The Pastoral Ministry in the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society

Transcription

1 The Pastoral Ministry in the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society Instructions and Directives for the Praeses, for Those Responsible for the Pastoral Ministry, for Executive Officers of Kolping Families and of Higher Organizational Levels of the Kolping Society Ratified at the International Board of Directors Meeting in Oberwesel on March 17, The Climate in which Religion and the Church Find Themselves Today We live in a time of spiritual pluralism: individuals with differing, even completely contrary, spiritual and religious convictions live together, sometimes almost shoulder to shoulder. For Christians and for members of the Kolping Society this means meeting and dealing daily with those of other faiths, those who doubt, and with non-believers. This requires giving open witness to one's own convictions and to one's own faith. Christians should not hide but stand up for their convictions. However, Christians can be convincing representatives of their faith only if they succeed in integrating into their workday and social lives their spiritual and religious roots which are based on the spirit of Christ. The far-reaching changes of recent decades in the relationship between religion and society have been the cause for a crisis of faith for many Christians. The signs of this crisis are primarily the increasing relegation of religion to the private and individual sphere, as well as many people distancing themselves from the Church as evidenced by the decreasing number of people attending Sunday services and others who quietly desert the Church. Members of the Kolping Society have also not remained untouched by this situation of the Church and religion, in which all Catholics find themselves today. We must not close our eyes to the fact that many of our members have become unsure of their faith. In the future we will have to concern ourselves more and more with matters of catechesis, i.e. with lack of faith and insufficient knowledge about our faith. For we are encountering more and more young as well as older people, who have had no experience of religion at home, or who are experiencing a home or family where religion is merely a meaningless pro forma attendance at liturgical services. It is our mission to bring the message of Jesus Christ into central significance in the lives of our young and adult members, integrating them into the life-giving community of Christians in the Church. Comprehensive religious education will therefore take on a fundamental importance in the Kolping Society. For this pastoral ministry we need committed priests, deacons, religious men and women, as well as lay people, persons who dedicate themselves to this challenge in family-like commitment.

2 2. The Spirituality of Adolph Kolping 2.1. The Significance of the Person of Adolph Kolping for the Kolping Society The Kolping Society today can only be understood in the light of its history which was shaped by the person, the work, and the legacy of its founder. If - as a contribution to a "new evangelization" - the legacy and mission of Adolph Kolping are to be passed on into the third millennium, then we must continuously strive to better understand him as a person, his spiritual and religious commitment, and his social involvement. Through his beatification, Adolph Kolping has been given renewed recognition as a unique example of spiritual life, i.e. a person who radiates spirituality. This has, in turn, demonstrated anew the fact that the Kolping Society is an organization which, contrary to many other religious and secular interest groups and communities, has the advantage of being able to generate new enthusiasm not only on the basis of ideas and programs, but also through the person of its founder Adolph Kolping's Spirituality Adolph Kolping - the life he led, his words and his deeds - can be understood only in the light of his concept of God and the individual. His concern for others was also rooted in his deep faith in God and his respect for human dignity based on the individual being created in the image of God. Therefore, the spirituality of Adolph Kolping is characterized by: his own close relationship to Jesus Christ; his unshakeable trust in God; his love for the Church. These give rise to: his deep respect for the Christian family; his sensitive approach to his fellowmen and his dealings with them as partners; his attention to people in need and marginalized by society; his profound understanding for the occupational life and the world of work; his socio-political involvement Adolph Kolping - Example and Model for Pastoral Ministry In 1980, Pope John Paul II stated at the tomb of Adolph Kolping in the Church of the Minorites in Cologne: "We need examples such as Adolph Kolping for the Church of today". All of us can take Adolph Kolping as an example and a model, because by the way he lived his life he demonstrated how we can serve as Christians in the Church and in the world today. This also applies to the pastoral ministry in the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society. Fundamental Consequences If the unique and specific work of Kolping Families and the Kolping Society is to be effective in a contemporary way in Church and society, then Kolping members must be led to a deeper, up-to-date examination of the person of Adolph Kolping, his ideas and actions. Traditional information and teaching methods alone are not enough. 2 / 11

