You might have questions about what this ministry is and who it is for.

What is the instituted ministry of catechist?

An instituted ministry is a type of formal, vocational service within the Catholic Church. It can be either lay, such as lector or acolyte, or ordained, such as deacon or priest.

The newly instituted ministry of catechist is for laypeople who have a particular call to serve the Catholic Church as a teacher of the faith.

The ministry is "stable," meaning it lasts for the entirety of life, independent of whether the person is actively carrying out that activity during every part of his or her life.

But catechists already exist. How is this different?

Many catechists today serve the Church at the parish level, but the instituted ministry of catechist will be tied to the diocese and be at the disposal of the diocesan bishop.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella explained at a Vatican press conference May 11 that "the institution of a ministry by the Church is confirmation that the person invested with that charism is performing an authentic ecclesial service to the community."

Fisichella is president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which oversees the Church's instituted ministries.

The institution of this ministry, together with the lay ministries of lector and acolyte, "will make it possible to have a laity that is better prepared in the transmission of the faith," the archbishop said.

He also emphasized that the instituted catechist is dedicated to the transmission of the faith through proclamation and instruction — he or she does not have any kind of liturgical responsibility.

The catechist collaborates with the local bishop and priests in the teaching of the faith to the local community. And it can be a benefit in places where priests are scarce.

Pope Francis "is well aware of how many areas of Latin America and Africa today still have catechists at the head of the community," Fisichella said. He stressed the unique nature of each ministry, noting that they are not interchangeable.

"At stake here is much of what is new in this ministry," he said. "Men and women are called to express their baptismal vocation in the best possible way, not as substitutes for priests or consecrated persons, but as authentic laymen and laywomen who, in the distinctive nature of their ministry, are able to experience the full of extent of their baptismal vocation of witness and effective service in the community and the world."

Who is qualified to be instituted into the ministry of catechist?

Pope Francis' letter said that a layperson called to be instituted in the ministry of catechist should have "deep faith and human maturity," be an active participant in the life of the Christian community, and "capable of welcoming others, being generous and living a life of fraternal communion." Continue reading

Millions of laypeople around the world are already recognized as catechists in their parish or diocese.

Francis's apostolic letter "Antiquum Ministerium" (Ancient Ministry) instituting the ministry will be released from Rome on Tuesday.

The pope has spoken of the importance of selecting, training and supporting catechists. They are called to lead people to a deeper relationship with Jesus, prepare them to receive the sacraments and educate them in the teachings of the churc.

In many parts of the world, especially in communities without a resident priest, catechists lead the local Catholic community. They evangelise, convoke and guide their fellow Catholics in prayer and charitable works.

In missionary territories under the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples' guidance, catechists already serve with a specific mandate from their bishop.

The Congregation's 1997 Guide for Catechists notes:

"the Code of Canon Law has a canon on catechists involved in strictly missionary activity and describes them as ‘lay members of Christ's faithful who have received proper formation and are outstanding in their living of the Christian life.

"Under the direction of missionaries, they are to present the Gospel teaching and engage in liturgical worship and in works of charity.'"

In some communities, bishops may entrust catechists with:

• preaching to non-Christians; catechizing catechumens and those already baptized;
• leading community prayer, especially at the Sunday liturgy in the absence of a priest;
• helping the sick and presiding at funerals;
• training other catechists in special centers or guiding volunteer catechists in their work;
• taking charge of pastoral initiatives and organizing parish functions; helping the poor and working for human development and justice."

According to the Vatican's Statistical Yearbook of the Church, as of Dec. 31, 2019 there were over 3 million catechists serving the church.

Successive Synods of Bishops over the past 30 years have highlighted lay catechists' important role in building and sustaining local Christian communities.

They have also called for more resources to be devoted to catechists' training and support and for greater recognition and respect for their contributions.

The pope's decision to formally institute the ministry of catechist follows his decision in January to open the ministries of lector and acolyte to women.

While in most dioceses women already served as readers and altar servers at Mass, they were not formally instituted in those services on a stable basis.

In his January decision, the pope cited the request made by members of the 2019 Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, asking that the church "promote and confer ministries for men and women in an equitable manner.

"The fabric of the local church, in the Amazon as elsewhere, is guaranteed by small missionary church communities that cultivate faith, listen to the Word and celebrate together close to the people's life.

"It is the church of baptized men and women that we must consolidate by promoting ministries and, above all, an awareness of baptismal dignity," he stressed.

Source

• CruxNow
• Image: NZ Catholic