HME  ART 
ACTIONS TO FULFILL GOAL 3
 Shape Structural Change within the Church
HME

Prayer

Good and gracious God Send us your Spirit of wisdom and compassion; grant us your gifts of understanding and courage. Help us to love, respect and listen to one another as we strive to renew and strengthen ourselves and our Church. Give us the grace to live always as children of your light and good stewards of the gifts you have given us. Amen

Introduction

One aspect of Goal No. 3 may be to help form the "laity of integrity." Achieving full lay participation in the Church involves the further maturing of lay spirituality, namely, the laity's loving and effective relationship with God, with one another, with the religious and ordained, and with society.

Ideally, these - and indeed all - VOTF education and action programs should be carried out with the blessing and encouragement of the pastor. In many parishes, however, VOTF represents a new kind of lay leadership that may be seen as threatening. It is part of VOTF's lay leadership to help open the way for the parish to see, accept and advance the truth of the Spirit of Christ.

Action 3-1
Learn About The Organizational Structures Of The Catholic Church

In its statement on Structural Change (approved by the Representative Council on 2/22/03), VOTF promised to provide a primer on church structures as they are defined and as they actually function.. This statement may be found in both English and Spanish, along with background information, at http://www.votf.org/Structural_Change/structural.html on the VOTF website. A primer seeks to impart a basic understanding of a subject, and is not an exhaustive or highly detailed treatment. This new educational tool was needed because many faithful Catholics do not understand how our church functions as a human institution, and we cannot work effectively to change what we do not understand. In response to this need, VOTF has prepared a presentation for affiliates entitled Organizational Structures of the Catholic Church - A Primer that is now ready for use.

The Primer includes information on Church governing law, organizational structures of the Church as they are defined by canon law and diocesan statues, specific changes in Church structures called for by VOTF, and questions for discussion which may be used as a starting point for individual affiliates to begin working effectively for structural change within their parish and diocese. Web-based training sessions designed to familiarize interested members of VOTF with the contents of the Primer, and how it might be presented and discussed within individual affiliates are also available.

  1. Select a member or members of your affiliate to participate in Primer training
  2. Set aside time for a presentation of the Primer during an affiliate meeting
  3. Consider the topics for discussion in the Primer to discern areas for future actions by your affiliate.
  4. Work to implement VOTF recommendations for structural change included in the Primers, including support of Pastoral and Finance Councils, and formation of Safety Committees within your parish and your diocese.

Action 3-2
Take Part in the Structural Change Network

The Structural Change Network (SCN) which was launched by VOTF on September 8, 2003, and has about 100 members across the U.S. The SCN is an electronic forum on Yahoo, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCN_VOTF/. It provides an opportunity for sharing insights about the state of our church and a national perspective on VOTF initiatives for structural change.
  1. Select a member or members of your affiliate to participate in the SCN
  2. Set aside time for a regular report to the affiliate about issues under discussion on the SCN
  3. Discern the sense of your affiliate concerning proposed initiatives, statements and national priorities of VOTF for renewal of the church and share these with VOTF members across the country through your network members.

Action 3-3
Renew And Strengthen Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils

In its statement on Structural Change, VOTF stated its intention to work from the parish level upwards to implement needed structural change in the church, both because it is necessary, and because it is possible. VOTF recognized that it is on the level of the parish and in the context of parochial norms that our children had been grievously injured. Although change will come about very slowly, if we can make our local faith communities models of consultation and openness, analogous changes will follow at higher levels. Change may be achieved by renewing existing structures that may not have been effectively implemented, or by the formation of new structures.

Each affiliate should work to empower active, collaborative, effective and representative Pastoral Councils and Finance Councils in every parish.

  1. Learn more about the status of Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils in your parish and diocese
    • Membership Makeup
    • Frequency of Meetings
    • Existence of By-laws
    • Agenda Setting
    • Decision making Processes
    • Likelihood of Implementation of Decisions
  2. Obtain guidelines for the operation of PPCs and PFCs within your diocese and determine whether or not individual Councils meet those guidelines. PPCs may or may not be required in your diocese, but PFCs are required by canon law in every parish.
  3. If your PPC meetings are not announced or open, ask why. Most diocesan guidelines call for one or more open PPC meetings per year.
  4. If PPCs and PFCs do not exist in some parishes in your region, work to establish them in each parish, according to your diocesan guidelines.
    • You can obtain information on Parish Councils and how to start one at the Web site for the Conference for Pastoral Planning and Council Development. (www.cppcd.org). Click on info@cppcd.org at the bottom of the home page. This will put you in contact with CPPC Director Maria Rodgers O'Rourke, who has agreed to furnish you with the name of the person in your diocese who is responsible for this activity. In dioceses where there is no designated director, she can provide the name of someone who can help.
    • If you cannot locate any guidelines for operation of finance councils, consider the VOTF operating principles for diocesan-level finance councils, which can be found on the VOTF website at http://www.votf.org/Structural_Change/Finance_council.html. These are being adapted for use at the parish-level, but they contain many recommendations that are applicable at any level.
  5. If possible, your affiliate should establish a working relationships with local PPCs, with representatives of each groups attending meetings of the other, and reporting on each other's activities. The efforts of a PPC and a VOTF affiliate are often complementary and can be most effective when coordinated.
  6. Select a member or members of your affiliate to offer to serve on their PPCs and PFCs .