3 Special Tasks In order to become more familiar with the spirituality of Adolph Kolping and, at the same time, to under-stand what this entails for the responsibilities of Kolping Families and the Kolping Society today, the following is necessary: to study the writings of Adolph Kolping (specific programs for people in leadership positions within the Kolping Society!); to recognize that the path to God has to involve the individual (in all educational programs of the Kolping Society and the different events of the Kolping Families); to promote the spiritual renewal of the individual and the Kolping Families (in prayerful reading of Holy Scripture during Bible study events, on pilgrimages to Kolping memorial places on the feast of St. Josef, the Worker, the first Sunday in May, on the International Kolping Society s World Day of Prayer, October 27, on Kolping Memorial Day, December 4). to walk the path of the Church more consciously and more meaningfully (particularly in Liturgies of the Word and Eucharistic celebrations); to give special attention to youth work (meeting the youth wherever they are; talk with them not only about them); to let people recognize and experience the basic values of marriage and family through targeted programs and in the actual daily life of the community (the goal: a spirituality of daily living!); to follow the social and political events and developments attentively, to evaluate them correctly and to enable people to act according to the Catholic Social Teachings (political education). 3. The Spirituality of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society 3.1.Fundamentals of the Spirituality of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society The spirituality of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society is based on the person and message of Jesus Christ, on the Catholic Social Teachings, and on the life and work of Adolph Kolping. Kolping spirituality is rooted in the general Christian spirituality. In its concern for individuals and the current social problems and needs, it takes on the unique characteristics of a specifically Kolping spirituality. Kolping spirituality becomes real and concrete in the practiced faith of the individual member, in the work of the local Kolping Family, as well as in the involvement of the Kolping Society in important social and political questions. It is an integral part of the Church's redemptive answer to the existential questions of individuals here and now Characteristics of this Spirituality in the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society An essential characteristic of Kolping spirituality is the personal encounter with Jesus Christ in daily prayer; in reading the Scriptures and listening to the Word of God; in living on the strength of the sacraments; in participating in the Holy Eucharist; in active service to one's neighbours. Kolping spirituality is expressed in the awareness of Kolping sisters and brothers that they live a life of faith in the Church and with the Church and that, as such, they are the Church. For the individual Kolping member and for the Kolping Family this means that they are firmly rooted in a parish and contribute to its life. The spirituality of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society consists primarily of the living oneness of attitudes rooted in spirituality and actions based on faith, which originate from the community and, in turn, build and strengthen the community in many ways. 3 / 11

4 The spirituality in a Kolping Family and in the Kolping Society is not exclusive, but inclusive. Exclusion is not Christian. People in search of answers to profound existential questions should and must be able to find convincing examples and trustworthy friendships in a Kolping Family and in the Kolping Society. Of elementary importance to the Kolping spirituality is a sensitive, responsible commitment in the sphere of social concerns, an openness in seeking answers to questions, and a readiness to get actively involved Expressions of Kolping Spirituality Important elements for a practical expression of Kolping Spirituality would be: A Family-Like Community This family-like atmosphere is an indispensable and essential characteristic of our movement, because it gives the individual the feeling of being at home in the Kolping Family and in the Kolping Society. In times of increasing isolation and anonymity of the individual in today's mass society, this experience of family-like community has become of greatly increased importance. This family-like atmosphere is an important goal, not happening as a matter of course, but one that has to be achieved and safeguarded continuously in joint endeavours. A Life-Long Community "Life-long community" expresses the fact that it is possible to find life-long membership in our Society regardless of age. It furthermore implies a holistic approach which Adolph Kolping himself had always emphasized. "Life-long community" also calls for openness towards all social groups and classes. The work in the Kolping Society must therefore not be limited to certain areas, although priorities have to be set in terms of given opportunities and requirements. A Community On The Way Among the features and characteristics of the spirituality of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society, "the community on the way" must also be mentioned. As God s people we are on the way with the Church and with Jesus Christ, who says about Himself: I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John: 14,6). As a community on the way, the Kolping Family must be there for its members, as well as for non-members, because a community on the way exists through togetherness in partnership and through taking the interests and needs of the individual seriously. As "a community on the way", the Kolping Family must therefore be open to all men and women and seek to meet them wherever they find themselves. The life and activities of the Kolping Family must reach beyond the circle of its members. A community on the way requires from the leadership of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society a high degree of responsibility and partnership-like co-operation. A Community Concerned With Education And Action "A community concerned with education and action" describes a characteristic of Kolping spirituality referring to the many diverse forms of life and work in Kolping Families and the Kolping Society. It is essentially a question of three areas, which Adolph Kolping had already defined for his pedagogical program: education, action, companionship. 4 / 11

