by Mary Cullen

Sixty years ago, the Second Vatican Council published its Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, a milestone in the history of lay people in the church. Today we might find it hard to relate to its language and the terms in which it was written. It emerged from an era defined by Pope Pius X’s characterisation of lay people as a docile flock whose only duty was to follow their pastors (Vehementer Nos, August 1914). But it also reflected the Council’s transition from an outdated theological framework to one that was yet to be clearly defined.

Work in progress

Vatican II was work in progress. It set the church free from many of the constrictions of the past and created an agenda for change whose practical implementations remained to be worked out. It met over four years between 1962 and 1965 and was attended by over 2,000 bishops from around the world. Each of them had a vote. The need for consensus and the sheer scope of the Council’s agenda means that its 16 documents contain elements of old ideas alongside the new.

The decree on lay people is no exception. By the time it went to the bishops for debate in October 1964, it was in its third draft and had been in development since 1960. The commission set up to produce a draft text was charged with examining the scope and purpose of the apostolate of the laity, the subordination of lay associations to the hierarchy, and how they might be adapted to meet contemporary needs.

Disagreements quickly arose over the definition of the lay apostolate, especially the work of Catholic Action, which had developed a vast network of lay organisations under the control of the hierarchy and was dedicated to infusing Christian values in public life. Some bishops wanted to expand Catholic Action to include other forms of lay activity while others thought the focus on lay associations, with its overtones of church control, was restrictive and clerical. Behind the debates were questions about the relationship between the temporal and the spiritual; the scope of the church’s mission; the role of the hierarchy and laity in accomplishing it; and the freedom and autonomy of lay people.

Dr Mary Cullen is editor of Open House.