Action 3-4
Form Parish Safety Committees

In addition to the pastoral and finance councils defined in Canon Law, VOTF has called for parish safety committees composed of lay faithful working collaboratively with their pastors to ensure the safety of children within the parish. Since these are new bodies, not defined by church law, each VOTF affiliates must work in conjunction with the national organization to clarify and define its vision of the role of these committees. Your affiliate should work to establish teams of trained volunteer who will work with pastors and pastoral staff to ensure that any and all clergy, staff, employees and volunteers whose employment or ministry puts them in contact with children receive appropriate training, such as Virtus or Protecting God's Children.. These teams should also act as a resource to their parishes about child abuse, help facilitate abuse reports and promote awareness about ways to make their parish safer. VOTF recommends that the Parish Safety Committees also work with the pastors and pastoral staff to establish the policies and procedures and code of conduct at a local parish level. Model documents may be found on the VOTF web site at http://www.votf.org/Structural_Change/Protecting_Our_Children.
  1. Find out about the policies of your diocese concerning child abuse prevention
  2. Review and present information to your affiliate concerning PSCs and Protecting Our Children on the VOTF website
  3. Work together to develop proposed guidelines for operation of a PSC in your parish
  4. Contact your pastor and pastoral staff to discuss and implement these guidelines
  5. Learn about the employment history of pastoral personnel

Action 3-5
Provide Continuity of Lay Participation from Parish to Region to Diocese

The statement on Structural Change called on every affiliate to work to create and support Pastoral Councils, Finance Councils and Safety Committees on intermediate levels if the diocese is so divided. Experience has shown that collaborative action with other groups, although it is often difficult to establish, is critical to affiliate success. If we can model a continuum of lay involvement though these collaborative actions, this model may help encourage lay involvement in critical decision making at these intermediate levels. Although canon law does not call for such intermediate lay groups, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has announced the formation of regional lay councils.
  1. Learn how your diocese is organized at the cluster, vicariate (or deanery) and regional level and share this information with your affiliate.
  2. Learn about which decisions are made at what level and who makes them. These decisions may take on critical importance in the case of closure of parishes.
  3. Get to know your fellow Catholics in neighboring parishes through regional meetings.
  4. Publish newsletters and find other ways of fostering communication within the diocese

Action 3-6
Become Involved in Pastoral Selection and Priestly Formation

The VOTF Structural Change Statement calls for affiliates to work for meaningful lay consultation in the process of pastoral selection at both the parish and diocesan level. While limited lay involvement in pastoral selection is commonly practiced in the US, meaningful involvement is limited. In many cases, a parish in need of a pastor is invited by the diocese to submit its needs, including the kind of person the members of the parish feel would fit their circumstances. The involvement of the lay members of a parish in such personnel decisions can help find pastors who can work constructively with existing parish organizations and ministries to maintain vibrant and effective parish life, but this lay involvement is truly meaningful only if the need expressed by the parish are actually taken into account in selection of a pastor.
  1. Try to establish a dialogue with the Diocesan Personnel Board to learn about personnel policies in your diocese and how pastors are chosen.
  2. Participate actively in self discernment within your parish community to prepare for a new pastor. Specific actions which might be taken under these circumstances include:
    • Selection of a group of parishoners to lead the process of discernment and outreach described in detail above. Potential members of this group should agree to be considered, and be then be chosen by election, acclamation or drawing of lots.
    • Convening of a parish-wide meeting by this group to begin the process of identifying qualities needed and desired in a new pastor
Lay involvement in priestly formation is equally critical, since the choices available to Roman Catholic laity are becoming increasingly limited as the number of priests decreases. Under these circumstances it is essential to provide whatever input we can into the education of new priests.
  1. Learn where and how seminarians for your diocese are trained
  2. Encourage lay supervision or involvement in field education of seminarians

Action 3-7
Create New Models for Ministry

One of the underlying problems preventing full participation of laity in all aspects of Church life may be the conceptual separation of the Church from the world. Things sacred are seen as belonging to the Church while the secular is the province of the world.. As one strategy for reducing this conceptual separation, it may be helpful to consider working toward expanding the Church's understanding of ministry. In this new understanding, all active involvement in the Church would be acknowledged in terms of ministry. Increasing lay involvement in the many varied church ministries is creating the climate for this action. This, in turn, lays the groundwork for understanding ministry roles in terms of service performed instead of rigid "state in life" categories. The commissioning of some lay ministers by the bishop is already done in some dioceses in the United States
  1. Within your parish, work to ensure that each ministry, whether it is leading the assembly at Mass, serving on a parish pastoral council or teaching as a catechist is officially recognized for its value.
  2. Encourage your pastor to commission or install Catechists, PPC and PFC members, Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers. The point is to recognize officially that laity have a legitimate role to play in Church ministry.

