Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement
Encyclopedia
Lay ecclesial movements are one form of associations of the faithful of the Catholic Church.
Associations of the faithful are groups of baptized Catholics, clerics or laity or both together, who jointly foster a more perfect life or promote public worship or Christian teaching, or who devote themselves to other works of the apostolate. They are not necessarily established or even praised or recommended by the Church authorities. For a list of the officially approved associations of the faithful that exist on an international level, see Directory of International Associations of the Faithful
. Approval for those that exist on a national level can be obtained from the country's episcopal conference
, while it is for the local bishop to grant approval to those that exist only at diocesan level. Secular institute
s, being institutes of consecrated life, are not classified as associations of the faithful.
Under the 1917 Code of Canon Law, replaced in 1983 by a revised Code, associations of the faithful were called piae uniones (plural of pia unio, in English, "pious union").
A group of people who intend to become a recognized religious institute, secular institute or society of apostolic life will normally come together at first as an association of the faithful, while awaiting the decision of the bishop to establish them, after consulting the Holy See
, in the desired form.
A 20th Century resurgence of interest in lay societies culminated in the Second Vatican Council
. These societies also have their roots in medieval societies including sodalities
(defined in the 1917 Code of Canon Law as associations of the faithful constituted as an organic body), confraternities (similarly defined as sodalities established for the promotion of public worship), communes
, and guilds.
Associations of the faithful are groups of baptized Catholics, clerics or laity or both together, who jointly foster a more perfect life or promote public worship or Christian teaching, or who devote themselves to other works of the apostolate. They are not necessarily established or even praised or recommended by the Church authorities. For a list of the officially approved associations of the faithful that exist on an international level, see Directory of International Associations of the Faithful
Directory of International Associations of the Faithful
The Directory of International Associations of the Faithful, published by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, lists the international associations of the faithful in the Catholic Church that have been granted official recognition...
. Approval for those that exist on a national level can be obtained from the country's episcopal conference
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...
, while it is for the local bishop to grant approval to those that exist only at diocesan level. Secular institute
Secular institute
In the Roman Catholic Church, a secular institute is an organization of individuals who are consecrated persons – professing the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience – while living in the world, unlike members of a religious order who live in community. It is one of the...
s, being institutes of consecrated life, are not classified as associations of the faithful.
Under the 1917 Code of Canon Law, replaced in 1983 by a revised Code, associations of the faithful were called piae uniones (plural of pia unio, in English, "pious union").
A group of people who intend to become a recognized religious institute, secular institute or society of apostolic life will normally come together at first as an association of the faithful, while awaiting the decision of the bishop to establish them, after consulting the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, in the desired form.
A 20th Century resurgence of interest in lay societies culminated in the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. These societies also have their roots in medieval societies including sodalities
Sodality
In Christian theology, a sodality is a form of the "Universal Church" expressed in specialized, task-oriented form as opposed to the Christian church in its local, diocesan form . In English, the term sodality is most commonly used by groups in the Catholic Church, where they are also referred to...
(defined in the 1917 Code of Canon Law as associations of the faithful constituted as an organic body), confraternities (similarly defined as sodalities established for the promotion of public worship), communes
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
, and guilds.
External links
- Brendan Leahy, Ecclesial Movements and Communities: Origins, Significance, and Issues (New City Press, 2011)
- Book review of Cities of God: The Religion of the Italian Communes 1125-1325 by Augustine Thompson, OP
- David Dieterich, Brotherhood and Community on the Eve of the Reformation: Confraternities and Parish Life in Liege, 1450-1540