> [[jpii-cl-04|← Previous]] | [[christifideles-laici-toc|TOC]] # Chapter V. That You Bear Much Fruit The Formation Of The Lay Faithful In The Lay State ## A Continual Process of Maturation 57\. The gospel image of the vine and the branches reveals to us another fundamental aspect of the lay faithful's life and mission:*the call to growth and a continual process of maturation, of always bearing much fruit.* ^jpii-cl-57 As a diligent vinedresser, the Father takes care of his vine. God's solicitude is so ardently called upon by Israel, that she prays: "Turn again, O God of hosts! / Look down from heaven, and see; / have regard for this vine, / the stock which your right hand has planted" (Ps 80:15-16). Jesus himself speaks of the Father's work: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away. and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit" (*Jn* 15:1-2). The vitality of the branches depends on their remaining attached to the vine, which is Jesus Christ: *"He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit,* for apart from me you can do nothing" (*Jn* 15:5). People are approached in liberty by God who calls everyone to grow, develop and bear fruit. A person cannot put off a response nor cast off personal responsibility in the matter. The solemn words of Jesus refer to this exalted and serious responsibility: "If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned" (*Jn* 15:6). In this dialogue between God who offers his gifts, and the person who is called to exercise responsibility, there comes the possibility, indeed the necessity, of a total and ongoing formation of the lay faithful, as the Synod Fathers have rightly emphasized in much of their work. After having described Christian formation as "a continual process in the individual of maturation in faith and a likening to Christ, according to the will of the Father, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit", they have clearly affirmed that the formation of the lay faithful must be placed *among the priorities of a diocese.* It ought to be so placed within the *plan of pastoral action* that the efforts of the whole community (clergy, lay faithful and religious) converge on this goal" [209]. ## To Discover and Live One's Vocation and Mission 58\. The fundamental objective of the formation of the lay faithful is an ever-clearer discovery of one's vocation and the ever-greater willingness to live it so as to fulfil one's mission. ^jpii-cl-58 *God calls me and sends me forth* as a labourer in his vineyard. He calls me and sends me forth to work for the coming of his Kingdom in history. This personal vocation and mission defines the dignity and the responsibility of each member of the lay faithful and makes up the focal point of the whole work of formation, whose purpose is the joyous and grateful recognition of this dignity and the faithful and generous living-out of this responsibility. In fact, from eternity God has thought of us and has loved us as unique individuals. Every one of us he called by name, as the Good Shepherd "calls his sheep by name" (*Jn* 10:3). However, only in the unfolding of the history of our lives and its events is the eternal plan of God revealed to each of us. Therefore, it is a gradual process; in a certain sense, one that happens day by day. To be able to discover the actual will of the Lord in our lives always involves the following: a receptive listening to the Word of God and the Church, fervent and constant prayer, recourse to a wise and loving spiritual guide, and a faithful discernment of the gifts and talents given by God, as well as the diverse social and historic situations in which one lives. Therefore, in the life of each member of the lay faithful there are *particularly significant and decisive moments* for discerning God's call and embracing the mission entrusted by Him. Among these are the periods of *adolescence* and *young adulthood.* No one must forget that the Lord, as the master of the labourers in the vineyard, calls *at every hour* of life so as to make his holy will more precisely and explicitly known. Therefore, the fundamental and continuous attitude of the disciple should be one of vigilance and a conscious attentiveness to the voice of God. It is not a question of simply *knowing* what God wants from each of us in the various situations of life. The individual must *do* what God wants, as we are reminded in the words that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, addressed to the servants at Cana: "Do whatever he tells you" *(Jn* 2:5). However, to act in fidelity to God's will requires a *capability* for acting and *the developing of that capability.* We can rest assured that this is possible through the free and responsible collaboration of each of us with the grace of the Lord which is never lacking. Saint Leo the Great says: "The one who confers the dignity will give the strength!" [210]. This, then, is the marvelous yet demanding task awaiting all the lay faithful and all Christians at every moment: to grow always in the knowledge of the richness of Baptism and faith as well as to live it more fully. In referring to birth and growth as two stages in the Christian life the apostle Peter makes the following exhortation: "Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation" (*1* *Pt* 2:2). ## A Total Integrated Formation for Living an Integrated Life 59\. In discovering and living their proper vocation and mission, the lay faithful must be formed according to the *union* which exists from their being *members of the Church and citizens of human society.* ^jpii-cl-59 There cannot be two parallel lives in their existence: on the one hand, the so-called "spiritual" life, with its values and demands; and on the other, the so-called "secular" life, that is, life in a family, at work, in social relationships, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture. The branch, engrafted to the vine which is Christ, bears its fruit in every sphere of existence and activity. In fact, every area of the lay faithful's lives, as different as they are, enters into the plan of God, who desires that these very areas be the "places in time" where the love of Christ is revealed and realized for both the glory of the Father and service of others. Every activity, every situation, every precise responsibility-as, for example, skill and solidarity in work, love and dedication in the family and the education of children, service to society and public life and the promotion of truth in the area of culture-are the occasions ordained by Providence for a "continuous exercise of faith, hope and charity" [211]. The Second Vatican Council has invited all the lay faithful to this *unity of life* by forcefully decrying the grave consequences in separating faith from life, and the gospel from culture: "The Council