The Vatican is studying a possible document on the
relationship of clergy and laity, touching upon the sensitive issue of
the administration of the church's goods, the Catholic News Service
reports.
The sources denied an
Italian report that the document will issue instructions on the
reorganisation of US dioceses that face financial pressures in the wake
of the sex abuse scandals - in particular regarding parish closings.
The sources, who spoke to Catholic News Service June 28, said the
document under preparation only marginally touches on the topic of
parish closings and, if published, will be directed at the universal
church.
The form of the document has not yet been determined; it may be an instruction or a less formal circular letter, they said.
"The main topic here is the respect of norms regarding the nature of
the priesthood in collaboration with laypeople, especially as it is
affected by the restructuring of parish life," said one source familiar
with the draft document.
"In some countries, new forms of parish structures have been created
in which the priestly ministry appears weakened - in practice, the
priest's role risks being reduced to that of a celebrant of the
sacraments, while teams of laypeople are put in charge of management.
But the office of governing is part of the priestly ministry," he said.