ASSOCIATIONS OF CHRIST’S FAITHFUL IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Deacon Vu Thanh An
The associations have basis on the scriptural foundation. God created human to relate and to associate. “It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper as his partner” (Gen. 2, 18). In the New Testament it states that whoever believes in Christ gathers as a body of the Christ and as people of God (Cf., 1 Cor. 12, 12ff. 1 Pet. 2, 5-10). In addition, Jesus will be present among those who gather to pray. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Mat. 18, 20).
1. Associations of the Christ’s Faithful
In general, association is an official group of people who have joined for a particular purpose. Associations of the Christ’s faithful are among many associations in the society. “In these associations, Christ’s faithful, whether clerics or laity, or clerics and laity together, strive with a common effort to foster a more perfect life or to promote public worship or Christian teaching.”[1] The main goals of these associations will be first evangelization and then sanctification of the faithful. Therefore, Christian faithful in association “devote themselves to other works of the apostolate, such as initiatives for evangelization, works of piety or charity, and those which animate the temporal order which the Christian spirit.”[2] These associations are established, praised or recommended by the competent ecclesiastical authority”[3]
The associations are called as “Christ’s faithful” because these associations are comprised of each baptized person who is incorporated with Christ. The associations receive title “Catholic” which constitutes a special recommendation for its universality. It is precisely the competent ecclesiastical authority has a strict right to supervise these to the use of this term “Catholic” which qualifies the Church itself. (cf. c. 300)
2. Associations of the Christ’s Faithful in the Magisterial Teachings
The Catholic Church realizes the necessary association of the faithful as an important factor in the mission of the Church. Therefore, the Church safeguards the freedom of associations of the faithful. Magisterial teachings implicitly or explicitly expressed this right to associate.
Pope John XXIII wrote: “In recent times, this tendency has given rise to the formation everywhere of both national and international movements, associations and institutions with economic, cultural, social, sporting, recreational, professional and political ends.” [4]
He also expressed the right of meeting and association by own initiatives for the pursuit of aims. He saw that an individual is not able to achieve alone. Therefore, these associations are absolutely essential to safeguard freedom and dignity of man. “Men are by nature social, and consequently they have the right to meet together and to form associations with their fellows. They have the right to confer on such associations the type of organization that they consider best calculated to achieve their objectives. They have also the right to exercise their own initiative and act on their own responsibility within these associations for the attainment of the desired results.”[5]
Men and women, as social beings, have pleasure to assemble. Consequently, association is a fundamental need in the Christ’s faithful who is both human and Christian. The Church is preserved as a sign of the communion and unity. Therefore, the faithful are invited to do apostolates not as individuals. All should work for the common unity. The reasons behind are to promote a more intimate unity among the faith of the members. Associations are at the service of the Church’s mission to the World.[6]
The right of association is further agreed by the fathers of the Second Vatican Council and promulgated in the Pastoral Dogmatic Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. It says that the communitarian nature of man’s vocation is a design of God. God’s desire is to be one family in the spirit of brotherhood. Therefore, love of God and love of neighbor are the greatest commandments in associations too.[7]
Coming together, relating with each other is nature of human person. “Nowadays for various reasons mutual relationships and independence increase from day to day and give rise to a variety of a associations a and organizations both public and private”.[8] Therefore, any public or private organizations and associations to be at the service of dignity and destiny of man to safeguard basic human rights.[9] They are to foster common good and to make better the conditions of life.[10]
The Second Vatican Council also indicated a juridical relationship between the association with the competent ecclesiastical authority: 1/ Association formed and led by a layperson; 2/ Association formed by a layperson receives a recognition by the competent ecclesiastical authority; 3/ Association formed by a layperson is invited by the competent ecclesiastical authority to collaborate directly in the diocesan mission by the recommendation letter of the diocesan bishop. Therefore, this association acts on the behalf of the competent ecclesiastical authority.
3. Associations of Christ’s faithful according to the Code of Canon Law
The right to associate is driven from baptism by this a person is with the community of faith and obliged to invoice in churches mission (Cf., cc. 204 and 205) this right to associate is exercised with in the specific community of faith and must serve to build up unity (cf. c. 209). Canon 215 states that the Christian faithful are at liberty freely to found and direct associations for purposes of charity or piety or for the promotion of the Christian vocation in the world and to hold meetings for the common pursuit of these purposes.
