Catholic Action Not a Monopoly of the Lay Apostolate

Catholic Action always bears the stamp of an official apostolate of laymen. Two remarks must be made here: the mandate, especially that of teaching, is not given to Catholic Action as a whole, but to its specially organized members according to the will and the choice of the Hierarchy. Catholic Action must not, moreover, claim a monopoly of the lay apostolate, for along with it there remains the free lay apostolate. Individuals or groups can place themselves at the disposal of the Hierarchy and be entrusted, for a fixed or indeterminate period of time, with certain tasks for which they receive a mandate. It might therefore be asked whether they do not also become members of Catholic Action. The important point is that the hierarchical Church, the bishops and the priests, can choose lay coworkers for themselves when they find persons able and willing to help them.

It seems necessary here to discuss, at least in its broad outline, a suggestion which has been communicated to Us very recently. It was pointed out that there is today a regrettable and rather widespread uneasiness which arises from the use of the term "Catholic Action."

In fact, some think that this expression is reserved to specific types of organized lay apostolates to which it gives, in public opinion, a sort of monopoly. All organizations that do not enter into the framework of Catholic Action thus conceived, it is said, seem to have a less authentic character and a secondary importance. They seem to receive less support from the Hierarchy, and apparently remain on the fringe of the essential apostolic effort of the laity. It would appear, then, that a particular form of lay apostolate, namely Catholic Action, is triumphing to the detriment of others and that we are witnessing the seizure of the whole by a part. Even more, it would seem that a point would be reached, in practice, where apostolic movements not bearing the label of Catholic Action would be condemned and barred from the diocese.