Farrell mentioned the in-progress document in a speech delivered in Italian on April 22 that opened a meeting of the dicastery, which promotes the pastoral care of the family and the mission of the lay faithful. Farrell spoke about the importance of providing help and guidance to "those experiencing marital crises of all kinds."

"On this front, the dicastery is also working on the preparation of a text that will specifically concern — as you wished, Your Holiness — men and women who, having a failed marriage behind them, live in new unions," Farrell said in his opening address.

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Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican's Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, spoke of "co-responsibility" between clergy and laity, saying, "It does not mean that the laity in the church have to become clerics, and clerics in the church have to become laity."

Farrell's comments came before a Vatican conference on collaboration between laypeople and clergy. The conference is titled "Pastors and lay faithful called to walk together," and will take place in the Vatican's New Synod Hall.

Farrell appeared to brush off the idea of women clergy: "The Holy Spirit gives us all a calling, and all our different gifts," he said. "To some, he gives the gift of ordained priesthood, and to others, he gives many other gifts.

"There are many apostolates that priests are not qualified to undertake that the laity are," he said, and cautioned against "reducing the work among the laity and the great gift that laity bring to the church, to just some ministerial role within the church."

Linda Ghisoni, an Italian laywoman and undersecretary of the dicastery's section for laity, cautioned against trying to stake "a claim" on certain roles or functions in the church. She said that the real discussion should focus on understanding "the nature of our vocation, our baptismal identity, which opens to us immense paths" within the church.

The conference is expected to draw delegates from all over the world, who will discuss the "co-responsibility of laypeople in the synodal church," as well as the formation of laypeople.

Farrell said that the aim is to make both pastors and laypeople aware of the sense of responsibility that comes from baptism and that "unites us all".

The cardinal stressed that as pastors, "we do not reduce [the] role of laity in the church to a mere functional position or involvement, but rather they are truly part of the mission of the church".

"Laity have a lot more to offer than a mere function they can perform, such as being the accountant of the diocese," he said, saying there is still a need to arrive at "a much deeper meaning of what it means to be co-responsible in the church".

To do this, he said, "implies a change of heart, a change of attitude".

Sources

Crux Now

CathNews New Zealand

Lacroix was speaking at a press conference previewing a three-day Vatican meeting on how to improve collaboration among laypeople, priests and bishops.

Lacroix wants priests to recognise that laypeople are not there at their service.

"We are there together at the service of the Church," he said.

Lacroix said priests should invite laypeople into parish activities and programmes, but they should also ask how they can support parishioners where they already are.

He said that people's ordinary everyday lives is the stuff of holiness, and he wants priests to support them in their lives.

"What is our role as priests and bishops in this beautiful adventure?" he asked.

"Well, our main role is to be pastors. We're not managers; we're not the boss: We're pastors, shepherds."

Lacroix stated that the Church needs "better formation, better awareness and a lot of work" to bring his vision to fruition.

He recalled a time before he was a cleric when he gave this advice to pastors: "Resist inviting us to come into your things. Recognise that some of us are in school, some of us are in our profession, and we need to be good disciples there."

The event is titled "Pastors and Lay Faithful Called to Walk Together," and is organised by the Vatican's Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, headed by Cardinal Kevin Farrell.

"The laity have a lot more to offer than a mere function they can perform."

"It is very important that we do not reduce the role of the laity in the Church to a mere functional participation or a mere functional involvement".

"The laity are not just to take up the collection at the Sunday Mass. They are to do much more", said Farrell.

He explained that the laity's responsibility to the Church demands "a change of heart, a change of attitude".

Farrell stated that "we must go to a much deeper understanding of what it means to be co-responsible for the life of the Church." This understanding requires "a lot of work".

Farrell emphasised that "as baptised Catholics, we are all responsible for the Church".

When Christ said, "Go baptise in the name of the Lord. Go preach the word of God to the ends of the earth", he was speaking to everybody, not just priests.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

The Dialog