What is that saying we hear now and then these days? The Church is not an NGO? In today’s post, the bishops remind us that our mission is not to provide services as such, but to give witness. You can check the full document online here. Meanwhile, let’s read …
Coordinating pastoral activity
20. The Church was not established to be an organization for activity, but rather to give witness as the living Body of Christ. Nevertheless the Church necessarily carries on the concrete work of planning and of coordinating the manifold offices and services, so that together they may merge into one unified pastoral action in which the choices to be made and the apostolic engagements to be given preference are decided (cf. Christus Dominus 11; 30; 35, 5; Ad Gentes 22; 29). Today, in fact, it is necessary to set in motion on the various levels of ecclesial life a fitting system of research and action, so that the mission of evangelizing may be carried out in the way most consonant with the different situations.
I think one way we present Christ to the world is by presenting his values: the wish to heal, to accompany, to be with those in need. The bishops recognize three “centers,” and these we’ve mentioned often in the preceeding paragraphs of this document. It’s not a surprise:
There are three principal operative centers for such desirable coordination: the Holy See, the diocese (cf. CD 11) and successively, in its own proper sphere, the Episcopal Conference (cf. CD 38). In addition to these centers, then, other organs of cooperation are set up according to ecclesial and regional needs.
Religious communities exist in many of these, though individual religious may find themselves primarily in residence in one or another in their ministerial role. Thoughts or comments?
Catholic Sensibility 