5 3.4. Consequences for the Work of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society The characteristics of Kolping spirituality as described above have important consequences for the lives of all members of Kolping Families and the Kolping Society. Every member is called upon to strive to live a truly spiritual life. In this endeavour, Kolping members can expect an example from their executive officers and special support from the praeses and pastoral assistants, their "partners for the spiritual dimension of the Society". Kolping members should support and strengthen their fellow Christians and, through their personal witnessing, contribute to the evangelization of the world. This involvement for others is required from Kolping Families and from the Kolping Society as a whole. Special responsibilities rest on those who hold leadership positions in a Kolping Family and in the Kolping Society. On them depends to a crucial extent the successful implementation of the program described above and thus the effectiveness of the spirituality of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society. The Kolping Society is expanding rapidly in all corners of the world. World-wide solidarity among the Kolping Families and the National Kolping Societies within the International Kolping Society is therefore indispensable. This solidarity must be nurtured and expanded 4. The Pastoral Ministry of the Praeses in the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society 4.1. Fundamental principles The Praeses as Partner for the Spiritual Dimension The concern for the spiritual life in the Kolping Family is the responsibility of all its members. The participation of priests in accordance with their responsibility as praesides has always been an essential characteristic of the Kolping Society as a visible sign of its connection to the Church. This means that the praeses will constantly strive to make the spiritual dimension central in all organizational activities, and in doing so, to offer himself as friend and companion in the framework of a Church made up of brothers and sisters. The office of the praeses should therefore, as a matter of principle, be filled by an ordained minister (priest, deacon). This holds true even in view of the lack of priests and the overload of those in the pastoral ministry The Praeses as One Who Prays and Proclaims The praeses is the primary leader of prayer in his Kolping Family. With him, the Kolping Family must come to understand itself as a community of prayer, and through him, its members must be encouraged and enabled to pray with and in the family. Leading prayer also implies praying along with individuals; familiarizing them with new forms of praying and new prayers, and teaching them to articulate their lives in words spoken to God. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the source and highlight of communal prayer and celebration. However, other forms of worship and particularly celebrations of the sacraments should also be offered. They all contribute to developing the community and to enable people to accept their mission to the world. The key to proclaiming and accepting the Good News will be to awaken real interest in religious and spiritual education, and to open up opportunities for practical application of faith in our daily lives. The praeses can therefore no longer resort to the old tradition of the religious lecture. He must rather attempt to offer practical help for the lives of his members through religious discussions, faith seminars and religious education courses, retreats and days of recollection, and many other such measures. 5 / 11

