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What’s inside
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Setting the scene
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Listening Matters
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Why engage?
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What you get
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Checklist for success
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How do we start?
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Training for Transformation
Supporting Information
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Catholic Social Teaching
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The Role of Parish Pastoral Councils in the Catholic Church
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Setting the Scene ,
Jesus had been baptised in the Jordan by John. He had survived forty days alone in the desert and rejected the temptations offered by the devil. He was full of the Holy Spirit and knew clearly what his mission was to be. In Luke 4:18-19 he came to Nazareth and went to the Temple. He read from the book of Isaiah; The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord. ! In turn Jesus handed this mission on to his disciples and to the Church. These are the key activities in helping to bring about the Kingdom of God; To love and serve To preach and teach To heal and liberate As the Churches Together Forum stated in 1997, the Five Marks of Mission are; • • • • •
To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom To teach, baptise and nurture new believers To respond to human need by loving service To seek to transform unjust structures of society To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain life on earth.
In other words the mission is to be followers of Jesus. Jesus did not just bring the good news he lived the good news in all that he said and did. People heard the good news but they also experienced the good news. That’s why they responded to it. Our challenge is to be and live the good news.
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!"#$%&'()'*+),-,.*/+0,/&,1$+/%&,2%(,304($0,3%554&/+/)6, But caring encompasses all of the above. We cannot separate the physical caring for others from the mission to proclaim and teach or ignore stewardship of creation. In Acts 4:32-34 we are told that the apostles testified to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the community shared their wealth with those in need. In this way the early Church grew rapidly. But we cannot do it from the safety of our Church communities. The mission is to reach out. Jesus did not want the Church to be a safe haven, apart from real life. He lived in a society very similar to ours, a multi cultural society with a wide mix of religious and spiritual ideas. He lived in a time of political problems, civil unrest, discrimination and poverty. Jesus worked with the people around him. He brought hope and healing while at the same time challenging oppressive and unjust social structures. Churches could and should be vibrant centres of community involvement. The root cause of many of the problems we face in society today can only be tackled by grass roots people listening to each other, growing in trust and respect for each other and working together to try to right the injustices in our society and in the wider world and work for peace - in other words, seeking the common good. The Listening Matters process encourages leadership and personal growth that leads to social action based around the collective concerns and aspirations of people and their communities. The process tackles the root causes of disengagement and disaffection and builds confidence and a vision for the future. In this way we will be fulfilling our mission and the mission of the Church.
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Listening Matters, Improving relationships, raising awareness, stimulating action , Listening Matters is a system which can revitalise even the most active of parishes. It will transform attitudes and behaviours if applied effectively and rigorously over a significant period of time. Applied holistically, Listening Matters will provide a system for building relationships between all people in the church community, with other churches and in the wider community. Relationships will be built on trust, mutual respect and understanding and will develop an open dialogue for people to express their feelings and plan how they can work together. The process is a bottom up approach encouraging people to look at what can be built on and what needs changing. It unearths, develops and empowers hidden leaders and volunteers who will themselves take responsibility for actions based on the needs and aspirations highlighted by the data collected. Actions should include continuing, refreshing and extending the listening. Over time Listening Matters will develop a network of engaged individuals in the church and across the wider community who will start to take action that will impact on the way things are done. Deep and respectful listening about what people love about their church and their community, what they are concerned about and what their aspirations are for the future will develop a dialogue of positivity and critical reflection about the issues affecting their community. This positivity and critical reflection will allow people the opportunity to think about what they can build on and what their motivations are for change which then informs and underpins their action plans.
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What’s the point… Engaging effectively in any community has a significant impact on the way communities operate. Positive relationships are built, negative behaviours are challenged and capacity is built in individuals to start to tackle some of the issues that they face for themselves. This is especially true for church communities. Engaging effectively with members, other churches and the wider community will have a significantly positive impact on how people work together in fulfilling the Mission of the Church. It will make the worshipping community stronger. The Listening Matters system will: • • • • • • •
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Provide a robust and effective mechanism for the collation of people’s needs and aspirations Build a confident, engaged and outward looking church community Provide a system for data analysis and use that will identify issues in the community and inform action plans Lead to social action both in the church, the local community and in the wider world Create a platform for people to engage more effectively in the future Help to identify new leaders who will be able to support the work which is undertaken Support people to engage more effectively with leadership structures and other partners and agencies
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"#(*!$+,!'%*-! , , is a comprehensive collection of Training and Resource packages that will help extend the reach and capacity of any team wanting to develop trust, respect and relationships in and across communities at all levels. The full programme will support parish and community development through and beyond basic relationship building to establishing community resources, services and facilities as social enterprises and addressing the structural and institutional barriers to humanitarian development. RE:congregate (basic) incorporates Set 1, and some elements of Set 2 to provide the initial introduction and grounding, in a faith context, to the Listening Matters process. Further standard Sets (3-5) could be purchased by Parishes (as their experience and interest develops) and by J&P groups, or by resource centres with training and support inputs adapted to the parish context. RE:congregate (advanced) would be of particular interest and benefit to local or diocesan facilitators with interest in or responsibility for adult formation and outreach/mission. Incorporating elements of Set 6 this programme involves an exploration and experience of transformation training methodology and the strategic application of Listening Matters in the parish and community over a 12- 24 month period. Item
Theme
Training Days
Manual + Set 1 Set 2
Introductory Training Engaging Individuals Engaging with small groups Teams and Networks Listening in Large Groups and Public Events Active Networks
Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
1
Ideal Number of Participants 12 to 20
Cost Ex Vat 150
2
12 to 20
350
5
12 to 20
750
1 5
6 to 12 6 to 12
350 750
Please note that it is a requirement to take Sets 1 and 2 initially. Sets 3, 4 and 5 are available only through graduation through Sets 1 and 2. Ongoing support and mentoring is available at ÂŁ150 per day plus any travel and accommodation expenses incurred.
