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NORMS FOR THE COOPERATION

OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES AMONG

THEMSELVES AND ESPECIALLY FOR A

BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE

CLERGY IN THE WORLD

Notae Directivae de Mutua Ecclesiarum

Particularium Cooperatione Promovenda ac

Praesertim de Aptiore Cleri Distributione

Vatican Congregation for the Clergy

March 25, 1980

(Released July 22, 1980)



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/normsforcooperatOOunse



NORMS FOR THE COOPERATION

OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES AMONG

THEMSELVES AND ESPECIALLY FOR A

BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE

CLERGY IN THE WORLD

Notae Directivae de Mutua Ecclesiarum

Particularium Cooperatione Promovenda ac

Praesertim de Aptiore Cleri Distributione

Vatican Congregation for the Clergy

March 25, 1980

(Released July 22, 1980

j



Osaddined



I. Introduction

Teaching of Vatican Council II

1 . After the entrusting to the apostles by Christ the Lord,

before his ascension into heaven, of the mission to be

witnesses “til the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), all their

labors and sollicitudes had no other aim than the faithful

execution of the mandate of Christ: “Go into the whole world,

and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

The church, as history tells us, through the centuries

never ceased to pledge herself with faithfulness and

enthusiasm for the practical fulfillment of such a mandate.

And even recently, the successors of the apostles gathered

from all over the world in the Second Vatican Council,

insisted on the same mandate with these words: “They (the

pastors) should be especially concerned about those parts

of the world where the word of God has not yet been

proclaimed or where, chiefly because of the small number of

priests, the faithful are in danger of departing from the

precepts of Christian life and even of losing the faith itself.”

For this reason, the bishops should “strive to see to it that

suitable sacred ministers as well as assistants, both

Religious and lay, are prepared for the missions and other

areas suffering from a lack of clergy” (1).

Institution of a Commission for the Distribution of the

Clergy.

2. In order to give practical fulfillment to this intention of

the council, the supreme pontiff Paul VI, in the motu proprio

“Ecclesiae Sanctae” ordered that a special commission be

created within the Holy See “with the task to issue general

principles for a better distribution of the clergy, keeping in

mind the needs of the varius churches” (2). The seat of such

commission, as it was established in the apostolic

constitution “Regimini Ecclesiae Universae,” is to be

attached to the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy (3).

On this matter, this sacred dicastery has already

consulted the episcopal conferences and has held an

international congress at Malta in 1970. Furthermore, after

having convoked its members often and heard the opinion of

the other departments of the Roman Curia many times, this
very dicastery, having considered the importance and the

opportunity of this action, engaged itself in the preparation of

norms which now, with the approval of the supreme pontiff,

promulgates through this present document.

1



II. Need to Implement the Mandate of Christ

The Whole Church Is Called to Evangelize

3. The means through which the church has to fulfill the

mandate of Christ is evangelization, following the example of

her founder who was the first evangelizer. She has always

considered evangelization as indeed her specific and most

important task. As a matter of fact, she exists only for this

task, as the bishops stated in the synod of 1977: “We wish

once again to confirm that the mandate to evangelize all

mankind constitutes the essential mission of the church" (5).

As a consequence, no person baptized or confirmed in the

church can dispense himself from this duty, following the

exhortation of Vatican Council II: “Since the whole church is

missionary and the work of evangelization is a basic duty of

the people of God, this sacred synod summons all to a deep

interior renewal, so that they will have a vivid awareness of

their own responsibility for spreading the Gospel” (6).

Even though every Christian should cooperate in the

mission of the church for the part that is his, considering

however the diversity of the members when it comes to the

tasks to be fulfilled (7), different will be the role of the

bishop, of the priest, of the Religious as well as of the lay

person.

The Role of the Bishop.

4. The duty of evangelization belongs, first of all, to the

bishops, who — “sub Petro et cum Petro” ~ must not only
care for the evangelization as far as the faithful of their

dioceses are concerned, but they must also feel the

responsibility for the salvation of the whole world. In fact,

“each of them as a member of the episcopal college and a

legitimate successor of the apostles, is obliged by Christ’s

decree and command (9) to be solicitous for the whole

church. This solicitude, though it is not exercised by an act

of jurisdiction, contributes immensely to the welfare of the

universal church” (10).

It is the task of the bishop to use every effort so that the

faithful may have since their early childhood and may keep

all their lives an authentic Catholic conscience (11), all in

order to love the whole mystical body of Christ, especially in

its poorest members and in those who are suffering and are

being persecuted for the sake of justice (12). Furthermore,

he should promote the missionary zeal among his people, so

that the laborers of the Gospel in mission lands will not be

deprived of the necessary aid, spiritual and material; he has

to encourage missionary vocations among youngsters, and

2



also foster in the candidates to the prieshood the universal

dimension of their mission, and consequently their

disponibility to serve also outside of the diocese (13).

The Duty of the Priests

5. The priests, who, together with their bishops, act “in the

name and in the person of Christ who is the head” (14),

contribute in a very special way, to the expansion of the

kingdom of God on earth, through their office of pastors of

souls, their preaching of the word of God and the

administration of the sacraments of the new law (15). They,

therefore, through their ministry “make visible in their

communities, the universal church” (16).

