Hotline Asia -- Social Concern Notes

Parish Social Concern Groups - Church's Social Teachings
~ Principle of Participations ~
Lesson 18

Question & Answer || Church Teaching || Thinking About Justice || Facilitators' Notes
 

Introduction

"I AM NOT WORTHY."

  1. He/ she has a capacity to communicate and cooperate with others, and the willingness to accept them as persons with their strengths and weaknesses;

  2. Far-sighted in vision, balanced and open-minded outlook;

  3. Able to participate actively in council meetings, related activities, as well as to spiritual formation programmes organized for council members;

  4. The qualities for such a person should in principle include spirituality, impartiality, ability to unify, knowledge about the Christian faith, and leadership. [Substantially quoted from Article 43, "Parish Council/ Parish Pastoral Council Constitution (Model)", Hong Kong Central Council of Catholic, Sept, 1994, p. 8-9.]
 
Question & Answer
Question:   What did you do to insure that the best people were elected at the last parish council elections?
     
Answer:   Step A: ______________________________
    Step B: ______________________________
    Step C: ______________________________
 

Social Teachings of the Church

"In the Church, lay members of the Christian faithful can cooperate in the exercise of this power [of governance] in accord with the norm of law and so the Church provides for their presence at particular councils, diocesan synods, pastoral councils; the exercise in solidum of the pastoral care of a parish, collaboration in finance committees, and participation in ecclesiastical tribunals. [Catechism of the Catholic Church #911 quoting Codex Iuris Canonici Canons 129, 443 etc,]

 

Thinking About Justice

  1. In the new Catechism and in other Church documents the Church does not use the term "democracy. " Write three reasons why?
  2. In the last elections of your parish officers, how was maximum participation insured? How might this process have been approved?
  3. What steps might have been taken to insure that all groups were represented e.g. women, elderly, young, poor, migrant workers, liberals, conservatives?
 
Facilitators' Notes

"I AM NOT WORTHY"

"Be wise as serpents..." Matt 10:16 Christians are not only loving and simple as doves, they are expected to be wise as serpents. Politics is about the way groups of people organize their affairs so that everyone's rights and needs are respected. Politics is about how people contribute their leadership gifts to the group. Politics is about how people with competing needs share limited resources.

Some Catholics are political illiterates. Others are passive and don't contribute to the body politic. In the secular field such passivity is often fatal: corruption, dictators, oppression, violence, inequality. One of the areas in which Catholics can both fulfill their obligation to the parish community and at the same time gain practical experience in the art of politics is by actively participating in parish elections.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

What did you do to insure that the best people were elected at the last parish council elections?

Answers should treat some of the following issues:

  • What is the election process in this parish?

  • Who is ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTION?

  • Who is ELIGIBLE TO VOTE?

  • What are the DUTIES of the members of the parish council?

  • What amount of TIME would be required of an officer?

  • What important contributions did the PREVIOUS PARISH COUNCIL make to the parish.

  • What do you foresee as the most important NEEDS/OPPORTUNITIES of the parish at this time?

  • How do we CALL FORTH candidates to stand for election? Ask for volunteers? Invite qualified members of the parish? What gifts does this candidate have? How well is this candidate known by the parishioners? Are there good candidates who are unknown to most of the parishioners. How can we make the community aware of this person? In electing a parish council how do you ensure that the essential requirements of leadership are fulfilled: visionary, organizer, mediator etc.

  • What must I DO? Openly discuss in our parish society or among my friends (no cliques) who could best serve the needs of the parish. Think about an ideal slate? Speak with prospective candidates. If willing, speak to others in the parish before the election. On the election day, should it be conducted in small groups be prepared for manipulation or railroaded. E.g. "Mrs. X has worked so hard for our parish, we must elect her. Is there anyone who dislikes her?" "Mr. B didn't come today so we won't elect him."

[If your Social Concerns Group did not surface issues such as these, they are a bunch of "losers." The group should either be dissolved or receive further training in democratic process. The forces of evil in Asia love Christians who are simple as doves when it comes to political affairs.]

THINKING ABOUT JUSTICE

Possible Response:

  1. Democracy

    A

    		  -   Crafty politicians easily manipulate the populace.

    B

    		  -   Democracy means some uninformed citizen who on the day of election votes for a candidate because he likes the tie that he is wearing negates my conscientious vote.

    C

    		  -   Participation is a better word because it excludes passivity.

    D

    		  -   Oppressed people have no time or education to participate.

CHURCH TEACHING

(Exact quote) "In the Church, 'lay members of the Christian faithful can cooperate in the exercise of this power [of governance] in accord with the norm of law.' 449 and so the Church provides for their presence at particular councils, diocesan synods, pastoral councils; the exercise in solidum of the pastoral care of a parish, collaboration in finance committees, and participation in ecclesiastical tribunals. etc. [sic]" (quoting Codex Iuris Canonici" Canons 129 and 443 etc.) in Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Mission Hills: Benziger Publishing Co, 1994), #911, p. 240.
 

back to contents