According to canon 299 §1, by means of a private agreement made among themselves, the Christian faithful are free to establish associations to pursue the purposes mentioned in can. 298 §1, without prejudice to the prescript of can. 301 §1. Christian faithful can be laypersons, clerics or consecrated persons. The obligations and rights of all the Christian faithful are mentioned in canons 208-223.
Secular clerics have the right to associate with others to pursue purposes in keeping with the clerical state. (c. 278 §1). The Christian faithful are to join especially those associations which competent ecclesiastical authority has erected, praised, or commended (c. 298 §2). Members of religious institutes can join associations according to the norm of their proper law with the consent of their superior. (c. 307 §3)
A. Canonical bases the association would be:
1. It is to build up Christian faith, fostering a perfect Christian life, piety, charity promoting Christian worship (c. 298)
2. There should be statutes and structure to respond to its needs (c. 304)
3. There need to have a relationship with the competent ecclesiastical authority in those fundamental aspects, such as, faith, morals and ecclesiastical discipline (c. 305)
4. There should have memberships for the people and their duties and rights (c. 307)
5. There need to have legitimate antonym under the law and the statues (c. 309)
B. Private associations praised, commended or recognized by the competent ecclesiastical authority
1. Christ’s faithful, by private agreement among themselves, have the right to constitute associations for the purposes mentioned in can. 298 §1, without prejudice to the provisions of can. 301 §1. (c. 299 §1), the competent ecclesiastical authority does not intervene on the foundation of the Christian faithful.
2. The competent ecclesiastical authority can praise or commend these private associations (c. 298 §2 and c. 299 §2)
3. The competent ecclesiastical authority can recognize private associations after having reviewed their statutes (c. 299 §3)
4. Juridical types of associations of Christ’s faithful
The Code of Canon Law identifies difference kinds of association in different criteria
1. The first classification is based on private (c. 299), or public associations (c. 301 § 3)
2. The second classification is based on “catholic” nature that is reserved solely to the competent ecclesiastical authority. (c. 300)
3. The third classification is based on clerics and lay, third orders of those who live apostolic life. (cc. 302 and 303).
The associations of the Christian faithful are called lay which are under the direction of laypersons (cf. c. 299 §1). The laity can be moderators of associations that are not clerical. The chaplain or ecclesiastical assistant is not to be the moderator, unless the statutes provide otherwise. (c. 317 §3)
The associations of the Christian faithful are called clerical which are under the direction of clerics, assume the exercise of sacred orders, and are recognized as such by competent authority. (c. 302).
The associations whose members share in the spirit of some religious institute while in secular life, lead an apostolic life, and strive for Christian perfection under the higher direction of the same institute are called third orders or some other appropriate name. (c. 303)
There are associations reserved solely to clergy, laity or religious, however, exist also associations mixed up of both clergy, laity and religious. (c. 298 §1)
4. The fourth classification is based on universal and international associations erected by the Holy See (c. 312 §1 1º); national associations erected by the conference of bishops in its own territory (c. 312 §1 2º); diocesan associations erected by the diocesan bishops in their territories (c. 312 §1 3º);
5. Common norms regarding associations of the Christian Faithful
The associations must have statutes including general and particular norms that regulate the administration, election, regular activities, admission and dismissal of members, funding and resources.
A. Statutes:
All the associations must have statutes that include name or tittle, mission, vision, headquarter, board of director, staff, election of officials, regular encounters and activities, admission and dismissal of members, resources). No private association of Christ’s faithful is recognised in the Church unless the competent authority has reviewed its statutes. (c. 299 §3)
B. Activities
Associations that are lawfully established have the right, in accordance with the law and the statutes, to make particular norms concerning the association, for the holding of meetings, and for the appointment of moderators, officials, ministers and administrators of goods. (c. 309)
C. Membership
The admission of members is to take place in accordance with the law and with the statutes of each association. (c. 307 §1). The same person can be enrolled in several associations. (c. 307 §2). In accordance with their own law, members of religious institutes may, with the consent of their Superior, join associations. (c. 307 §3).
All the rights and the obligations of the members must be determined in the statutes. No one who was lawfully admitted is to be dismissed from an association except for a just reason, in accordance with the law and the statutes. (c. 308)
6. Christian faithful and competent ecclesiastical authority
All the Christ’s faithful are obliged to observe the constitutions and decrees which lawful ecclesiastical authority issues for the purpose of proposing doctrine or of proscribing erroneous opinions; this is particularly the case of those published by the Roman Pontiff or by the College of Bishops. (c. 754)
7. Consecrated life to be fostered and promoted by everyone in the Church
Can. 574 §1 The state of persons who profess the evangelical counsels in these institutes belongs to the life and holiness of the Church. It is therefore to be fostered and promoted by everyone in the Church.
