Theological aspects of the pastoral care of vocations

25. But what theology underpins, inspires and motivates vocations ministry as such?

The response is important in our context, because it is a mediating element between the theology of vocation and a pastoral praxis coherent with it, which is born from that theology and returns to it. On this discussion, in effect, the Congress expressed the need for reflection and study, with the intention of discovering the motives which intimately link people and communities to vocational action and in order to highlight a better relation between theology of vocation, theology of vocations ministry and pedagogical-pastoral praxis.

"The pastoral care of vocations springs from the mystery of the Church and places itself at her service".(⁵⁵) The theological foundation of the pastoral care of vocations, therefore, "can only arise from an assessment of the mystery of the Church as a mysterium vocationis".(⁵⁶)

John Paul II clearly recalls, in this regard, that "concern for vocations is a connatural and essential dimension of the Church's pastoral work", i.e. to her life and mission.(⁵⁷) Therefore, in a certain sense, vocation defines the deepest being of the Church, even before her work. In the very name, "Ecclesia", is indicated her vocational make-up, because she is truly an assembly of those called.(⁵⁸) Justly, then, does the Instrumentum laboris of the Congress note that "a unitary vocations ministry is based upon the vocational nature of the Church".(⁵⁹)

Consequently, by its very nature, pastoral work for vocations is an activity ordained to the proclamation of Christ and to the evangelisation of believers in Christ. This then is the response to our question: precisely that the theology of pastoral work for vocations is rooted exactly in the Church's call to communicate the faith. That relates to the universal Church, but it is attributed in a special way to every Christian community,(⁶⁰) especially in the present historical moment of the old continent. "For this sublime mission of bringing to flower a new era of evangelisation in Europe, evangelisers who have been prepared in a particular way are needed".(⁶¹)

In this regard it is appropriate to recall some points of reference, drawn from the present papal magisterium, so that they may become points of departure for pastoral praxis in the particular Churches.

a) Once the vocational dimension of the Church has been highlighted, it can be understood how pastoral work for vocations is not an accessory or secondary element, with the purpose simply of recruiting pastoral workers, nor an isolated or partial moment, determined by an emergency situation in the Church, so much as an activity related to the very being of the Church and therefore also intimately inserted into the general pastoral programme of every Church.(⁶²)

b) Every Christian vocation comes from God, but always arrives at the Church and passes through her mediation. The Church ("ecclesia"), who by her in-built constitution is vocation, at the same time generates and educates vocations.(⁶³) "Consequently, the pastoral work of promoting vocations has as its active agents, as its protagonists, the ecclesial community as such, in its various expressions: from the universal Church to the particular Church and, by analogy, from the particular Church to each of its parishes and to every part of the People of God".(⁶⁴)

c) Every member of the Church, excluding no-one, has the grace and the responsibility of caring for vocations. It is a duty that enters into the vital dynamism of the Church and into its process of development. Only on the basis of this conviction can pastoral work for vocations manifest its truly ecclesial aspect and develop a plan of action in accordance with this, making use also of specific agencies and appropriate instruments of communion and corresponsibility.(⁶⁵)

d) The particular Church discovers her own existential and earthly dimension in the vocation of all of her members to communion, to witness, to mission, to the service of God and the brothers and sisters... Therefore she will respect and promote the variety of charisms and ministries, i.e. the different vocations, all manifestations of the one Spirit.

e) The hinge of the whole programme of vocations promotion is the prayer demanded by the Saviour (Mt 9, 38). This extends not only to individuals but to the whole ecclesial community.(⁶⁶) "We must pray unceasingly to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send workers to his Church in order to meet the needs of the new evangelisation".(⁶⁷)

However it is useful to remember that authentic vocational prayer merits this name and becomes effective only when it creates consistency of life, principally, in the one praying, and associates itself in the rest of the believing community with explicit proclamation and appropriate catechesis, in order to encourage in those called to the priesthood and religious life, as to whatever other Christian vocation, that free, willing and generous response, which carries into effect the grace of vocation.(⁶⁸)