Lay people in Church ministries

Suvremeni način života, u kojem se i naglašava i prakticira suodgovornost te briga svih članova jedne zajednice ili društva za opće dobro, itekako se osjeća u današnjoj Crkvi. Velik doprinos tome dao je sam II. vat. sabor dogmatskom konstitucijom o Crkvi – Lumen gentium – Svjetlo naroda, gdje je izričito istakao po poglavljima što je čija zadaća i što na koga spada, ali s naglaskom na to da su svi uključeni, suodgovorni i pozvani na suradnju: od Pape kao namjesnika Kristova preko biskupa i svećenika i sve do posljednjeg vjernika laika. Obilje tih misli o zauzetosti i suodgovornosti imamo i u ostalim saborskim dokumentima. Ovdje sam htio istaći, radi naših posebnih okolnosti, kakav bi trebao biti kod nas stav hijerarhije, odnosno svećenika prema našim vjernicima laicima, posebno prema vjernicama – ženama. Obradio sam vrijedeće crkvene odredbe: što, kada i u čemu vjernici laici mogu i trebaju pomagati; kako se za tu pomoć moraju pripraviti; kako njihovu pomoć vrednovati, kako ih i koliko njihov rad nagrađivati, posebno na onim područjima i u djelatnostima na kojima oni prednjače pred samim klericima, pa ih se nikako ne smije zaobići, nego ih obilato koristiti. Skrenuo sam, na koncu pozornost, tumačeći uputu Ecclesiae de mysterio, na opasnosti, odnosno pretjeranosti u koje su upale mnoge krajevne crkve na Zapadu, pa je Sveta Stolica ovim opširnim ali jasnim dokumentom pozvala na suradnju svećenika i laika, ali je i upozorila na ozbiljne teološke i kanonske promašaje nadajući se da će pastiri imati u ovoj Uputi jasan smjerokaz za daljnju ali plodnu suradnju.A modern way of living – in which co-responsibility and care of all members of the community or the society for the common good is highlighted and put into practice – is also visible in today’s Church. A major contribution to this was made by the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, in which the Council explicitly lays out, chapter by chapter, the nature of each individual’s duties. The Council stresses that all are included, all are co-responsible, and all are called to cooperate: from the Pope, who is Christ’s vicar, through the bishops and priests, to the last lay believer. In addition to the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church we regularly find this idea of involvement and co-responsibility in other documents of the Second Vatican Council. Because of the specific circumstances of the church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the article focuses in particular on the stance that the clergy should adopt toward lay people, especially toward women. Current church regulations are examined to establish in what way, when, and in what areas lay people can and should help; how to prepare for this help; how to evaluate it and how to reward it, including, where appropriate, the question of payment, especially in circumstances where lay people are clearly better qualified than members of the clergy, areas that should not be neglected. The article concludes with an explanation of the instruction, Ecclesiae de mysterio, and points to dangers, such as overextension, that many local Churches fall into. In light of this, the Holy See, with this large but clear document, calls for cooperation between priests and lay people, but also cautions against serious theological and canonical failures, and expresses the hope that pastors, through this Instruction, will have clear direction for future and fruitful cooperation