§2 Some of Christ’s faithful are specially called by God to this state, so that they may benefit from a special gift in the life of the Church and contribute to its saving mission according to the purpose and spirit of each institute.
8. Diocesan Bishops and Founders
It is the prerogative of the competent authority in the Church to interpret the evangelical counsels, to legislate for their practice and, by canonical approval, to constitute the stable forms of living which arise from them. The same authority has the responsibility to do what is in its power to ensure that institutes grow and flourish according to the spirit of their founders and to their sound traditions. (c. 576)
All must faithfully preserve the whole patrimony of an institute. This patrimony is comprised of the intentions of the founders, of all that the competent ecclesiastical authority has approved concerning the nature, purpose, spirit and character of the institute, and of its sound traditions. (c. 578)
The approval of new forms of consecrated life is reserved to the Apostolic See. Diocesan Bishops, however, are to endeavour to discern new gifts of consecrated life which the Holy Spirit entrusts to the Church. They are also to assist promotors to express their purposes in the best possible way, and to protect these purposes with suitable statutes, especially by the application of the general norms contained in this part of the Code. (c. 605)
9. Responsibilities of Diocesan Bishops towards the associations
To ensure integrity of faith and morals in accordance with the law and the statutes
Can. 305 §1 All associations of Christ’s faithful are subject to the supervision of the competent ecclesiastical authority. This authority is to ensure that integrity of faith and morals is maintained in them and that abuses in ecclesiastical discipline do not creep in. The competent authority has therefore the duty and the right to visit these associations, in accordance with the law and the statutes. Associations are also subject to the governance of the same authority in accordance with the provisions of the canons, which follow.
§2 Associations of every kind are subject to the supervision of the Holy See. Diocesan associations are subject to the supervision of the local Ordinary, as are other associations to the extent that they work in the diocese.
To suppress activities of associations in accordance with the statutes
Can. 326 §1 A private association of Christ’s faithful is extinguished in accordance with the norms of the statutes. The competent authority can also suppress it if its activity gives rise to grave harm to ecclesiastical teaching or discipline, or is a scandal to the faithful.
§2 The fate of the goods of a private association, which ceases to exist, is to be determined in accordance with the statutes, without prejudice to acquired rights and to the wishes of donors.
Opinions
In all cases, the Diocesan Bishops as the Church authority should be like parents, always nurturing, educating and supporting their spiritual children. If it is the child’s fault, they always generously teach and forgive. In consideration to discipline any Association, Group or Religious, Bishops should patiently give their children the opportunity to repair for their faults and open a path of life to the members of that association or group so that they can continue their living consecrated life. The members of the association are weak and immature but they would be considered good seeds of religious vocation in the Church. Any association of Christian faithful is a baby tree that can become a big tree in the garden of consecrated life for the life and the mission of the Church. Please be patient and merciful.
The Good Thief was badly considered a Fraudster, but with just one request to Jesus, he was immediately allowed to go to Heaven and has now been declared Saint Dismas by the Church.
Deacon Vu Thanh An
Suggestions
Having learned about the importance of the associations of the Christian faithful, it is necessary to promote the collaboration of the lay faithful and hierarchy. In the great mission of Church, such as evangelization and sanctification these associations take a major role.
We are aware that the associations of the laity which are active in their mission of proclaiming the Good News and doing charitable works among the miserable people. The involvement of the lay faithful is highly esteemed amidst their misbehaviour. The hierarchy has the duty and responsibility to guide them according to the vision and mission of the Church for the benefits of all.
[1] Can. 298 §1
[2] Ibid.
[3] Can. 298 §2
[4] John XXIII, Mater et Magistra: Encyclical on Christianity And Social Progress (15 May1961), n. 60.
[5] John XXIII, Pacem in Terris: Encyclical on establishing universal peace in Truth, Justice, Charity, and Liberty (11 April 1963), n. 23.
[6] Cf., Apostolicam Actuositatem: Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, 18 November 1965, Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post-conciliar Documents, ed., Austin Flannery (Mumbai: St. Paul’s Publication, 1975), nn.18-19.
[7] Cf., Gaudium et Spes: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 7 December 1965, Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post-conciliar Documents, ed., Austin Flannery (Mumbai: St. Paul’s Publication, 1975), n. 24.
[8] Ibid., n. 24.
[9] Ibid., n. 29.
[10]Ibid., n. 30.