6 4.1.3 The Praeses as Partner and Companion Among Kolping members there are also those who are searching and who have difficultiy identifying with the faith and the Church. This is even more apparent in people who wish to associate with the Kolping Society without being able to commit themselves to membership right away. These people need our special attention and help. They often seek contact with the Kolping Family in particular because they find help there in getting hold of their own lives. In this they need the support of spiritual companionship. This provides an opportunity to convey a new experience of the Church to these people, along with a new approach to faith and religion. This can only come about if the praeses is involved and interested in the daily concerns of people - their marriages and families, their jobs and occupations. Accepting and taking these people seriously is often the first step to concretely helping them The Dimension of his Mandate The office and task of the praeses must be subject to on-going reflection and reconsideration in the context of new developments in the Church and the Kolping Society. This includes a differentiation of the responsibilities of the praeses at the various organizational levels of the Kolping Society Concern for Unity in Diversity The praeses bears particular responsibility for the unity of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society. To be of one mind is absolutely essential for Christians: to be in accord with the spirit that Jesus Christ exemplified in His life. He must therefore be concerned that differences of opinion are not suppressed but constructively resolved and that, in the process, unity always remains the objective Concern for Being Part of the Church As the one responsible for unity in the Kolping Family, the praeses must also be concerned that its members identify with the Church. Being part of the Church is an essential aspect of the spirituality of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society. Kolping members are aware that they themselves are forming the Church. This includes both the sense of solidarity with the Church and, at the same time, the ability to critically look at the Church as an institution Concern for the Relationship to the Parish The praeses, together with the executive officers, is particularly responsible for the relationship of the Kolping familiy to the parish. The Church is the people of God on a pilgrimage. She finds her proper expression in the Christian community, which is best understood as a organism of living cells or a community composed of smaller units. On their joint pilgrimage to God, Christians should learn to live and to believe together, and to be convincing companions for others. Organizations see themselves as communally organized forms of Christianity in action. If possible, the Kolping family should therefore grow in a given parish community and contribute to the life of this parish. However, as part of an organization, it should not be monopolized by the parish. But in accordance with its structures and methods of work, the Kolping Family must take into consideration a wide range of pastoral forms of co-operation: In cases where several parishes are headed by a pastoral team or where different institutions or target groups in a parish so require, a Kolping family should have or develop different spin-off or core groups. In cases where several parishes, each having functioning Kolping families, are consolidated into a pastoral unit, the Kolping families should co-operate in this process and, for their own part, seek to find mutual and corresponding forms of co-operation. 6 / 11

7 It is the responsibility of the Kolping Family to enable its members to play an active role in the life of the parish. As a group, it has a mission and bears social and pastoral responsibility. Of key importance is the personal development of the individual and the common awareness that each and every Christian has a missionary mandate. The Kolping family, as a community on the way, rooted in faith and interested in their fellowmen/women and their problems, can offer a realistic and practical approach to the parish s pastoral ministry. In implementing its program in the area of social concerns, it makes a special and significant contribution to parish life Focal Points of Implementation In fulfillling his responsibilities, the Praeses should pay special attention to the following: The Praeses Should Lead and Guide The praeses should find the time to play an active role on the local executive board, so that the board of the Kolping Family and its higher organizational committees can fulfill its functions as an "instrument of pastoral ministry". Generation conflicts, envy, exaggerated ambition, and similar problems can quickly poison the atmosphere in a Kolping Family and especially on the executive board. Here it is the specific responsibility of the praeses to initiate the necessary dialogue, reduce tensions, clear up misunderstandings and in general promote harmony in order to arrive at reconciliation The Praeses Should Co-ordinate and Delegate The praeses can and should not want to do everything himself. In view of the fundamental co-responsibility of executive officers and lay people in the pastoral ministry, the praeses must delegate pastoral responsibilities, because all those who have been baptized and confirmed share the responsibility for the spreading of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, trusting in the conscientiousness of the laity and respecting their calling to be apostles, the praeses should be able to let go and delegate some of the tasks to others The Praeses Should Create Enthusiasm and Encouragement God's instructions do not set up barriers They are signposts, pointing to a way to coping with life. Here it will be essential to pass the joy and confidence in God s word on to those who are searching and questioning. People must not only hear, but rather also understand, so that they can make it part of their own lives. This is therefore an area where the praeses should be a companion and create enthusiasm and encouragement. To achieve this, he must be available and approachable. 7 / 11