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Checklist for Success ! What is needed? !
Below is a list of prerequisites that will be needed to ensure successful coordination of the RE:congregate Programme ☐
A core team who will take on responsibility for overseeing work
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The support of priests, ministers and pastors from the church or churches involved
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Regular meetings of the core team to ensure co-ordination of the work and the collection and analysis of the data
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Regular communication to members of the church and the wider community about what has been achieved and what is planned
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How do we start? , Good listeners are required for Listening Matters to bring out the best results. Initially a handful of core volunteers would be given some training. The introductory session begins by setting the process in the context of our mission as followers of Jesus. The process and its history are then described. A session practising listening skills follows and then the group would be introduced to the Listening Matters interview framework and ‘questionnaire’. The open questions would be developed to frame a discussion with people in the parish community and are designed to identify problems and issues and, most importantly, bring out ideas for moving forward. ,
What happens next? The volunteers then conduct lots of interviews randomly across the parish – starting with their “warm contacts” (family, friends, fellow parishioners) - talking to a wide variety of people of all ages and persuasions. People might come together in ‘house groups’ to share ideas and make plans. The data collected is analysed and published and used to stimulate discussion and action. Often communities have held a day where the results are displayed and initial ideas are promoted. A small team needs to be established, if one does not exist, which will hold the community together and ensures that actions and plans complement and support each other.
And then what? Re:generate would be available to facilitate sessions in order to help people develop ideas, plans and actions. The sessions would be structured to respond to the results of the listening process and the actions which are being planned. These might include working in a team, dealing with conflict, goal setting, planning projects, working with people outside the community and people of other cultures, engaging with power holders and stakeholders ……..
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Training for Transformation Further on, the Church community might wish to undertake the Training for Transformation (T4T) sessions. These sessions are designed to help individuals and groups to explore the impact of their actions at a personal, local and wider society level. Groups of between 15 and 30 adults from a broad cross section of society - including grass roots activists, professionals, leaders and clergy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are facilitated to engage in a range of exercises. These experiences are carefully and creatively facilitated to give the participants opportunities to explore human relation skills, organisation development, social analysis, principles and methods of Paulo Freire, concepts and theology of transformation. The delivery of the training programme is negotiated with the organisation, group or community to suit its specific needs. It takes 75 hours to deliver in one of four ways: 1. 5 weekends over a year 2. One night a week for 20 weeks and two weekends 3. 3 four day blocks over 1 year 4. 12 consecutive days Costs will depend upon the delivery method and on the venue. Taking the group away to a residential conference facility creates the best environment for intensive work and transformation.
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Supporting Information Catholic Social Teaching
, The body of work known as Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is addressed “to all people of good will”. It is held in high regard by other Christian Churches, by members of other faiths and by people of no faith. Modern CST began with Leo XIII and Rerum Novarum 1891. For the last 120 years the teachings have addressed what the Popes have called the “Social Question” which comprises two strands. The first is the dislocation of people and the poverty brought about by the Industrial Revolution. People left the land to work in cities. They sold their labour to capitalists who owned the means of production. Rerum Novarum was concerned at the growing gap between the rich and the poor which continues today. The second strand is the shrinking of civil society in the face of centralist governments and the market economy. The centralisation of power has led to the breakdown of society and the weakening of mediating institutions like the Church whose role is to hold the state and the market to account. In Caritas in Veritate (2009), Pope Benedict XVI writes that charity is at the heart of the Church’s social teaching (Matthew 22:36-40). Our neighbour is defined as not just family and friends but our community and all people in the wider world. The Church’s role is to proclaim the truth of Christ’s love in society. Without truth and love there is no social conscience, only self interest. The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales published Choosing the Common Good (2010) in which they remind us that we are always mutually dependent. We are made for one another. If anyone is left out and deprived of what is essential, then the common good has been betrayed. The ten major themes contained in Papal Encyclicals and letters and the documents published by Bishops Conferences around the world are set out below. 1. Dignity of the Human Person Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society. This principle is grounded in the idea that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the clearest reflection of God among us.
