Lay Faithful Involvement in the Contemporary Church – The Polish Context

Abstract

The involvement of the lay faithful in the community of the Church is at the center of theological reflection after the Second Vatican Council. It is among the key issues in practical theology in Poland. Theoretical indications are often not translated into pastoral practice. In fact, it is possible to notice the posed actions and activities related to the involvement of the lay faithful in the community of the Church. Hence, changes in pastoral practice are needed. The analyses undertaken in this article are a voice in the discussion. They show the most important areas of involvement of the lay faithful of the Church in Poland, taking into account the current social and religious situation. First, the status of the lay faithful in the Church and the basic tasks they have to perform in the Church are described. In this context, the basic planes of involvement of the lay faithful in the Church in Poland were presented. This made it possible to show the translation of the guidelines enshrined in the documents of the Church and in the teaching of the Popes into pastoral practice in Poland. To enrich the analyses, reference was made to good practices that illustrate the involvement of lay faithful in pastoral, evangelization, administrative, cultural, and social activities. The need for in-depth research and the development of new pastoral strategies was also pointed out. It was considered important to change the mentality of the hierarchy (bishops) and priests) and to raise the level of awareness of the lay faithful and motivate them to be more active in the community of the Church.