exhorts Christians, as citizens of one city and the other, to strive to perform their earthly duties faithfully in response to the spirit of the Gospel. They are mistaken who, knowing that we have here no abiding city but seek one which is to come, think that they may therefore shirk their earthly responsibilities; for they are forgetting that by faith itself they are more than ever obliged to measure up to these duties, each according to one's vocation... This split between the faith which many profess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age" [212]. Therefore, I have maintained that a faith that does not affect a person's culture is a faith "not fully embraced, not entirely thought out, not faithfully lived" [213]. ## Various Aspects of Formation 60\. The many interrelated aspects of a *totally integrated formation* of the lay faithful are situated within this unity of life. ^jpii-cl-60 There is no doubt that *spiritual* formation ought to occupy a privileged place in a person's life. Everyone is called to grow continually in intimate union with Jesus Christ, in conformity to the Father's will, in devotion to others in charity and justice. The Council writes: "This life of intimate union with Christ in the Church is nourished by spiritual helps available to all the faithful, especially by active participation in the liturgy. Lay people should so make use of these helps in such a way that, while properly fulfilling their secular duties in the ordinary conditions of life, they do not disassociate union with Christ from that life, but through the very performance of their tasks according to God's will, may they actually grow in it" [214]. The situation today points to an ever-increasing urgency for *a doctrinal* formation of the lay faithful, not simply in a better understanding which is natural to faith's dynamism but also in enabling them to "give a reason for their hoping" in view of the world and its grave and complex problems. Therefore, a systematic approach to *catechesis,* geared to age and the diverse situations of life, is an absolute necessity, as is a more decided Christian promotion of *culture,* in response to the perennial yet always new questions that concern individuals and society today. This is especially true for the lay faithful who have responsibilities in various fields of society and public life. Above all, it is indispensable that they have a more exact knowledge -and this demands a more widespread and precise presentation-of the *Church's social doctrine,* as repeatedly stressed by the Synod Fathers in their presentations. They refer to the participation of the lay faithful in public life, in the following words: "But for the lay faithful to take up actively this noble purpose in political matters, it is not enough to exhort them. They must be offered a proper formation of a social conscience, especially in the Church's social teaching, which contains principles - of reflection, criteria for judging and practical directives (cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, *Instruction of Christian Freedom and Liberation,* 72),and which must be present in general catechetical instruction and in specialized gatherings, as well as in schools and universities. Nevertheless, this social doctrine of the Church is dynamic; that is, adapted to circumstances of time and place. It is the right and duty of Pastors to propose moral principles even concerning the social order and of all Christians to apply them in defence of human rights Nevertheless, active participation in political parties is reserved to the lay faithful" [215]. The cultivation of *human values* finds a place in the context of a totally integrated formation, bearing a particular significance for the missionary and apostolic activities of the lay faithful. In this regard the Council wrote: "(the lay faithful) should also hold in high esteem professional skill, family and civic spirit, and the virtues related to social behaviour, namely, honesty, a spirit of justice, sincerity, courtesy, moral courage; without them there is no true Christian life" [216]. In bringing their lives into an organic synthesis, which is, at one and the same time, the manifestation of the unity of "who they are" in the Church and society as well as the condition for the effective fulfilment of their mission, the lay faithful are to be guided interiorly and sustained by the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of unity and fullness of life. ## Collaborators with God the Teacher 61\. Where are the lay faithful formed? What are the means of their formation? Who are the *persons and the communities* called upon to assume the task of a totally integrated formation of the lay faithful? ^jpii-cl-61 Just as the work of human education is intimately connected with fatherhood and motherhood, so Christian formation finds its origin and its strength in God the Father who loves and educates his children. Yes, *God is the first and great teacher of his People,* as it states in the striking passage of the Song of Moses: "He found him in a desert land / and in the howling waste of the wilderness; / he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. / Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, / the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no foreign God with him" *(Deut* 32:10-12; cf. 8:5). God's work in forming his people is revealed and fulfilled in Jesus Christ the Teacher, and reaches to the depths of every individual's heart as a result of the living presence of the Spirit. *Mother Church* is called to take part in the divine work of formation, both through a sharing of her very life, and through her various pronouncements and actions. It is thus that the *lay faithful are formed by the Church and* *in the Church* in a mutual communion and collaboration of all her members: clergy, religious and lay faithful. Thus the whole ecclesial community, in its diverse members, receives the fruitfulness of the Spirit and actively cooperates towards that end. With this in mind Methodius of Olympo wrote: "Those not yet perfected are carried and formed by those more perfect, as in the womb of a mother, until the time they are generated and brought forth for the greatness and beauty of virtue" [217]. This happened with Saint Paul, who was carried and brought forth in the Church by those who were perfected (in the person of Ananias) and, then Paul in his turn, became perfected and fruitful in bringing forth many children. First of all the Church is a teacher, in which the Pope takes the "primary" role in the formation of the lay faithful. As successor of Saint Peter, he has the ministry of "confirming his brothers in the faith", instructing all believers in the essential content of vocation and mission in light of the Christian faith and membership in the Church. Therefore, not simply the words coming directly from him, but also those transmitted by the various departments of the Holy See call for a loving and receptive hearing by the lay faithful. The one and universal Church is present in various parts of the world, in and through the *particular Churches.