Opening wide the doors of the Church to all

Down & Connor Faith and Life Convention

The radical challenge set before Catholics is to learn a new language, writes Michael Kelly

One of the Pope’s closest advisers has urged the Church in Ireland to continue to work to build a culture of co-responsibility between laypeople and clergy.

Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga was speaking to more than 300 people at the Down & Connor Diocese Faith and Life Convention in Belfast at the weekend.

He said that greater lay responsibility “is a vital part in the re-birth of the Church” and that “this is the wish of Pope Francis”.

Honduran Cardinal Maradiaga is a close confidant of Pope Francis and the Pontiff has appointed the cardinal to co-ordinate his key group of advisers, the so-called C9, who are advising Francis on reforms in the Church.

Pastoral
 plan

Dr Maradiaga commended the Down & Connor pastoral plan which has been in the process of being rolled out over the last five years.

He said that the plan “points out numerous arenas in which we can support others on their journey to Christ, so that in our parishes we may truly be a welcoming community of believers, bearing witness to our Faith in today’s society”.

He encouraged participants to take up their baptismal call to evangelise. “We must not leave it to others! Let’s dare to live for each other and revitalise the culture of volunteer service in our Church! Let’s desire to participate more fully in the life of the Church and to be co-responsible for the mission of the Church!” he said.

However, he warned that pastoral imperatives always need to lead to concentre action. “These desires and these words need now to be put into action by each one of us. This new era in the life of our diocese offers many opportunities for you to put your talents and experience at the service of the common good in our Church, and by extension in our society.

“You are working to open wide the doors of our Church to all without exception, ensuring that the highest standards of safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children continue to operate in Down & Connor”.

He described the pastoral plan as a “personal invitation” to each parishioner “to enrich one’s relationship with Christ, to grow in holiness, and to serve your neighbour both as believer and fellow-citizen”.

He insisted that Catholics must work hard to “ensure that the voice of the Church and of the Gospel is heard in the public square and that the Catholic response to all major issues is clearly presented.

“Contribute to the Church’s engagement with legislators, politicians and public bodies both within the statutory and voluntary sector,” he said.

Returning to the theme of collaborative ministry between priests and laypeople, the cardinal encouraged participants at the gathering to “promote a culture of co-responsibility among clergy, religious and laity at every level of the life of the diocese.

“Promote the on-going formation and development of lay volunteers for service in parishes,” he said.

On the theme of youth ministry – which is the subject of this month’s Synod of Bishops in Rome – the cardinal said that parishes need to work hard to “reach out to young adults and provide them with a peer community that supports them in entering fully into the life and mission of the Church.

“Ensure that young people, aged 11-18, recognise their place within the parish community and grow in their own relationship with Christ and with peers who will share with them the mission to build the Kingdom of God,” he said.

Dr Maradiaga proposed the ‘see, judge, act’ model to parishioners as a way of revitalising the Church and the presence of Faith in the wider culture. In this, he said that the Church often needs to learn a new way of speaking.

“No longer do we find ourselves speaking the language of today’s world. Fewer and fewer people understand our message, whilst fewer people are listening to us.

“Skilful communication presupposes one who speaks and one who listens. Perhaps today we are not on the right frequency and those listening cannot understand us,” he said.

However, he warned that it is not an option for the Church to retreat from dialogue. “The life of Faith is lived out in the world, not in the sacristies of our times.

“As laypeople, you must allow the life of God to saturate your every experience, indeed every dimension of your existence, not in a vague sense but effectively through your daily work, your family life, your suffering, your prayer, in and through your celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacraments, in your relationship and membership of the Church; indeed, wherever you find yourselves,” he said.

The Faith and Life Convention has been a key part of the pastoral plan in the diocese aimed at renewing Faith. Down & Connor will take another historic step on Sunday October 14 when Bishop Noel Treanor will ordain nine men for service as permanent deacons in the diocese.