"Candidates for lay ministries will be required to have adequate training."Cardinal FarrellThe lay movements must feel that they are an integral part of the Church"."The Church is neither of the right nor of the left, it is of Christ."Msgr. Luis Argüello commented on the results of the work of the Standing Committee The meeting of the Spanish Episcopal Conference took place in Madrid on September 27 and 28. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the work for the meeting of all the Spanish bishops to be held next November.
This meeting will be decisive for the election of the new secretary general and spokesman of the Spanish bishops. In addition, the approval of some documents on which some episcopal commissions have been working in the last months will be studied.
Bishop Argüello has given what will surely be his last press conference as spokesman of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. In a relaxed tone, he thanked the journalists for the work they have done in the four years he has been in office, while at the same time, with a left hand, he underlined how on occasions in the press conferences he has given, the headlines that have appeared in the media have had little to do with the main content of the call to the media.
Adult Catechism and Lay Ministries
Msgr. José RicoThe President of the Episcopal Commission for Evangelization, Catechesis and Catechumenate, presented to the members of the Standing Commission the progress of the work of drafting a catechism for adults, which is being worked on to facilitate the formation of those who are undergoing the adult catechumenate or are re-entering the Christian life at maturity. Its development follows the process of the "Ritual of Christian Initiation of Adults".
On the other hand, Rico Pavés and the president of the Episcopal Commission for the Liturgy, Leonardo Lemoshave presented the "Guidelines on Instituted Ministries: Lector, Acolyte and Catechist". This document has been prepared following the promulgation by Pope Francis of the "Motu proprio Spiritus Domini" on January 11, 2021, on the access of women to instituted ministries, and the "Motu proprio Antiquum ministerium"of May 10, 2021, instituting the ministry of catechists.
Following the Pope's wish, the bishops' conferences of the various countries had to give concrete expression to this proposal, and a process of reflection was undertaken on the practical consequences and application of both letters.
Future document on the apostolate of the laity
The Episcopal Commission for the Laity, Family and Life has presented its work proposal based on the conclusions of the congress of the laity that was held in Spain in February 2020 and that has been enriched with the contributions coming out of the synodal process, which closed in June 2022. The conclusions of the aforementioned congress promoted four lines of work: first proclamation, accompaniment, formation and presence in public life. The document to be prepared by the Spanish bishops will be a service to the lay apostolate and to movements and associations linked to it.
Finally, the bishops also commented on the draft of a future document entitled "Person, Family and Society", which will analyze the current social situation and will include the proposal of the Church in Spain.