* In each of them the Bishop in his person has a responsibility towards the lay faithful, in forming the animation and guidance of their Christian life through the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacraments. Situated and at work within the particular Church or diocese is the *Parish* which has the essential task of a more personal and immediate formation of the lay faithful. In fact, because it is in the position to reach more easily individual persons and singular groups, the parish is called to instruct its members in hearing God's Word, in liturgical and personal dialogue with God, in the life of fraternal charity, and in allowing a more direct and concrete perception of the sense of ecclesial communion and responsibility in the Church's mission. Internal to the parish, especially if vast and territorially extensive, *small Church communities,* where present, can be a notable help in the formation of Christians, by providing a consciousness and an experience of ecclesial communion and mission which are more extensive and incisive. The Synod Fathers have said that a post-baptismal catechesis in the form of a catechumenate can also be helpful by presenting again some elements from the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults with the purpose of allowing a person to grasp and live the immense, extraordinary richness and responsibility received at Baptism [218]. In the formation that the lay faithful receive from their diocese and parish, especially concerning communion and mission, the help that diverse members of the Church can give to each other is particularly important. This mutual help also aids in revealing the mystery of the Church as Mother and Teacher. Priests and religious ought to assist the lay faithful in their formation. In this regard the Synod Fathers have invited priests and candidates for Orders to "be prepared carefully so that they are ready to foster the vocation and mission of the lay faithful" [219]. In turn, the lay faithful themselves can and should help priests and religious in the course of their spiritual and pastoral journey. ## Other Places for Formation 62\. The *Christian family,* as the "domestic Church", also makes up a natural and fundamental school for formation in the faith: father and mother receive from the Sacrament of Matrimony the grace and the ministry of the Christian education of their children, before whom they bear witness and to whom they transmit both human and religious values. While learning their first words, children learn also the praise of God, whom they feel is near them as a loving and providential Father; while learning the first acts of love, children also learn to open themselves to others, and through the gift of self receive the sense of living as a human being. The daily life itself of a truly Christian family makes up the first "experience of Church", intended to find confirmation and development in an active and responsible process of the children's introduction into the wider ecclesial community and civil society. The more that Christian spouses and parents grow in the awareness that their "domestic church" participates in the life and mission of the universal Church, so much the more will their sons and daughters be able to be formed in a "sense of the Church" and will perceive all the beauty of dedicating their energies to the service of the Kingdom of God. ^jpii-cl-62 *Schools and Catholic universities,* as well as centers of spiritual renewal which are becoming ever more widespread in these days, are also important places for formation. In the present social and historical context which is marked by an extensively deep cultural involvement, the Synod Fathers have emphasized that parents' participation in school life-besides being always necessary and without substitution-is no longer enough. What is needed is to prepare the lay faithful to dedicate themselves to the work of rearing their children as a true and proper part of Church mission. What is needed is to constitute and develop this "formation community" which is together comprised of parents, teachers, clergy, women and men religious and representatives of youth. In order that the school can suitably fulfill its natural function in formation, the lay faithful ought to feel charged to demand from everyone and for everyone a true freedom in education, even through opportune civil legislation [220]. The Synod Fathers expressed words of esteem and encouragement to all those lay faithful, both women and men, who with a civic and Christian spirit, fulfill a task which is involved in the education of children both in schools and institutes of formation. In addition they have emphasized the urgent need in various schools, whether Catholic or not, for teachers and professors among the lay faithful to be true witnesses of the gospel, through their example of life, their professional competence and uprightness, their Christian inspired teaching, preserving always-as is obvious-the autonomy of various sciences and disciplines. It is of singular importance that scientific and technological research done by the faithful be correct from the standpoint of service to an individual in the totality of the context of one's values and needs: to these lay faithful the Church entrusts the task of allowing all to better understand the intimate bond that exists between faith and science, between the gospel and human culture [221]. "This Synod"-we read in the proposition-"appeals to the prophetic task of Catholic schools and universities, and praises teachers and professors, now lay people for the most part, for their dedication to maintaining institutes of Catholic education that can form men and women in whom the new commandment is enfleshed. The simultaneous presence of clergy, the lay faithful and men and women religious, offers students a vivid image of the Church and makes recognition of its riches easier (cf. *Congregation for Catholic Education,* Concerning the Lay Educator, Witness of Faith in the Schools)" [222]. *Groups, associations and movements* also have their place in the formation of the lay faithful. In fact they have the possibility, each with its own method, of oflfering a formation through a deeply shared experience in the apostolic life, as well as having the opportunity to integrate, to make concrete and specific the formation that their members receive from other persons and communities. ## The Reciprocal Formation Received and Given by All 63\. Formation is not the privilege of a few, but a right