LAY PREACHING.

Thirty-five years after the close of Vatican II, the role of the Catholic laity remains generally underdeveloped and underappreciated. A tremendous pool of talent and energy inhabits our pews every Sunday, waiting to be summoned. And since the end of the council, the need for active laity has only increased.

Vatican II urged priests to "discover with the instinct of faith, acknowledge with joy, and foster with diligence the various charisms of the laity." Further, the council called on the entire church to evangelize the modern world through renewal of the laity's role. It affirmed that the laity, by virtue of baptism, are entitled to hold office in the church and that they are expected to speak to the world from within the world. And strong canonical support for increased lay participation has emerged since the council as well. For a variety of reasons--primarily the baptismal mandate, but also, for instance, the alarming decline in religious and priestly vocations--there is today an urgent need to form laypeople for specific responsibilities.

The purpose of this short article is to focus on one initiative, lay preaching, as an opportunity for effective lay participation in spreading the gospel. Jesus' charge to his disciples to "teach all nations" was not an exclusive franchise awarded to the Twelve. On the contrary, each person has specific claims by virtue of baptism and the power of the Spirit.

For the first five hundred years of the church's history, the laity were permitted, even encouraged, to preach. Since that time, however, church fathers have generally opposed it, sometimes vociferously, as with Leo the Great in the fifth century. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) banned it outright, a ban that was reaffirmed at the Council of Trent in 1545. More recently, the 1917 Code of Canon Law stated that the laity were forbidden to preach, and that the charism or "faculty" to do so was restricted to priests and deacons. Of course, this necessarily precluded the possibility of women preaching.

The reasons for the prohibition were complex--a confluence of political, social, cultural, and ecclesiastical objections--and, no doubt, this complexity and its long history require today's advocates for lay inclusion to approach the issue with a humble spirit. But the landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. Not only have the needs of the church and the world deepened, but also Vatican II and the papacy of John Paul II have underscored the theological emphasis on the gospel mandate that all the baptized preach to the ends of the earth.

Canonically, important new guidelines on lay preaching were laid down in the 1983 revised Code of Canon Law. The new code effectively repeals the prohibition of the 1917 code. Canon 759, for example, underscores the role of the laity as envisioned by Vatican II. It states: "In virtue of their baptism and confirmation, lay members of the Christian faithful are witnesses to the gospel message by word and by example of a Christian life; they can also be called to cooperate with the bishop and presbyters in the exercise of the ministry of the word." And canons 762 through 772 specifically focus on the subject of lay preaching, with canon 766 explicitly reopening a door that had been closed for centuries: "Laypersons can be admitted to preach in a church or oratory if it is necessary in certain circumstances or if it is useful in particular cases according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops and with due regard for canon 767, 1."

In interpreting this last provision, two outstanding contemporary canonists, James Coriden (The Code of Canon Law, Paulist Press) and John Huels (More Disputed Questions in the Liturgy, Liturgy Training Publications), maintain that while the homily itself is reserved to a priest or deacon, when "necessity or usefulness require it" laypersons are authorized to preach, even within the context of the Eucharist. Lay preaching is also approved at other gatherings: during parish missions, at retreats, and at small-group sessions. There is historic precedent for these, not only in the early church but also in the period following Vatican II.

Thus, there would appear to be a compelling, practical logic to promote lay preaching in the church. The laity are particularly suited to witness the gospel to inactive Catholics. This is because the laity can speak about their faith from the experience of their work, creativity, prayer, and relationships. And they can do so without the sometimes off-putting trappings of religious garb and Roman collar.

A critical issue remains, however: Who will form and prepare these lay preachers? This is not a new issue, for it has always applied to the training of bishops, priests, and deacons as well. But a special effort will be required if lay preaching is to bear fruit.

A number of programs have been initiated in this country to address the need. One is the Catherine of Siena Institute in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1997 by Michael Sweeney, a Dominican priest, it has developed innovative, parish-based programs to enable Catholics to discern God's call in their lives. Through its "Called and Gifted" workshops, local parishes are visited by teams that help individuals discern their calling to spread the gospel. The institute then offers an eight-week, in-depth follow-up, "Extended Gifts Discernment Program." Since the institute's inception three years ago, over forty-seven hundred laypeople and clergy have participated in these workshops, representing fifty dioceses in six states and three foreign countries. A similar program is conducted by The Leaven Center, a national training and formation ministry based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Both programs are parish-based and parish-focused, committed to addressing the issues and concerns facing the church today at the local level, and both have gained ecclesiastical approval.

Despite these successful initiatives, and despite the need for greater lay participation, some Catholics will resist change in the traditional roles of priest and people. As a layperson who has preached on numerous occasions--at the 1999 Religious Education Conference, the largest convention of Catholic leaders throughout the country; the twenty-first Dominican provincial chapter in San Francisco; and at my own parish, Saint Monica's, in Santa Monica, California--I would say to these fellow but hesitant Christians: Don't believe in us. Rather, put your trust in the Christ within us and in the approval of the church, through the explicit support of Canon Law. As you do, look to the church's pressing needs and to the benefits greater lay involvement can bring. Millions of laymen and laywomen stand ready to bear witness to the gospel. Lay preaching is an important opportunity for the church to further that witness. It should be encouraged and celebrated.

William E. Simon, Jr. is a business executive, lawyer, and philanthropist.