Perspectives on the Development of Sponsorship of Catholic Ministerial Organizations with Particular Reference to Health Care

Abstract

Sponsorship in this paper is the formal relationship between an authorized Catholic organization and a recognized apostolic undertaking to promote and sustain Christ’s ministry to people in need. Sponsorship is not a static reality. Radical changes which have occurred in charitable works, largely due to the decline in religious vocations and the aging of members of institutes, led sponsoring leaders to seek for and find new approaches to sponsorship whereby their ministry could continue without compromising their identity. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to certain perspectives of the evolving understanding of sponsorship which is regularly in the process of being transformed and reshaped. It faces many challenges regarding the continuing Catholic identity of the sponsored works and the recognition of numerous new opportunities for future forms of sponsorship. This study explores certain canonical and practical perspectives for the development of the sponsorship of various forms of Catholic ministerial organizations, with particular reference to health care.