and duty of all. In this regard the Synod Fathers have said: "Possibilities of formation should be proposed to all, especially the poor, who can also be a source of formation for all"; and they added: "Suitable means to help each person fulfill a full, human and Christian vocation should be applied to formation" [223]. ^jpii-cl-63 For the purpose of a truly incisive and effective pastoral activity the *formation of those who will form others is* to be developed through appropriate courses or suitable schools. Forming those who, in turn, will be given the responsibility for the formation of the lay faithful, constitutes a basic requirement of assuring the general and widespread formation of all the lay faithful. According to the explicit invitation of the Synod Fathers special attention ought to be devoted to the local culture in the work of formation: "The formation of Christians will take the greatest account of local human culture, which contributes to formation itself, and will help to discern the value, whether implanted in tradition or proposed in modern affairs. Attention should be paid to diverse cultures which can exist in one and the same people or nation at the same time. The Church, the mother and teacher of peoples, should strive to safeguard, where the need exists, the culture of a less numerous people living in large nations when the situation exists" [224]. In the work of formation some convictions reveal themselves as particularly necessary and fruitful. First of all, there is the conviction that one cannot offer a true and effective formation to others if the individual has not taken on or developed a personal responsibility for formation: this, in fact, is essentially a "formation of self". In addition, there is the conviction that at one and the same time each of us is the goal and principle of formation: the more we are formed and the more we feel the need to pursue and deepen our formation, still more will we be formed and be rendered capable of forming others. It is particularly important to know that the work of formation, while having intelligent recourse to the means and methods available from human science, is made more effective the more it is open to the *action of God.* Only the branch which does not fear being pruned by the heavenly vinedresser can bear much fruit for the individual and for others. ## An Appeal and a Prayer 64\. At the conclusion of this post-Synodal document I once again put forward the invitation of "the householder", proposed in the gospel: *You go into my vineyard too.* It can be said that the significance of the Synod on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful might very well consist in this *call of the Lord which he addresses to everyone,* yet, in a particular way to the lay faithful, both women and men. ^cl-64 ^jpii-cl-64 The happenings at the Synod have been a great spiritual experience for all the participants. The experience has been that of a Church under the light and the power of the Spirit, intent on discerning and embracing the renewed call of her Lord so that she can again propose to today's world, the mystery of her communion and the dynamism of her mission of salvation, especially, by centering on the specific place and role of the lay faithful. This Exhortation, then, intends to urge the most abundant possible fruitfulness from this Synod in every part of the Church worldwide. This will come about as a result of an effective hearkening to the Lord's call by the entire People of God, in particular, by the lay faithful. Therefore I make a strong appeal to one and all, Pastors and faithful, never to become tired of maintaining-indeed always taking an active part to fix deeply in one's mind, heart and life-an *ecclesial consciousness,* which is ever mindful of what it means to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ, participants in her mystery of communion and in her dynamism in mission and the apostolate. It is of particular importance that all Christians be aware that through Baptism they have received an *extraordinary dignity:* through grace we are called to be children loved by the Father, members incorporated in Christ and his Church, living and holy temples of the Spirit. With deep emotion and gratitude, we again hear the words of John the Evangelist: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (*1 Jn* 3:1). While this "Christian *newness of life"* given to the members of the Church, constitutes for all the basis of their participation in the priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of Christ and of their vocation to holines in love, it receives expression and is fulfilled in the lay faithful through the "secular character" which is "uniquely and properly" theirs. Besides imparting an awareness of a commonly shared Christian dignity, an ecclesial consciousness brings a sense of belonging to *the mystery of the Church as Communion.* This is a basic and undeniable aspect of the life and mission of the Church. For one and all the earnest prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper, *"That all may be one" (Jn* 17-21), ought to become daily a required and undeniable programme of life and action. A real sense of Church communion, the gift of the Spirit that urges our free and generous response, will bring forth as its precious fruit, in the "one and catholic" Church the continuing value of the rich variety of vocations and conditions of life, charisms, ministries, works, and responsibilities, as well as a more demonstrable and decisive collaboration of groups, associations and movements of the lay faithful in keeping with the accomplishment of the commonly shared salvific mission of the Church herself. This communion is already in itself the first great sign in the world of the presence of Christ, the Saviour. At the same time, it promotes and stimulates the proper apostolic and missionary action of the Church. The whole Church, Pastors and lay faithful alike, standing on the threshold of the Third Millennium, ought to feel more strong\]y the Church's responsibility to obey the command of Christ, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation" *(Mk* 16:15), and take up anew the missionary endeavour. A great venture, both challenging and wonderful, is entrusted to the Church-that of a *re-evangelization,* which is so much needed by the present world. The lay faithful ought to regard themselves as an active and responsible part of thisventure, called as they are to proclaim and to live the gospel in service to the person and to society while respecting the totality of the values and needs of both. Since the Synod of Bishops was celebrated last October during the Marian Year, its work was entrusted in a very special way to the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer. I too entrust the spiritual