The Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life focuses on enhancing the apostolate of the lay faithful, pastoral care for young people, families, the elderly, and the promotion and protection of life. Pope Francis established the Dicastery in 2016 to combine the responsibilities of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. The Dicastery's areas of competence are considered 'popular' as they concern the daily lives of many people. Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell serves as Prefect, assisted by Bishop Dario Gervasi and Doctor Gleison De Paula Souza.
4 months ago
The Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life was established by Pope Francis in August 2016 through the motu proprio Sedula Mater 1. This new structure consolidated the responsibilities previously held by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family 1. Pope Francis described it as a "popular" dicastery because its areas of competence directly concern the daily lives of many people 1.
The Dicastery's roots trace back to earlier Vatican bodies 1. The Pontifical Council for the Laity was created by St. Paul VI in 1967 and, with its youth section, has been involved in organizing World Youth Day (WYD) since 1985 1. The Pontifical Council for the Family was established by St. John Paul II in 1981 and has been responsible for organizing the World Meetings of Families since 1994 1.
The Dicastery is led by Prefect Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, assisted by Adjunct Secretary Bishop Dario Gervasi and Secretary Doctor Gleison De Paula Souza 1. Its primary mandate, as outlined in the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, is to enhance the apostolate of the lay faithful, provide pastoral care for young people, support the family and its mission according to God’s plan, care for the elderly, and promote and protect human life 1.
The Dicastery promotes the vocation and mission of lay people, both individually and within associations and movements, across all spheres of life 1. It expresses the Church’s concern for young people, supporting their active engagement and assisting in the organization of international youth meetings 1. It also contributes to theological reflection on the identity and mission of women and men, encouraging their participation and leadership roles for women in the Church 1.
Furthermore, the Dicastery studies cooperation between the laity and ordained ministers to foster shared responsibility for the Church's mission 1. It evaluates and approves proposals from Episcopal Conferences regarding new ministries and ecclesiastical offices for the laity 1. The Dicastery also oversees associations of the faithful and ecclesial movements, recognizing international ones and approving their statutes 1.
In family pastoral care, it promotes marriage based on Church teachings and works to ensure the rights and duties of spouses and families in society 1. It supports initiatives for transmitting faith within families, studies causes of marital crises, and proposes pastoral accompaniment models for civilly divorced and remarried individuals, as well as those in polygamous situations 1. Concerning life, it supports responsible procreation and protects human life from conception to natural end, particularly aiding difficult pregnancies and preventing abortion 1. It also examines issues in biomedicine and law related to human life in dialogue with theological and scientific disciplines, collaborating with the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute 1.
Pope Francis, in a February 2023 conference with the Dicastery, expressed his vision for a missionary Church where all members, both laity and pastors, are united by their baptism and work side-by-side in fraternity to proclaim the Gospel 1.
What is the Church's teaching on the laity?
The Catholic Church teaches that the laity are all the faithful who are not in holy orders or a religious state approved by the Church . By virtue of their Baptism, the laity are incorporated into Christ and share in His priestly, prophetic, and kingly functions . This participation enables them to carry out the mission of the entire Christian people within the Church and in the world .
The specific characteristic of the laity is their secular nature . While clergy and religious may engage in secular activities, the laity are called by their vocation to seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and ordering them according to God's plan . They live in the ordinary circumstances of family and social life, and it is within these contexts that they are called to sanctify the world from within, acting as leaven . Through their lives, resplendent in faith, hope, and charity, they are to make Christ known to others .
The lay apostolate is a participation in the Church's salvific mission, to which all are commissioned through Baptism and Confirmation . The sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, communicate and nourish the charity that is the soul of the apostolate . The laity are called in a special way to make the Church present and active in places and circumstances where only they can be the "salt of the earth" .
All Christians have the preeminent responsibility to make the divine message of salvation known and accepted throughout the world . The Holy Spirit bestows special gifts (charisms) upon the faithful for the building up of the whole body in charity . From the acceptance of these charisms, each believer has the right and duty to use them in the Church and in the world for the good of humanity and the Church's growth, in communion with their pastors .
The apostolate of the laity and the pastoral ministry are mutually complementary . While the ministry of the Word and sacraments are specially entrusted to the clergy, the laity have crucial roles as "fellow workers for the truth" . Their Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have the power to draw people to belief in God . Beyond the witness of their lives, true apostles seek opportunities to announce Christ by words, whether to non-believers to lead them to faith, or to the faithful to instruct and encourage them .
The Church earnestly exhorts the laity to diligently explain, defend, and properly apply Christian principles to contemporary problems, especially given new challenges and errors that undermine religion, morality, and society . They are called to acquire a more profound grasp of revealed truth and to pray for the gift of wisdom .