8 5. The Service of Those Responsible for the Pastoral Ministry in the Kolping Family 5.1. The Office of those Responsible for the Pastoral Ministry in the Kolping Family It has become evident that the responsibility for the pastoral ministry in the Kolping Family and Kolping Society is not only entrusted to the Praeses, be he priest or deacon, but also to the laity. As the Second Vatican Council stated: "Even though some are indeed called according to God's will to be teachers, dispensers of the mysteries and shepherds of the others, at the same time there reigns a true sense of equality among all in the common dignity of those who believe and strive to build the body of Christ" (LG, 32). It is on the basis of such an understanding of responsible co-operation of the laity in the pastoral ministry - and not merely because of stop-gap situations such as the lack of priests and deacons - that lay persons should be drawn into the work of the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society. One such case, where responsible co-operation of the laity in the pastoral ministry in the Kolping Family and the Kolping Society can be institutionalized, is in the appointment of a lay person to carry out the pastoral tasks in conjunction with the praeses, or substituting for him. Candidates for this office can be found among suitable members of the Kolping Society, the members of religious orders, catechism teachers, as well as pastoral and community assistants. They should as much as possible co-ordinate their pastoral duties with the pastor of the parish in which the Kolping Family is at home. Whoever is appointed or elected to be responsible for the pastoral ministry must: be Catholic, be living a life which demonstrates that his/her basic religious attitude and relationship with the Church is in accordance with the aims and responsibilities of the Kolping Society, have proved him/herself in the community or in the Kolping Society and should, if possible have had theological or pastoral training The Position of Those Responsible for the Pastoral Ministry on the Local Executive Board Those who are responsible for the pastoral ministry are part of the Kolping Family s executive board. Their duties should be carried out in the same manner as described above for the praeses The Appointment of those Responsible for the Pastoral Ministry Those responsible for the pastoral ministry should be elected by the General Membership Meeting of the Kolping Family or appointed by the local executive board. Like the praeses, they should be commissioned by the bishop. 8 / 11

9 6. The Executive Board and its Responsibility for the Pastoral Ministry in the Kolping Family and in the Kolping Society 6.1. The Significance of Lay People for the Pastoral Ministry in the Kolping Family and in the Kolping Society According to the Kolping Society's self-image as a Catholic social movement, and in recognition of the special calling of the lay people to the social apostolate in accordance with the statements of the Second Vatican Council, the entire executive board is responsible for the pastoral ministry of the Kolping Family. This applies equally to the executive boards of other organizational levels of the Kolping Society and its institutions. The executive board should work as a team that not only fulfills an organizational and technical function but also puts the unified concept of evangelization and temporal service into practice through its pastoral ministry. In doing this, it provides a valuable service for the pastoral activities in the parish and beyond. All people involved - not only the executive officers - must be given training so that they can participate in the passing on of our faith. Another function of the executive board is to enable Kolping members to participate in the development of parish life. Here the personal development of the individual is at stake, as well as a common awareness of the fact that all Christians are called to be missionaries. As a group, the Kolping Family has a mission and a pastoral and social responsibility for the community it lives in Prerequisite for the Pastoral Mandate To be able to fulfill the functions of an executive officer in the Kolping Family, a life rooted in faith and love for the Church are absolutely essential. The president, praeses, and those responsible for the pastoral ministry must work together with other members of the board to find suitable candidates for the executive offices Dimensions of the Pastoral Responsibility of the Executive Board MARTYRIA - Giving Witness The proclamation of the Good News and the propagation of the faith by means of religious education cannot be effectively done by a functionary, it needs someone who gives witness. However, witness of faith can only be given by someone who is truly convinced of his/her faith. The Kolping Family must therefore be a "school for disciples" in which individuals can find the opportunity to expand their religious knowledge and to deepen their faith. All executive officers of the various organizational levels of the Kolping Society are therefore responsible for a religious education program that is as diversified as possible. Religious dialogue, lectures, seminars, Bible study groups, prayer meetings, days of recollection, retreats, family retreats, and many more such measures belong in the life of a Kolping Family. It must, however, always be kept in mind that the propagation of faith always has an element of proclamation; and this must be in a language that people can understand. 9 / 11