fruitfulness of the Synod to her prayerful intercession. Therefore, along with the Synod Fathers, the lay faithful present at the Synod and all the other members of the People of God, I have recourse at the end of this post-Synodal document to the Virgin Mary. At this moment this appeal becomes a prayer: O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church, With joy and wonder we seek to make our own your *Magnificat,* joining you in your hymn of thankfulness and love. With you we give thanks to God, "whose mercy is from generation to generation", for the exalted vocation and the many forms of mission entrusted to the lay faithful. God has called each of them by name to live his own communion of love and holiness and to be one in the great family of God's children. He has sent them forth to shine with the light of Christ and to communicate the fire of the Spirit in every part of society through their life inspired by the gospel. O Virgin of the *Magnificat,* fill their hearts with a gratitude and enthusiasm for this vocation and mission. With humility and magnanimity you were the "handmaid of the Lord"; give us your unreserved willingness for service to God and the salvation of the world. Open our hearts to the great anticipation of the Kingdom of God and of the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole of creation. Your mother's heart is ever mindful of the many dangers and evils which threaten to overpower men and women in our time. At the same time your heart also takes notice of the many initiatives undertaken for good, the great yearning for values, and the progress achieved in bringing forth the abundant fruits of salvation. O Virgin full of courage, may your spiritual strength and trust in God inspire us, so that we might know how to overcome all the obstacles that we encounter in accomplishing our mission. Teach us to treat the affairs of the world with a real sense of Christian responsibility and a joyful hope of the coming of God's Kingdom, and of a "new heaven and a new earth". You who were gathered in prayer with the Apostles in the Cenacle, awaiting the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, implore his renewed outpouring on all the faithful, men and women alike, so that they might more fully respond to their vocation and mission, as branches engrafted to the true vine, called to bear much fruit for the life of the world. O Virgin Mother, guide and sustain us so that we might always live as true sons and daughters of the Church of your Son. Enable us to do our part in helping to establish on earth the civilization of truth and love, as God wills it, for his glory. Amen *Given at Rome, in St. Peter's, on 30 December, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in the year 1988, the eleventh of my Pontificate.* --- [1] Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 48. [2] St. Gregory the Great, Hom. in Evang. I, XIX, 2; PL 76, 1155. [3] Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 33. [4] John Paul II, Homily at the Solemn Eucharistic Concelebration for the Close of the Seventh Ordinary, General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops closing Mass (Oct. 30, 1987): AAS 80 (1988), 598. [5] Cf. *Propositio* 1. [6] Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World [Gaudium et spes,](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 11. [7] The fathers of the extraordinary synod of 1985, after affirming "the great importance and timeliness of the pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes, continue: "Nevertheless, at the same time, they perceive that the signs of our times are in part different from those at the time of the council, with its problems and major trials. In fact, hunger, oppression, injustice and war, suffering, terrorism and forms of various kinds of violence are growing everywhere in the world today" (Ecclesia sub Verbo Dei Mysteria Christi Celebrans pro Salute Mundi, Relatio Finalis, II, D, 1). [8] [*Gaudium et spes*,](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html) 7. [9] St. Augustine, Confessiones, I, 1: CCL (Collected Works of Christian Writers, Latin Series) 27, 1. [10] Cf. Instrumentatum Laboris, "The Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World 20 Years after the Second Vatican Council," 5-10. [11] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 1. [12] Ibid., 6. [13] Cf. *Propositio* 3. [14] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 31. [15] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html)*. [16] Pius XII, Discourse to the new cardinals, Feb. 20, 1946: AAS 38 (1946), 149. [17] Ecumenical Council of Florence, Decr. pro Armeniis, DS 1314. [18] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 10. [19] St. Augustine, Ennar. in Ps. XXVI, II, 2: CCL 38, 154ff. [20] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 10. [21] John Paul II, [Homily at the beginning of his pastoral ministry as supreme shepherd of the Church](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1978/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19781022_inizio-pontificato.html) (Oct. 22, 1978): AAS 70 (1978), 946. [22] Cf. The renewed proposal of this teaching in the 1987 synod's Instrumentum Laboris, "The Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World 20 years after the Second Vatican Council," 25. [23] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 34. [24] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 35. [25] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 12. [26] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 35. [27] St. Augustine, De Civitate Dei, XX, 10: CCL 48, 720. [28] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 32. [29] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 31. [30] Paul VI, Talk to the members of secular institutes (Feb. 2, 1972): AAS 64 (1972), 208. [31] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 5. [32] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 31. [33] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html)*. [34] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html)*. [35] Cf. *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html).