Forum: Identity and mission of lay people in a synodal Church
Reflecting on lay apostolate and lay ministry in the light of Vatican II
60th anniversary of Lumen Gentium
Rome, 9-13 October 2024
Location:
Villa Lante, Via di S. Francesco di Sales, 18, 00165 Roma RM, Italy
Organisers: Australian Cardijn Institute (Australia), Centre International Cardijn (France), Laudato Si’ Centre (Chiang Mai, Thailand), MIACS movements
Objectives
- To highlight the importance of the lay apostolate as understood by Cardijn and the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium 31, Gaudium et Spes 43, Apostolicam Actuositatem 1)
- To showcase the work of the lay apostolate movements
- To promote networking and cooperation between those movements
- To ensure that the Synod on Synodality has a full understanding of the Vatican II conception of lay apostolate in its deliberations
- To discuss current issues relating to the promotion of the lay apostolate, current issues facing our movements, etc
Concrete outcomes
- Declaration on the importance of promoting the lay apostolate as understood at Vatican II (LG31, GS43)
- Proposals for reform of the Dicastery on Laity in line with Apostolicam Actuositatem 26
- Plan of cooperation for the MIACS movements: issues (environment?), formation, research, finance (launch a fundraising foundation?)
Draft program outline
Wednesday 9 October 2024
9.00: Attendance at General Audience with Pope Francis (Unofficial event)
Opening
16:00 Welcome
16:30 Round of participant introduction
17.30 Mass Celebration
18.30 Online conversation with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, nuncio to the United States
Thursday 10 October 2024
08:30: Gospel reflection: Ute Zeilmann
The lay apostolic movements and their current action
09:00 Panel with delegates from IYCW, ICYCW, MIJARC, WMCW, MIDADE, Centre International Cardijn
10:30 Coffee Break
11:00 Panel with delegates from IYCS, MIAMSI, Pax Romana ICMICA, and IMCS, Cardijn Community International
12:30: Lunch (Self-organised)
14.30 The journey of the laity from Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes to Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti
Panel 1: Theology of laity and lay apostolate
- Fr Eric Mahieu, Yves Congar’s theology of the laity
- Ellie Douska: “All missionary disciples”: Alfred Ancel and the Institute of the Prado in the (post)Vatican II socio-ecclesial paradigm shifts
Respondent: Stefan Gigacz
Panel 2: Lay Movements’ influence on the development of a post Conciliar theology
- Prof. Ana Maria Bidegain: Review of Life, Lay Movements and Liberation Theology
- Claudio Remeseira: The Origin of the Theology of the People and the experience of the lay movements
Questions and Answers.
16.00 Coffee break
16.30 Participant’s experiences of lay apostolate (linguistic workshops)
What are your experiences as a layperson today? What empowers and supports you, and what hinders you?
18.00 Panel Rapporteurs from Workshops on the Experiences of Lay Apostolate today.
18:30 Dinner: Self-organised: Opportunity to network with Synod participants…
Friday 11 October 2024
The experience of the lay movements in building a synodal church
9:00 Joseph Cardijn and the Lay Auditors at the Second Vatican Council
- Dr Alana Harris, Kings College London/Prof. Katharine Massam, University of Divinity, Australia: Rosemary Goldie, Lay auditor and Under Secretary of the Pontifical Council of the Laity
- Dr Patricia Jones: Patrick Keegan, first lay person to address Vatican II
- Regina Heyder: Lay women auditors at Vatican II
Stefan Gigacz: Cardijn and the lay movement chaplains at the Council
10:30 Coffee Break
11:00 What kind of world do we live? Our current reality: Panel and Discussion
Based on their engagements and participation in international organizations, the movements will share their views on climate change and ecological challenges, peace and global governance, human rights, migrations, and Artificial Intelligence transforming and challenging human work.
Discussant: Dr Emilce Cuda, Pontifical Commission for Latin America
12.30 Lunch (Self-organised)
14.00 Conference papers: Parallel streams
Stream A:
- Maite de Beukeleer, KU Leuven From practice to text and back: how Lumen Gentium and the auxiliaries de l’Apostolat inspired one another
- Frantisek Neupauer, Slovak National Institute for Memory, The Jocist influence in Slovakia: the roles of Fr. Tomislav Kolakovic and Silvo Krčméry
- Prof. Kevin Glauber Ahern, The lay movements at the intersection of global and ecclesial governance
Stream B: Experiences of lay apostolate: formation and practice
- Francisco Martinez Hoyos, historian, The reception of Vatican II by the Spanish Church and lay movements
- Sandra Londoño, Latin American Vanguards of Liberation (Zoom)
- Gremaud Angee, JOC and JUC influence in the Brazilian Church and Society (Zoom)
15:30 Workshops – discussion in linguistic groups: What role should the whole Church play in this reality? What is our mission as lay people and the mission of the lay movements in the 21st century?
16:30 Coffee Break
16:45 Workshops Rapporteurs Panel
17:00 What can we learn from our heritage?
Keynote speaker: José Ramón Ibeas Larrañaga: “Synodal Catholic Action: A proposal for the future of the vocation and mission of our movements.” English Spanish
Dr Fermina Alvarez Alonso, Vatican Secretariat of State
18: 30 Panel: Rethinking Review of Life and the SCA from our current situation in the Church
- Mons. Jordi Bertomeu Farnós, Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
- Fratern Masawe S.J. Regional Assistant for Africa, Society of Jesus
- Fr Luis Maria Goikoetxe, International Chaplain, ICMICA Pax Romana
19.30 Conference Dinner
Saturday 12 October 2024
Action Day
9:00 Concluding workshops
1) To develop proposals for action
2) Formulate proposals addressed to the Synod
10:30 Coffee
11:00 Exchange of viewpoints with Synodal Assembly members (Synod meets on Saturday morning).
- Mons. Carlos Castillo Arzobispo de Lima (tbc)
- Dr Linda Ghisoni Under Secretary Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life (tbc)
12:30 Self-organised
14:00 Conclusion
- Proposals for action
- Message to the Synod
16.00: Final Mass at the Domitilla Catacombs
Invited celebrants:
Remembering the martyrs of our movements.
19:00 – Dinner with Mass participants, including Synod participants in Rome restaurant
Sunday 13 October
9:00: Closing mass for participants: Villa Lante
Celebrants: Stefan Eirich, Joseph Zhang, Luis Maria Goicoechea, Epitace Niragira
Read about Patrick Keegan here
https://patkeegan.josephcardijn.com
Reaffirmation of the Pietralata Appeal/
Free time for those staying on
60th anniversary of Patrick Keegan’s speech to Vatican II
18:30 Mass at Cardinal Cardijn’s Rome parish of St Michael Archangel, Pietralata
Celebrated by Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ, and Fr Jose Maria Tortosa, Prado Fathers; Pietralata
Other celebrants:
Preparation of homily for Cardinal Czerny: Stefan
Read about Patrick Keegan here