THE PASTORAL PERSPECTIVE OF PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

A talk given by Rev. Fr. Francis Adeyemi (Ph.D Student of Pastoral/Spirituality

Department, CIWA) on Tuesday 5th February, 2013
To Members of Our Lady of Holy Rosary Chaplaincy (CIWA)
Preamble:
It is important to note that there s no explicit mention of the Parish Pastoral Council
in Vatican II Documents at the level of the Universal Church, but it may be implied and
studied in analogy with the Diocesan Pastoral Council, in which case the following
documents and books are used: Vatican Council II, Decree Christus Dominus no. 27;
Decree, Ad Gentes, no. 30; Paul VI, Ecclesiae Sanctae. Motu Proprio, 115, in AAS 58
(1966) 757-787.
The Pastoral Perspective of Parish Pastoral Council
Following from this backdrop, the Parish Pastoral Council could be referred to as
the actualisation and concretisation of the Diocesan Pastoral Council at the parish level.
The Parish Pastoral Council is an organism which presents itself as a representative sign
of communion and unity of the whole local community of the parish in its double moment
of interior growth and mission. It, therefore, represents the unity of faith and communion
of all the faithful in the parish, among themselves and with their Parish Priest who is the
Bishops representative in the parish. In fact, it is a privileged place for communion,
dialogue, participation, co-responsibility and service.
Ecclesiological Basis
The Parish Pastoral Council is an organism which also has its theological
foundation in the ecclesiology of Vatican Council II. In this ecclesiology, all the Christian
members of the Church enjoy the same dignity and equality in the Church, for there is only
one chosen People of God: one Lord, one faith, one baptismthere is a common grace
as Gods children, a common vocation to perfection, one salvation, one hope and
undivided charity. In Christ and in the Church, there is, then, no inequality arising from
race, or nationality, social condition or sex, for there is neither Jew nor Greek; there is
neither slave nor freeborn; there is neither male nor female....(Vatican. II, Lumen Gentium,
n.32) In the Church as the People of God even though there is an ontological distinction
between the hierarchical ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of the faithful,

Actuositatem, no. 2). This is because the Church as the people of God, is a charismatic

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participate in the priestly, royal and prophetic function of Christ. (Vatican II, Apostolicam

all the members of Gods people have their various functions to exercise. The laity, too,

community and it is also ministerial. With the various charisms and ministries, each of the
various members is to play his appropriate role in the building up of the Church, the Body
of Christ.
In the Church as mission, all the members are co-responsible in the priestly royal
and prophetic mission of Christ (a collective of communitarian co-responsibility). Hence,
in the parish, the faithful are collaborators with the Parish Priest, participating together,
acting together in the Church represented and being built by all the baptised; all putting
themselves at the service of one another. In this way, the parish community is the
actualisation and concretisation and hence the essential salvific presence of the Universal
Church in its parochial ambient. (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, no. 23 and 26).
The Nature and Purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council is generally studied in analogy with the Diocesan
Pastoral Council, for the Parish Pastoral Council is the actualisation of the Diocesan
Pastoral Council at the parish and inter-parochial levels. It not only promotes communion
and communication between the Parish Priest and the Parishioners, but it also guarantees
a responsible participation of all in the Churchs life and in its mission in the world.
As an organism of representation, the Parish Pastoral Council is the representative
sign of communion and unity of the Parishioners with their Pastors and with one another.
It is the representation of the parish community where all the charisms and ministries
converge for the service of others; a place for finding out all the needs, aspirations and the
expectations that emerge from the life of the parish as a Christian community. It takes
note of the various associations or groups and respects their competence and their
autonomy.
The Parish Pastoral Council is therefore, an occasion for communion and
commandment between persons from various sectors of life. Hence, the Social, Cultural,
Economic, Professional, etc, should effectively collaborate for the common good of all and
for the growth of the Church. Thus, it ought to express the harmony and the communion of
life and of mission between the hierarchical priesthood and the common priesthood of the
faithful. In it, all the people of God in the parish participate. Priests, Religious men and
women and the Laity are co-responsible.
The native participation in the life of the community of the parish is manifested and
realised in the councils formulation of evaluation of things that concern the life of this
community. It means that the community awareness of the faithful is indispensable and

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exercise their proper functions or roles on the basis of charisms and ministries. All the

that all should be active, alive and be responsible participants. All the members should

members of the Parish Pastoral Council should know that it is this council that constitutes
the supreme organism of the Parish and that every member should be strongly
responsible with all the other elected members and participate actively and directly by
contributing with good suggestions, proposals and constructive criticisms.
Conclusion
To crown it all, it is in the judgement of the Diocesan Bishop after consulting the
Presbyteral Council, that a pastoral council is to be established in each Parish. The pastor
presides over the council in which the faithful, together with those who in virtue of office
participate in the pastoral care of the parish, offer their assistance in fostering pastoral
action. The Pastoral Council has a Consultative Vote and is governed by norms enacted
by the Diocesan Bishop (Can. 536). The Pastoral Council is thus a Consultative Organ in
which the faithful, expressing their baptismal responsibility, can assist the Parish Priest by
offering their advice on pastoral matters. Deacons appointed to participate in the pastoral
care of parishes are members of these Councils by right.
Although the Code of Canon Law does not require a Parish Pastoral Council, it
does permit the Diocesan Bishop to require it. In the absence of a determination by the
Bishop, the Pastor may decide whether to establish a Parish Pastoral Council.

The

Pastoral Councils participation in parish administration depends on particular law,

including the customs of the parish, as well as matters brought before it by the Pastor.
The Pastor himself makes the Final Decisions in light of the Councils recommendations
and other pertinent factors.

References
Austin Flannery, (General editor), Vatican Council II, More Post-Conciliar Documents, vol.
2. Mumbai: St. Pauls, 2007.
Huels M. John. The Pastoral Companion: A Canon Law Handbook for Catholic Ministry
(4th ed.). Bangalore: Theological Publication, 2011.
New Jerusalem Bible. London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd, 1985.

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The Code of Canon Law. London: Collins Liturgical Publications, 2001.