*, 48. [36] [Gaudium et spes,](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 32 [37] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 31. [38] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html)*. [39] *Propositio* 4. [40] "Full members of the People of God and the mystical body, they participate, through Baptism, in the threefold priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of Christ; the lay faithful express and exercise the riches of their dignity through their living in the world. What can be an additional or exceptional task for those who belong to the ordained ministry is the typical mission of the lay faithful. their proper vocation consists 'in seeking the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God' ([Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 31)" (John Paul II, Angelus talk, (March 15, 1987): Insegnamenti, X, 1 \[1987\], 561). [41] See, in particular,[Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html) 5, 39-42, which treats the subject of "the universal call to holiness in the Church." [42] The Second Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (1985), Relatio Finalis, II, A.4. [43] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 40. [44] *Ibid*., 42. These solemn and unequivocal affirmations of the council repropose a fundamental truth of the Christian faith. Thus, for example, Pius XI in the encyclical Casti Connubii addressed Christian spouses in the following words: "In whatever state they might be and whatever upright way of life they might have chosen, all must imitate the most perfect example of holiness, proposed by God to humanity, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the help of God to even reach the highest stage of Christian perfection, shown in the example of the many saints": AAS 22 (1930), 548. [45] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 4. [46] *Propositio* 5. [47] *Propositio* 8. [48] St. Leo the Great, Sermo XXI, 3: S. Ch. 22a, 72. [49] St. Maximus, Trac. III de Baptismo: PL 57, 779. [50] St. Augustine, In Ioann. Evang. Tract., 21, 8: CCL 36, 216. [51] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 33. [52] Ibid., 4. [53] The Second Extraordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops (1985), Relatio Vinalis, II, C, 1. [54] Paul VI, Wednesday general audience talk (June 8, 1966): Insegnamenti, IV (1966), 794. [55] Cf. [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 6. [56] Cf. ibid., 7 et passim. [57] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 9. [58] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 1. [59] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 9. [60] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 7. [61] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html) [62] [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 4. [63] John Paul II, Homily at the Solemn Eucharistic Concelebration for the close of the Seventh Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Oct. 30, 1987): AAS 80 (1988), 600. [64] Cf. [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 4. [65] Cf. Second Vatican council, Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church [Ad Gentes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_ad-gentes_en.html), 5. [66] Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Sacred Priesthood [Presbyterorum Ordinis](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_presbyterorum-ordinis_en.html), 2; cf. [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 10. [67] Cf. [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 10. [68] Cf. John Paul II, [Holy Thursday letter to all the priests of the Church](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_19790409_sacerdoti-giovedi-santo.html) (April 9, 1979), 3-4: Insegnamenti, II, 1 (1979), 844-847. [69] Code of Canon Law, Can. 230, par. 3. [70] Cf. [Presbyterorum Ordinis](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_presbyterorum-ordinis_en.html), 2 and 5. [71] Cf. [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 24. [72] The Code of Canon Law lists a series of roles and tasks proper to the sacred ministers, that nevertheless for special and grave circumstances, and concretely in areas which lack priests or deacons, can temporarily be exercised by the lay faithful, with previous juridic faculty and mandated by competent ecclesiastical authority: cf. Can. 230, par. 3; 517, par. 2; 776; 861 par. 2; 910 par. 2; 943; 1112, etc. [73] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy [Sacrosanctum Concilium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html), 28; Code of Canon Law, Can. 230 par. 2, that states: "Lay persons can fulfill the function of lector during the liturgical actions by temporary deputation; likewise all lay persons can fulfill the functions of commentator or cantor of other functions, in accord with the norm of law." [74] The Code of Canon Law presents diverse roles and tasks that the lay faithful can fulfill in the organized structure of the Church: cf. Can. 228; 229 par. 3; 317 par. 3; 463 par. 1, 5 and par. 2; 483; 494; 537; 759; 776; 784; 785; 1282; 1421. [75] *Propositio* 18. [76] Paul VI, apostolic exhortation [Evangelii Nuntiandi](http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html), 70: AAS 68 (1976), 60. [77] Cf. Code of Canon Law, 230 par. 1. [78] *Propositio* 18. [79] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 3. [80] "From the reception of these charisms or gifts, even the most ordinary ones, there arises for each believer the right and duty to use them in the Church and in the world for the good of people and the building up of the Church. In doing so believers need to enjoy the freedom of the Holy Spirit who 'breathes where He wills' (Jn 3:8). At the same time they must act in communion with their brothers and sisters in Christ, especially with their pastor" (ibid.). [81] *Propositio* 9. [82] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 12. [83] Cf. [*Ibid*.](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html) 30. [84] Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church [Christus Dominus](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651028_christus-dominus_en.html), 11. [85] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 23. [86] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 10. [87] Cf. *Propositio* 10. [88] Cf. Code of Canon Law, Can. 443 par. 4; 463 par. 1 and 2. [89] Cf. *Propositio* 10. [90] The council document reads: "It is impossible for the bishop always and everywhere to reside over the whole flock in his Church; he must of necessity establish groupings of the faithful. Among these, parishes, set up locally under a pastor who takes the place of the bishop are the most important: for in a certain way they represent the visible Church as it is established throughout the world" ([Sacrosanctum Concilium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html), 42). [91] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 28.. [92] John Paul II, apostolic exhortation [Catechesi Tradendae](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_16101979_catechesi-tradendae.html), 67: AAS 71 (1979), 1333. [93] Code of Canon Law, Can. 515, par. 1. 