New Dicastery for The Laity, Family, and Life
Announcement of the creation of a new Holy See dicastery for the " laity, pastoral care of the family."
Photo: Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Pope Francis, following the proposal of the Council of Cardinals, approved on June 4, 2016, ad experimentum, the statutes of the new dicastery for the laity, family and life. Starting on September 1, this dicastery will include the current Pontifical Council for the Laity and Pontifical Council for the Family. On this date, the two latter dicasteries will cease their functions and will be suppressed, and articles 131 – 134 and 139 – 141 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus of June 28, 1988, will be abrogated.
This new dicastery will be competent in matters relating to the Holy See with regard to the promotion of life and the apostolate of the laity, pastoral care of the family and its mission according to God’s plan, and the protection and support of human life. It will be governed by a prefect, assisted by a secretary, who may be a layman, and three lay under-secretaries. The dicastery is divided into three sections: for the laity, for the family, and for life, each one headed by an under-secretary.
Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, aged 70, currently head of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, could be named archbishop of Cracow after the World Youth Days organized in this city in July, succeeding Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz (aged 77). From then on, the new dicastery could be entrusted to the current president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia (aged 71).
The establishment of this dicastery follows the push to reduce the number of dicasteries within the Curia and also to the Pope’s desire to promote the role of the laity. In this way,
[H]e promotes the participation of the laity in catechesis, in the life of the liturgy and the sacraments, in missionary activity, in works of mercy, charity, and human and social support. He also supports and encourages their active and responsible presence in the consultative organs of government present in the Church at both the universal and the local levels.” (article 6, 3).
Comment: Regarding the promotion of “the participation of the lay faithful in catechetical instruction, in liturgical and sacramental life,” we find there the spirit of Vatican II and the prominent place reserved for the people of God now supplants de facto the priesthood. However it is the priests that returns the right role to educate – through preaching and catechism – and above all to render to God the worship due to him by the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the administration of the sacraments.
Sources: DC – Osservatore Romano – kipa-apic.ch – iMedia – DICI no. 337 - June 17, 2016