10 6.3.2 LITURGIA - Celebrating Religious Services The preparation of the various religious services, which the Kolping family celebrates together in the course of the year, should be the concern of the whole executive board. The various tasks performed in the liturgy can be shared by the various executive officers, so that the special pastoral responsibility of the leadership team becomes evident for all those participating in the liturgical celebrations. The praeses, or those responsible for the pastoral ministry, should take the necessary precautions to ensure that the executive officers be instructed and trained to function independently in the preparation and performance of the liturgy. It should be the special concern of the local executive board to support in the Kolping Family the observance of religious and ecclesiastical customs in the course of the liturgical year. Examples such as Advent and Christmas celebrations, the Stations of the Cross and Lenten events, May devotions and the Rosary, pilgrimages, and participation in special events in the Church calendar provide very good opportunities in this area DIAKONIA - Initiating and Taking Responsibility for Social Services Part of the functions of the local executive board and the members of the Kolping Family is DIAKONIA, the social service in caring for those in need, the disadvantaged and outcast, even within the Kolping Family, the local community, and beyond. The Kolping Family and the Kolping Society must assist those who are in need of this help and are dependent on it, for instance: young people who need help with basic and advanced occupational training, in order to find access to the job market and become able to make a living and support a family; young families with children, as well as single parents, to whom it must offer help to solve their problems; the elderly, and those who are sick and alone, to whom it must offer help in coping with age and loneliness; citizens from other countries, refugees and those seeking asylum, who have a right to just treatment; people who are suffering from hunger, poverty, misery, war, and underdevelopment of their country and therefore depend on assistance in order to live in justice and peace. 7. Other Levels of Pastoral Responsibility The basis of Kolping work is the local Kolping Family which usually operates on the parish level. A number of neighbouring Kolping Families form a District Kolping Society. The districts, and therefore the Kolping Families included in them, make up the Diocesan Kolping Society. A National Kolping Society can be formed in any politically independent country with a minimum of 10 Kolping Families. The National Kolping Societies of a continent form a Continental Association or a Continental Kolping Society. The National Kolping Societies and the Continental Associations are all part of the International Kolping Society. The co-operation between the various organizational levels within the Kolping Society can succeed only if the basic principles of subsidiarity and solidarity are observed. Kolping Families are entitled to assistance and support for their work by the District and Diocesan Kolping Society. In the same way, District and Diocesan Kolping Societies can expect the support from higher organizational levels. This also applies to the pastoral ministry and the pastoral responsibility. 10 / 11

11 7.1. The District Kolping Society The above-mentioned topics regarding the local Kolping Family also apply to the pastoral ministry at the district level. The Kolping Society must make every effort to strengthen the work and pastoral ministry, especially at the district level, in order to thus provide assistance to the local Kolping Families which - left on their own - would often be overtaxed. The District Praeses, along with the district executive board, is responsible for ensuring that the pastoral ministry is carried out in the local Kolping Families. For this purpose, help should be offered in the form of written and other working materials, training courses, etc The Diocesan Kolping Society In setting up Diocesan Kolping Societies, Adolph Kolping planned to bind the Kolping Society to Church structures. Therefore, Diocesan Kolping Societies bear special responsibility for the pastoral ministry, and they are entitled to have a priest mandated for their pastoral ministry. The Diocesan Praeses should be a priest. After having been elected by a diocesan committee, or through an resolution by the diocesan executive board, his appointment is to be confirmed by the bishop. The Diocesan Praeses handles matters between the Kolping Families, the District Kolping Societies and the bishop. Therefore, he is in a special way accountable to the bishop for the Kolping Society. He should consider his primary function to be the strengthening of his colleagues and the laity responsible on the local and district level. For them he should provide light and spiritual strength (GS 42) The National Kolping Society In the same way that a Diocesan Praeses is accountable to his bishop, the National Praeses is similarly accountable to the Bishops' Conference of his country. Furthermore, the National Praeses, along with the National Executive Board, is responsible for the pastoral ministry within the National Kolping Society. If at all possible, the office of National Praeses should therefore be held by a suitable priest. The National Praeses and the National Executive Board have the task of offering religious training courses, providing materials for religious education, spreading the ideals of Father Kolping and promoting their practical application, as well as preserving the unity of the Kolping Society The International Kolping Society All organizational levels of the Kolping Society are encompassed by the International Kolping Society. The International Praeses is the successor of Adolph Kolping and therefore must be a priest. Together with the other bodies of the Kolping Society - the International Convention, the International Board of Directors, and the International Executive Board - he leads the International Kolping Society. The responsibilities of the International Praeses are laid down in Article 50 of the International Constitution as follows: The International Praeses is responsible for the pastoral dimension of the Kolping Society. This includes particularly the spiritual direction of the Kolping Society and its various bodies on the basis of the message of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Social Teachings. He represents the Kolping Society in all internal and external affairs. Concluding remark To all those who bear responsibility for the pastoral ministry in the Kolping Society, Adolph Kolping says: "Christianity does not consist of nice words and empty phrases: It has to be practiced in an active, committed and sacrificial way, so that it be clearly identifiable in the world and strongly influence its surroundings. 11 / 11