80. [94] Cf. *Propositio* 10. [95] Cf. [Sacrosanctum Concilium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html), 42. [96] Cf. Code of Canon Law, Can. 555, par. 1, 1. [97] Cf. Code of Canon Law, Can. 383, par. 1. [98] Paul VI, Discourse to the Roman clergy (June 24, 1963): AAS 55 (1963), 674. [99] *Propositio* 11. [100] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 10. [101] *Ibid*. [102] *Propositio* 10. [103] St. Gregory the Great, Hom. in Ez., II, I, 5: CCL 142, 211. [104] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 16. [105] John Paul II, Angelus Talk (Aug. 23, 1987): Insegnamenti, X, 3 (1987), 240. [106] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 18. [107] [Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html)., 19; cf. also ibid., 15; [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 37. [108] Code of Canon Law, Can. 215. [109] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 39. [110] Cf. *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html)*. [111] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 19. [112] Cf. [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 23. [113] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html)*. [114] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 23. [115] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html)*., 20. [116] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html)*., 24. [117] *Propositio* 13. [118] Cf. *Propositio* 15. [119] John Paul II, Discourse at a Meeting of the Church in Loreto, Italy (April 10, 1985): AAS 77 (1985), 964. [120] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 1. [121] *Ibid*., 30. [122] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 10. [123] Paul VI, [Evangelii Nuntiandi](http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html), 14: AAS 68 (1976), 13. [124] John Paul II, [Homily at the beginning of his ministry as Supreme Shepherd of the Church](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1978/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19781022_inizio-pontificato.html) (Oct. 22, 1978): AAS 70 (1978), 947. [125] *Propositio* 10. [126] [Ad Gentes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_ad-gentes_en.html), 20; cf. also ibid., 37. [127] *Propositio* 29. [128] Cf. [Ad Gentes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_ad-gentes_en.html), 21. [129] *Propositio* 30 bis. [130] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 5. [131] Cf. [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 22. [132] *Ibid*. [133] John Paul II, encyclical letter [Redemptoris Hominis](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_04031979_redemptor-hominis.html), 14: AAS 71 (1979), 284-285. [134] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 40. [135] Cf. *Ibid*., 12. [136] "If we celebrate so solemnly the birth of Jesus, we do it so as to bear witness to the fact that each person is someone, unique and unrepeatable. If humanity's statistics and arrangement, its political, economic and social systems as well as its simple possibilities, do not come about to assure man that he can be born, exist and work as a unique and unrepeatable individual, then bid 'farewell' to all assurances. For Christ and because of Him, the individual is always unique and unrepeatable; someone eternally conceived and eternally chosen; someone called and given a special name" (John Paul II, [First Christmas radio message](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/messages/urbi/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_19781225_urbi.html): AAS 71 (1979), 66). [137] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 27. [\[138] John Paul II, apostolic exhortation [Familiaris Consortio](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio.html), 30: AAS 74 (1984), 116. [139] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, [Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation: Reply to Certain Questions of the Day Donum Vitae](http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19870222_respect-for-human-life_en.html) (February 22, 1987): AAS 80 (1988), 70-102. [140] *Propositio* 36. [141] John Paul II, [Message for the Twenty-first World Day of Peace, "Religious Freedom: Condition for Peace"](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_19871208_xxi-world-day-for-peace.html) (December 8, 1987): AAS 80 (1988), 278, 280. [142] St. Augustine, De Catech. Rud., XXIV, 44: CCL 46, 168. [143] *Propositio* 32. [144] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 24. [145] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html)*., 12. [146] Cf. [Familiaris Consortio](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio.html), 42-48: AAS 74 (1982), 134-140. [147] Ibid., 85: AAS 74 (1982), 188. [148] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 8. [149] For the relationship between justice and mercy, see John Paul II, encyclical letter [Dives in Misericordia](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30111980_dives-in-misericordia.html), 12: AAS 72 (1980), 1215-1217. [150] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 75. [151] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html)*., 74. [152] *[Ibid](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html)*., 76. [153] Cf. *Propositio* 28. [154] John Paul II, encyclical letter [Sollicitudo Rei Socialis](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30121987_sollicitudo-rei-socialis.html), 38: AAS 80 (1988), 565-566. [155] Cf. John XXIII, encyclical letter [Pacem in Terris](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem.html): AAS 55, (1963), 265-266. [156] [Sollicitudo Rei Socialis](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30121987_sollicitudo-rei-socialis.html), 39: AAS 80 (1988), 568. [157] Cf. *Propositio* 26. [158] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 63. [159] Cf. *Propositio* 24. [160] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 67. [161] [Sollicitudo Rei Socialis](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30121987_sollicitudo-rei-socialis.html), 34: AAS 80 (1988), 560. [162] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 53. [163] Cf. *Propositio* 35. [164] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 58. [165] [Evangelii Nuntiandi](http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html), 18-20. [166] Cf. *Propositio* 37. [167] St. Gregory the Great, Hom. in Evang. I, XIX, 2: PL 76, 1155. [168] Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Christian Education, [Gravissimum Educationis](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_gravissimum-educationis_en.html), 2. [169] John Paul II, [Apostolic letter for the International Year of Youth](https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1985/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_31031985_dilecti-amici.html), 15: AAS 77 (1985), 620-621. [170] Cf. *Propositio* 52. [171] *Propositio* 51. [172] Second Vatican Council, [Message to Youth](https://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/speeches/1965/documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19651208_epilogo-concilio-giovani.html) (Dec. 