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  • Il fedele laico realtà e prospettive ed. by Luis Navarro and Fernando Puig
  • Rose McDermott S.S.J.
Il fedele laico realtà e prospettive, edited by Luis Navarro and Fernando Puig Milan: Giuffrè Editore, 2012. Pp. v-515.

On April 7-8, 2011, the faculty of the Pontifical University of Santa Croce convened to discuss the feasibility of a text on the laity in light of the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the apostolic exhortation Christifidelis laici. An interdisciplinary work composed of theological, canonical, and pastoral perspectives on the laity, the text would anticipate the thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.

Stanislaw Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, introduces Il Fedele Laico Realtà E Prospettive. Six presentations (Relationi) on conciliar teachings and canonical norms on the laity, and a pastoral reflection on [End Page 684] today's society comprise the first section. The second section includes fifteen shorter articles (Communicazioni) on specific topics that impact the vocation of the laity in the mission of the Church. An account of a round table discussion on the laity (Tavola Rotonda) held by five representatives of ecclesial movements and communities the afternoon of April 7th follows. An index of the names of persons cited throughout the text and a bibliography, a compilation of legislative texts and monographs of various authors, complete the work.

In his introduction, Rylko emphasizes the importance of emphasizing the Christian identity of the laity; Christ must be central in their lives. As signs of contradiction, the laity expound the doctrine of the Church in the midst of the social, cultural, and political aspects of life. Canobbio reflects on the various models of the Church separated f rom the secular world throughout history. Conciliar teachings open the Church to the world; the Church is a sign and instrument of the Reign of God. While announcing the Word and celebrating the sacraments are constitutive of the Church, they are not separated from the other ministries and apostolates in the Church's mission. Navarro addresses the juridic condition of the laity from the conclusion of the council until the present. He extols the extraordinary work of the code commission, the diverse group of specialists in theology and canon law. Ordered to the temporal order by their juridic condition and secular character, the laity influence family, professions and society. Carriquiry Lecour addresses the laity through an examination of conscience in light of the renewed ecclesiality. He questions how the Church has promoted the eminent dignity of the laity derived from baptism and the teaching of John Paul II in Christifideles laici. He points to the implications of such teachings regarding: the formation of the laity, their areas of concentration in the secular realm, the rapid development of associations or aggregations of the laity, the new generation of youth, and the evolution of women.

Villar discusses the Church as a community of priests organically structured and participating in the one Priesthood of Christ. At baptism one shares in the triple munus of Christ, the fundamental vocation of all Christians. The author recognizes the lay and religious vocations as correlative forms of Christian life. While religious announce the eschata and reflect the transcendent nature of the Church; the laity represent the immanence of the Reign of God in family, society, economic, political and cultural avenues of life. Blanco stresses the importance of protecting the liberty and Christian [End Page 685] identity of the laity. He emphasizes the legitimate autonomy of the lay vocation in the temporal order. In their apostolates, the laity depend on and need the moral guidance of the hierarchy, as they address difficult questions. Belardinelli reviews the state of the Western hemisphere from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. He notes the gradual secularization of the world and the present crisis that can lead to progress or decadence. The author believes that a catharsis of cultures can take place if the teachings of the Church's magisterium on the dignity of the human person take central stage instead of scientific and technological achievements.

The six presentations set the context for the fifteen...

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