtube discuss "Action Plan" go HERE.