8, 1965): AAS 58 (1966), 18. [173] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 48. [174] John Gerson, De Parvulis ad Christum Trahendis. Oeuvres Completes, Desclee, Paris 1973, IX, 669. [175] John Paul II, Discourse to a gathering of older people from the dioceses of Italy (March 23, 1984): Insegnamenti, VII, I (1984), 744. [176] Cf. John XXIII, encyclical letter [Pacem in Terris](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem.html): AAS 55 (1963), 267-268. [177] [Familiaris Consortio](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio.html), 24: AAS 74 (1982), 109-110. [178] *Propositio* 46. [179] *Propositio* 47. [180] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 9. [181] Paul VI, Discourse to the Committee for the International Women's Year (April 18, 1975): AAS 67 (1975), 266. [182] *Propositio* 46. [183] *Propositio* 47. [184] *Ibid*. [185] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 10 [186] The encyclical letter [Redemptoris Mater](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater.html), after having recalled that the "Marian dimension of the Christian life takes on a particular importance in relation to women and their status," states: "In fact, femininity has a unique relationship with the mother of the Redeemer, a subject which can be studied in greater depth elsewhere. Here I simply wish to note that the example of Mary of Nazareth sheds light on womanhood as such by the very fact that God, in the sublime event of the incarnation of His Son, entrusted himself to the ministry, the free and active ministry of a woman. It can thus be said that women, by looking to Mary, find in her the secret of living their femininity with dignity and of achieving their own true advancement. In the light of Mary, the Church sees in women the reflection of a beauty which mirrors the loftiest sentiments of which the human heart is capable: the totality of the gift of self in love; the strength that is capable of bearing the greatest sorrows; limitless fidelity and tireless devotion to work; the ability to combine penetrating intuition with words, support and encouragement" (John Paul II, encyclical letter [Redemptoris Mater](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater.html), 46: AAS 79 \[1987\], 424-425) [187] John Paul II, apostolic letter [Mulieris Dignitatem](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1988/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19880815_mulieris-dignitatem.html), 16. [188] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration on the Question of Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood [Inter Insigniores](http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19761015_inter-insigniores_en.html) (Oct. 15, 1976): AAS 69 (1977), 98-116. [189] Cf. [Mulieris Dignitatem](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1988/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19880815_mulieris-dignitatem.html), 26. [190] Ibid., 27; "The Church is a differentiated body, in which each individual has a role; the tasks are distinct, and must not be confused; they do not favor the superiority of one over the other, nor do they provide an excuse for jealousy; the only better gift, which can and must be desired in love (cf. 1 Cor 1213). The greatest in the kingdom of heaven are not the ministers but the saints" (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration on the Question of Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood [Inter Insigniores](http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19761015_inter-insigniores_en.html) \[Oct. 15, 1976\], 6: AAS 69 \[1977\], 115). [191] Paul VI, Discourse to the Committee for the International Women's Year (April 18, 1975): AAS 67 (1975), 266. [192] *Propositio* 47. [193] *Ibid*. [194] [Lumen Gentium](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html), 36. [195] [Familiaris Consortio](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio.html), 50: AAS 74 (1982), 141-142. [196] *Propositio* 46. [197] *Propositio* 47. [198] The Seventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (1987), Per Concilii Semitas as Poplum Dei Nuntius, 12. [199] *Propositio* 53. [200] John Paul II, apostolic letter [Salvifici Doloris](https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris.html), 3: AAS 76 (1984), 203. [201] St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Ephesios, VII, 2: S. Ch. 10, 64. [202] [Salvifici Doloris](https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris.html), 31: AAS 76 (1984), 249-250. [203] St. Ambrose, De Virginitate, VI, 34: PL 16, 288; cf. St. Augustine, Sermo CCCIV, III, 2: PL 38, 1396. [204] Cf. Pius XII, apostolic constitution Provida Mater (Feb. 2, 1947): AAS 39 (1947), 114-124; Code of Canon Law, Can. 573. [205] *Propositio* 6. [206] Cf. Paul VI, apostolic letter [Sabaudiae Gemma](http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/la/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-vi_apl_19670129_sabaudiae-gemma.html) (Jan. 29, 1967): AAS 59 (1967), 113-123. [207] St. Francis de Sales, Introduction a la Vie devote, I, III: Oeuvres Completes, Monastere de la Visitation, Annecy 1983, III, 19-21. [208] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 4. [209] *Propositio* 40. [210] Dabit vitutem, qui contulit dignitatem! (St. Leo the Great, Serm. II, 1: S. Ch. 200, 248). [211] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 4. [212] [Gaudium et Spes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html), 43; cf. also, [Ad Gentes](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_ad-gentes_en.html), 21; Evangelii Nuntiandi, 20: AAS 68 (1976), 19. [213] John Paul II, Discourse to the Participants in the National Congress of Church Movements of Cultural Responsibility (MEIC) (Jan. 16, 1982), 2: Insegnamenti, V, 1 (1982), 131; also letter to Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, secretary of state, establishing the Pontifical Council for Culture (May 20, 1982): AAS 74 (1982), 685; Discourse to the community of the University of Louvain (May 20, 1985), 2: Insegnamenti, VIII, 1 (1985), 1591. [214] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 4. [215] Propositio 22; cf. also [Sollicitudo Rei Socialis](http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30121987_sollicitudo-rei-socialis.html), 41: AAS 80 (1988), 570-572. [216] [Apostolicam Actuositatem](http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html), 4. [217] St. Methodius of Olympus, Symposion III, 8: S. Ch. 95, 110. [218] Cf. *Propositio* 11. [219] *Propositio* 40. [220] Cf. *Propositio* 44. [221] Cf. *Propositio* 45. [222] *Propositio* 44. [223] *Propositio* 41. [224] *Propositio* 42. --- ![[maps/bibliography#^biblio-jpii-cl]]