The layman in the Church

THIS, we are encouraged to think, is the
A we
of the layman". But few laymen
would claim to know whatothat means. And many of those who did would probably be mistaken.
If the layman is coming of age today, it is not just because Christianity is on the decline and it is a case of all hands to the pumps. Nor is it just because he is better educated nowadays and can be called on to help with running the parish. If this is what is understood by the new emphasis on the role of the layman, then. obviously, the whole point is being missed.
Because this looks like being the case. there is a tendency now to avoid all use of the term "layman" in connection with the Church. For the danger is that it may perpetuate the old concept of the church as a clerical society, to which the laity, like some sort of second-class club members, merely belong.
The Vatican Council's Constitution on the Church has ended such ideas on what might be called the theoretical level. But it is only too clear that the new attitudes have not penetrated throughout the whole body of the Church and that most laymen today do not know what the Constitution says about them. at might be relevant lo remark that this gap in their knowledge about themselves can be filled for the expenditure of 2s. 6d. in any Catholic bookshop.)
What the Constitution makes clear is that the laity are not unskilled assistants of the clergy. now being asked to do things which would be better done by priests if there were sufficient of them. The laity do Acit belong to the Church; they are the Church.
They are the people of God with whom He made a pact or covenant and to whom He sent His Son to renew this covenant. the priests are men specially called aside to minister to the people of God. The Bishops teach and guide the people and the Pope is the sign of unity at their head. All parts of the Church are linked in fraternal love and service.
It is important to keep this concept in mind when discussing the function of the proposed new Lay Secretariat in Rome, details of which we report this week. If this body is considered as some sort of super-recruiting office to encourage the laity to join Catholic societies and help run the parish bingo it will be a resounding failure.
This danger is compounded by wrong notions of the lay apostolate. Most of us have grown up with the idea that the task of the good Christian layman or woman was to belong to one or other of the many societies or organisations in the Church. Our Christian witness was one of standing up under a banner and being counted.
Societies are very important. They are for many people a means. sometimes the best means, or formation for the lay apostolate. But they are not the lay apostolate itself, which is to serve God (by helping to make Him known, loved and served) in the secular position in which we have been placed, .1 his is an apostolate to which every Christian without exception is called and he does not need to be a member of a society to fulfil it.
These are the ideas which the new Secretariat must put across. Like the other postConciliar organisations—such as the Liturgy Commission and the Secretariats for dealing with non-Christians and non-believers—its function will be to carry the work of the Council on to its conclusion.
According to the reports we have received it is proposed that the Secretariat will be completely lay controlled. There are, however, some suggestions that a Cardinal will be appointed as nominal head. Even this, we feel. would be an anomaly.
At the last Council session, Cardinal Heenan made a powerful plea for substantial lay control and his views were backed up behind the scenes by other English Bishops. Indeed it is very possible that the work of the English Hierarchy in this matter may turn out to he its most important and effective contribution to Vatican H.