All Should Be Active

It would be a misunderstanding of the Church's real nature and her social character to distinguish in her a purely active element, Church authorities, and a purely passive element, the laity. All the members of the Church, as We Ourselves said in the Encyclical Mystici Corporis Christo (The Mystical Body of Christ), are called upon to cooperate in building up and perfecting the Mystical Body of Christ. (Cfr. AAS 36, 1943, p. 241.) They are all free persons and should; therefore, be active.

The term "emancipation of the layman" is abused at times when it is used in a sense that distorts the true character of the relations existing between the "teaching Church" and the "Church that is being taught," between priests and laymen. Concerning these relations, let Us simply note that the tasks before the Church today are too vast to leave room for petty disputes. In order to preserve the proper sphere of action of both priest and layman, it is enough that all should have a sufficient spirit of faith, disinterestedness, mutual esteem, and mutual confidence. Respect for the priestly dignity has always been one of the most characteristic traits of the Christian community; on the other hand, laymen also have rights, and the priest must recognize them.

The layman is entitled to receive from the priest all those spiritual benefits which are necessary if he is to achieve the salvation of his soul and attain Christian perfection. (Canons 87 and 682.) In what concerns the Christian's fundamental rights, he may assert his demands. (Canons 467, 1; 892, 1.) The meaning and aim of the Church's whole life is involved here, as well as the responsibility before God of the priest and the lay man.

Exclusive consideration of the Church's social activity inevitably creates uneasiness. This activity is not an end in itself-either in general or in the Church-for the community is ultimately at the service of the individual, and not vice-versa. History shows that from the Church's earliest days laymen have taken part in the activity which the priest carries out in the service of the Church, and today more than ever they must cooperate with greater and greater fervor "for building up the Body of Christ" (Ephesians 4 :12) in all forms of the apostolate, especially by making the Christian spirit penetrate all family, social, economic, and political life.

One of the reasons for this appeal to the laity is certainly the shortage of priests, but even in the past a priest expected the cooperation of laymen. Let Us mention only the considerable contribution which lay Catholic men and women instructors, as well as Religious, have made to the teaching of religion and, in general, to Christian education and the formation of youth. Think, for instance, of the Catholic schools of the United States. The Church is grateful to them for this contribution, for it was a necessary complement to priestly work. There still remains the fact that the lack of priests is especially noticeable today and threatens to become even more so. We are thinking especially of parts of Latin America, whose people and countries are undergoing rapid development at the present time. The work of laymen there is all the more necessary.