The Role of Laity: St. John Paul II’s Final Message

by CAPP-USA

From Pope St. John Paul II

Just four months before his death – in his final meeting with CAPP – Pope St. John Paul II, in a sort of Last Will & Testament to the organization he founded, told us –– all of us:

1. The Importance of Catholic Social Teaching

“The important issues that trouble and challenge humanity across the world…must be faced with clear-sighted vision“. (Centesimus Annus, 4)

And this clear-sighted vision is built on Catholic Social Teaching!

“The social teaching of the Church illumines the values of an orderly and supportive human coexistence with the light of Revelation and keeps them clear and unambiguous.” (Centesimus Annus, 5)

2. Catholic Social Teaching is Unknown or Misused

However, Pope St. John Paul II lamented:

“One sometimes has the impression either that the social doctrine of the Church is mentioned rather than known, or that it is seen merely as a horizon of values perhaps too grand and noble ever to be put into practice in this world, rather than a demanding criterion for judgment and action.” (Centesimus Annus, 2)

“[P]eople must learn to use this doctrine [Catholic social teaching] as a valid reference in the context of family, professional and civil responsibilities. They must accept it as a shared criterion for personal and community decisions and action”. (Centesimus Annus, 3)

3. Our Task

To accomplish this, it is “truly important to have a precise, motivated and complete approach to making the Church’s social teaching known so as to avoid stressing any one aspect more than another, swayed by preconceived emotions or views, thus losing sight of its integral structure and using it instrumentally.” (Centesimus Annus, 3)

CAPP accepts this charge as a demanding goal and privileged responsibility – as should we all!

So while: “Much remains to be done to ensure that this enriching contribution of ecclesial teaching becomes a consistent yardstick and a certain force of inspiration for Christian social action.” (Centesimus Annus, 2) We, as “Lay Christians, open to the action of God’s grace, are the living means of effectively instilling these values in history.” (Centesimus Annus, 5) 

While specifically, “The Church in America…is faced with the challenge of recapturing the Catholic vision of reality and presenting it, in an engaging and imaginative way”. (Pope Benedict XVI, 1)

4. Faith First

Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have all, many times, noted that our actions in the public square are about faith, first! As Pope St. John Paul II said:

“In any case, it will be crucial to understand the social doctrine as an element that characterizes the spirituality of the lay faithful.” (Centesimus Annus, 3)