Action 3-8
Act to Remove a Ban on VOTF's Meeting on Parish/Diocesan Property

The banning of VOTF by some pastors and bishops is a clear example of the need for Church healing and renewal. The law of the Church gives the bishop the legal authority to decide who can use Church property. VOTF challenges these bannings on moral and spiritual grounds, and even on grounds provided by Canon law itself.
  1. Familiarize yourselves with the teachings and laws of the Church, e.g., canon law, that permit VOTF to meet on Church property. There is good information at www.votf.org under "Who We Are"/"Rights & Responsibilities."
  2. Read the reports of the affiliates, e.g., Brooklyn, NY, who have successfully met with their pastors and/or bishops. These can be found in your Parish Voice Toolkit.
  3. Ask your pastor for the policies, teachings and laws by which a group is banned from meeting on Church property. Ask him to explain the procedure for banning VOTF.
  4. Obtain information on how your parish/diocese handles other lay organizations. Look especially at: - The lay groups operating in your parish/diocese - A list of any other lay groups that are banned, and why
  5. If your pastor or bishop says he doesn't understand VOTF's mission or goals, explain them to him. Ask him to look at the VOTF web site. Show him this Handbook.
  6. Don't let the banning dissuade you from developing and advancing the work of your affiliate. You can still operate as loyal and faithful Catholics in your parishes and at the diocesan level.

Action 3-9
Participate in a Diocesan Synod

Diocesan synods can serve as milestones on the road to progress (or on the road back to retrenchment). In themselves, however, they are not adequate to meet the ongoing, ever-developing needs of the Church. They cannot continuously protect our children, educate the laity, develop the laity's spiritual maturity, ensure servant/leadership on the part of pastors and bishops, restore the Church's moral and spiritual credibility, or move the Church into the 21st century. Only an open, continuous working relationship between the laity and their pastors will fulfill these essential needs. Work to establish the mechanisms for this continuous relationship. Canon No. 129 explicitly acknowledges the right of the laity to participate in diocesan synods, but most bishops rarely hold these events, and when they do, they control them very tightly. For the most part, such events do not serve the Church well. If and when they do take place, however, VOTF should be ready to participate in them openly and actively.
  1. Find out what the synod is all about. How do people get involved? How is its agenda set? What items do you want to include in the agenda? What do you have to do to get your items on the agenda? How do its decisions get implemented? How many of its past decisions have been implemented? Why haven't others been implemented? Who explains what action is taken? Is there recourse when no action is taken?
  2. Hold a "rehearsal" synod of your own, in preparation for the synod:
    • Anticipate restrictions and obstacles and figure out how to remove them or work around them.
    • Decide what items you want on the agenda and how to get them on it.
    • Publicize your plans and intentions, and expectations.
    • Back up everything you say and do with justification from the teachings and laws of the Church. Your attitude is not so much that you want your bishop to respond to VOTF (which they may not be inclined to do, and which many fellow Catholics may not want them to do) but that you fully and publicly expect the bishop to obey the teachings and laws of the Church.
  3. Determine who will attend the synod.
  4. As appropriate, publicize your attendance and whatever actions can arise from the synod. If necessary, publicize the obstacles that Church authorities are placing in the path of the truth.
  5. Offer VOTF's help in implementing the results of the synod.

Action 3-10
Reach Out to Catholic Youth

One of the greatest concerns and worries of Catholic parents and grandparents is the flight of the young from the Church. In the past, we could expect the young to return to the Church when they got married and had children. Today, that expectation is no longer valid.
  1. Contact the young in your parish groups and those who are alienated from the Church. A number of VOTF members find such alienated young people in their own families. Ask them for their views of the Church. Note how they trust or distrust the Church, and their attitude toward the present way the Church operates. Ask them to envision a Church that they would be part of.
  2. Set up study groups to test their vision and make it happen. Suggested topics:
    • The Spirituality of the Young: Galaxies of Possibilities for Energy, Vision and Action in a Changed and Renewed Church
    • Developing an Effective Spirituality for Life in a Pluralistic, Individualized and Secularized Society, That Yet Has Many Positive Features
    • Creating a Changed and Renewed Church That Fits the Needs for a New Spirituality in Today's and Tomorrow's Society
  3. Implement your findings in parish youth programs, family education and formation programs, Catholic school curricula, homilies and/or special liturgies.