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!"#$%&'()'*+),-,.*/+0,/&,1$+/%&,2%(,304($0,3%554&/+/)6, 2. Common Good and Community The human person is both sacred and social. We realize our dignity and rights in relationship with others, in community. Human beings grow and achieve fulfilment in community. Human dignity can only be realized and protected in the context of relationships with the wider society. How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. The obligation to "love our neighbour" has an individual dimension, but it also requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society, to the common good. 3. Option for the Poor The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. The "option for the poor," is not an adversarial slogan that pits one group or class against another. Rather it states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community. The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society. 4. Rights and Responsibilities Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency â&#x20AC;&#x201C; starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. 5. Role of Government and Subsidiarity The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good. All people have a right and a responsibility to participate in political institutions so that government can achieve its proper goals.
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!"#$%&'()'*+),-,.*/+0,/&,1$+/%&,2%(,304($0,3%554&/+/)6, The principle of subsidiarity holds that the functions of government should be performed at the lowest level possible, as long as they can be performed adequately. When the needs in question cannot adequately be met at the lower level, then it is not only necessary, but imperative that higher levels of government intervene. 6. Economic Justice The economy must serve people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one should amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life. Catholic teaching opposes collectivist and statist economic approaches. But it also rejects the notion that a free market automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on free market forces. Competition and free markets are useful elements of economic systems. However, markets must be kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of the state and of all society to intervene and ensure that these needs are met. 7. Stewardship of God's Creation The goods of the earth are gifts from God, and they are intended by God for the benefit of everyone. There is a "social mortgage" that guides our use of the world's goods, and we have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users. How we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship, a sign of our respect for the Creator. 8. Promotion of Peace and Disarmament Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In the words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements.â&#x20AC;? There is a close relationship in Catholic teaching between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.
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!"#$%&'()'*+),-,.*/+0,/&,1$+/%&,2%(,304($0,3%554&/+/)6, 9. Participation All people have a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of society. It is a fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that all people be assured a minimum level of participation in the community. It is wrong for a person or a group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate in society. 10. Global Solidarity and Development We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice. Authentic development must be full human development. It must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples. It must avoid the extremes of underdevelopment on the one hand, and "superdevelopment" on the other. Accumulating material goods, and technical resources will be unsatisfactory and debasing if there is no respect for the moral, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the person.
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The Role of Parish Pastoral Councils in Catholic Parishes , In recent times, Vatican II positively encouraged the laity to play a full role in the life of the Church. Pastoral councils were first recommended in Vatican II’s “Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops” in 1965. “In the Church there is a diversity of ministry but a oneness of mission. Christ conferred on the Apostles and their successors the duty of teaching, sanctifying, and ruling in His name and power. But the laity likewise share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ and therefore have their own share in the mission of the whole people of God in the Church and in the world.” Vatican II Laity Decree 1965 (2) “In dioceses, insofar as possible, there should be councils which assist the apostolic work of the Church either in the field of evangelization and sanctification or in the charitable, social, or other spheres, and here it is fitting that the clergy and Religious should cooperate with the laity. While preserving the proper character and autonomy of each organization, these councils will be able to promote the mutual coordination of various lay associations and enterprises.” Vatican II Laity Decree 1965 (26) In 1983 a revision of the Code of Canon Law, 536, approves the setting up of parish pastoral councils with the approval of the Bishop following Lumen Gentium’s grant to the laity in no. 37 of the right to freely express opinions and to unite lay energies to the work of pastors. Pastors bear a particular responsibility to enable the development of the Christian community entrusted to their care and leadership. The Code of Canon Law has a substantial amount to say about the role and responsibilities of the pastor. The pastor is the proper shepherd of the parish entrusted to him, exercising pastoral care in the community entrusted to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share; in accord with the norm of law he carries out for his community the duties of teaching, sanctifying and governing, with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful. (Canon 519) In order to fulfill his office in earnest the pastor should strive to come to know the faithful who have been entrusted to his care….The pastor is to acknowledge and promote the proper role which the lay members of the Christian faithful have in the Church’s mission….(Canon 529, 1, 2)
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!"#$%&'()'*+),-,.*/+0,/&,1$+/%&,2%(,304($0,3%554&/+/)6, The pastor, then, has the primary role of leadership in both the spiritual and temporal affairs of the parish. Ultimately, all decisions about the operation and direction of the parish need to carry his agreement and approval. However, guidelines state that councils should reach decisions by consensus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consensus is a group decision (which some members may not feel is the best decision, but which they can live with, support, and commit themselves to not undermine), arrived at without voting, through a process whereby the issues are fully aired, all members feel they have been adequately heard, in which everyone has equal power and responsibility, and different degrees of influence by virtue of individual stubbornness or charisma are avoided so that all are satisfied with the process.â&#x20AC;? A World Waiting to be Born : The Search for Civility M. Scott Peck, Rider, London, 1993
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