The Vatican has launched a new online platform for laypeople to apply for jobs. The new platform, titled “Work with Us,” aims to streamline the hiring process and increase transparency. Applicants can browse available roles, view requirements, and submit applications directly through the site. The platform also aims to address staffing needs by matching qualified candidates with specific linguistic or technical skills. The Secretariat is also promoting internal mobility by sharing job openings with current staff through the Employee Portal.
12 days ago
The Holy See’s Secretariat for the Economy has launched a new online platform, "Work with Us," enabling laypeople to directly apply for open or upcoming positions across various Vatican offices 1. This initiative marks a significant shift from previous informal recruitment processes, moving towards a more streamlined and visible hiring system 1. Applicants can now browse available roles, review qualification requirements, and submit their materials online, or upload a CV for future consideration if no immediate matches are found 1.
This new platform is a key component of the Vatican’s ongoing journey toward administrative transparency and reform 1. Maximino Caballero Ledo, Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, emphasized the need for personnel with appropriate competence, motivation, and a strong ethical sense 1. According to Luis Herrera, Director of Human Resources for the Holy See, the site addresses common inquiries about how to apply for Vatican jobs and what positions are available, helping to match specific linguistic or technical skills with staffing needs 1.
Beyond job listings, the "Work with Us" website offers a transparent view into the Vatican’s administrative operations 1. It includes documentation on financial oversight, procurement regulations, and governance structures, ensuring accountability and adherence to canon law 1. The reform also promotes internal mobility, as new post announcements are shared through the Vatican’s Employee Portal, allowing current staff to apply for new roles 1.
This digital transformation provides a concrete opportunity for individuals to serve the Church through their professional skills and purpose 1. The Vatican aims to attract genuinely interested candidates and ensure that its administrative machinery is supported by competent and ethically sound personnel 1.
How does the Church define lay roles and vocations?
The Church defines the roles and vocations of the laity primarily through their baptismal dignity and their call to participate in the Church's mission of evangelization and sanctification of the world . This understanding is deeply rooted in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, particularly in Lumen Gentium and Apostolicam Actuositatem .
All the faithful, by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, are called to publicly profess, spread, and defend the faith as true witnesses of Christ . This means they are called to evangelization, which is a fundamental duty for all members of the People of God, regardless of whether they hold special functions connected with the duties of pastors . The sacraments of Christian initiation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit prepare the lay faithful for this mission of proclaiming the Gospel .
A distinctive aspect of the lay vocation is their engagement with the secular world . Lay people are called to seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and ordering them according to God's plan . Their specific activity involves bringing the Gospel to the structures of the world, working in holiness wherever they are, and consecrating the world itself to God . This includes evangelizing various sectors of family, social, professional, cultural, and political life .
Pope John Paul II emphasized that the vast and complex worlds of politics, society, economics, culture, sciences, arts, international life, and mass media are all open to evangelization by the laity . This also extends to human love, family, education, professional work, and suffering . The more Gospel-inspired lay people are involved in these realities, promoting them with Christian power, the more these realities will serve the Kingdom of God and salvation in Jesus Christ .
The laity participate in Christ's threefold office as priest, prophet, and king:
The renewal of the Church is not possible without the active presence of the laity, making them largely responsible for the Church's future . Bishops are called to inspire the laity to live fully Christian lives and to understand the implications of their Baptism, seeing their family, professional, civic, and sociopolitical duties as a call to influence society .
It is crucial for the laity to have an awareness of the greatness of their vocation and a sense of being an essential component of the ecclesial community, living in union with Christ . Their success in apostolate depends on their living union with Christ . An inadequate understanding of the lay role can lead them to focus too much on Church services and tasks, neglecting their responsibilities in professional, social, cultural, and political fields .
In summary, the Church defines lay roles and vocations as a full participation in the Church's mission, rooted in baptismal dignity, with a specific emphasis on evangelizing and sanctifying the secular world from within, through their daily lives and professions, and by embodying evangelical values .