On the other hand, the same Christian community by its

essence needs the presence of priests, because the

community cannot really be established without the sacrifice

of Christ which “through the hands of the priests and in the

name of the whole church, is offered in the Eucharist in an

unbloody and sacramental manner” (17); and such a

liturgical action represents the center of the community of

the faithful (1 8). Hence, the Synod of Bishops in 1971 rightly

declared concerning the ministerial priesthood: “If we would

lose the presence and the action of his (of the priest’s)

ministry.. .the church could not have the full assurance of her

faithfulness and of his visible continuity” (19). However,

such spiritual gift which is received by the priests in the

sacred ordination “prepares them not for any limited and

narrow mission, but for the widest scope of the universal

mission of salvation even to the very ends of the earth; for

every priestly ministry shares in the universality of the

mission entrusted by Christ to this apostles” (20).

Every priest should therefore nourish such disponibility of

soul in his heart, and if someone receives a special vocation

from the spirit of the Lord, with the consent of his bishop, he

will not refuse to move to another diocese in order to

continue his ministry.

Anyhow, all the priests should be sensitive to the needs of

the universal church, and therefore, they should inquire

about the state of the missions, as well as about the situation

of the local churches that find themselves in some particular

difficulty, so that they may exhort the faithful to share the

needs of the church (21).

The Participation of the Religious

6. Men and women Religious, already because of their
their vows, are intimately connected with the mystery of the

church, and therefore from the particular nature of their

3



lives, stems the duty to endeavor so that "the kingdom of

Christ may be rooted and consolidated in the souls and

spread all over the world" (22). Consequently Vatican

Council II not only exhorts them to foster the missionary

spirit, but further invites the institutes, except for their

specific goals, to update themselves in order to adjust to the

present situations, so that the "evangelization in the

missions may become more and more effective” (23).

Men and women Religious that belong to missionary
institutes have been and still are models of life entirely

dedicated to the cause of Christ. In them, we admire that

promptness which stems from their consecration to God, the

church and and their brothers; in fact "thanks to their

religious consecration they are first of all volunteers and free

to leave everything and go to announce the Gospel to the

ends of the world" (24). Finally, since the religious state is "a

special gift," it is given for the whole church, whose salvific

mission in no way can operate without the participation of

the Religious" (25).

The Call of the Laity

7. All lay people, in virtue of their baptism and

confirmation, are called by God to an effective apostolate:

"The Christian vocation is by its nature also a call to the

apostolate" (26). The apostolate of the laity, even though

exercised mainly in the parishes, has to be extended

however also to the inter-parochial, diocesan, national and

international level. And more than that, they should have at

heart "the needs of the people of God over all the earth";

which could be done by helping the missionary works with

material subsidies and personal services (27).

Furthermore, lay people may be called by the hierarchy to

a more direct and immediate cooperation in the apostolate.

The church, as a matter of fact, in the last decades has

discovered the rich possibilities and the vast resources that

the cooperation of the laity can offer to her mission of

salvation. The apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi,"

already on the basis of the most recent experiences,

enumerates various functions, such as that of catechist, that

of Christians dedicated to the service of the word of God or

to the works of mercy, that of heads of small communities,

etc. This cooperation of the laity, useful everywhere, is

useful especially in mission lands for the founding, the life

and the development of the church (28).

All the members of the church, therefore, be they pastors,

lay people or Religious, share, each in his own way, the

missionary nature of the church. The diversity of the

4



members, due to the variety of the ministries or charisms, as

the apostle tells us, has to be understood in the sense that

“these members do not all have the same functions,” but

serving each other, they form the single body of Christ

(Romans 12,4) in order to fulfill better their own mandate;

the whole church, in fact, is prompted by the Holy Spirit to

cooperate so that the plan of God may become a reality (29).

5



III. The Fulfillment of the Mandate of Christ in Our Time

Statistical Data of the World’s Population

8. Now, if we turn our attention to the world still to be

evangelized, and, more precisely, to the non-Christian

population, we cannot fail to notice the insufficiency of the

means at the disposal of the church today in order to meet

the enormous problem. As a matter of fact, in 1977, our

planet had a population of 4,094,110,000 with a Catholic

population of only 739,127,000, just 18 percent of the

world’s population (30). If we, then, wish to consider the

number of priests reported to the number of the world’s

inhabitants, we will have the following picture: for every

100,000 inhabitants, we have two priests in Asia, four in

Africa, 13 in Latin America, 26 in Oceania, 29 in North

America and 37 in Europe.

Inequality of Forces of the Apostolate Within the Church.

9. Moreover, if you examine the distribution of sacred

ministers among these Catholics, the statistical data show

this picture: for every 100,000 Catholics in Latin America

there are 16 priests; in Southern Africa, 33 priests; in the

Far East, 43 priests; in Europe, 93 priests; in Oceania, 104

priests; in North America, 120 priests; and in the Asiatic

Middle East, 133 priests.

From what has been said one notes this great

disproportion: While in Europe and North America one finds

45 percent of the Catholics of the world, assisted by 77.2

percent of all priests of the Catholic Church, in Latin America

and in the Philippines, on the other hand, where 45 percent

of the world’s Catholics also live, only 12.62 percent of the

priests lend their spiritual assistance.

In other words, the proportion of priests for the same

number of faithful is 6 to 1 in favor of Europe and North

America in comparison with Latin America and the

Philippines. It is worthy of note that nearly the same

inequality is found in these geographical areas if one

considers the number of deacons and of men and women

Religious.

It is true that the problem of a better distribution of clergy

is not resolved simply with the numerical method, since it is

necessary to take into account historical evolution (and) the

specific conditions of more developed particular churches

which, naturally, require a greater number of ministers.

Nevertheless, the statistical data above carry a weight which

makes one reflect and which presents grave problems for

those who have at heart the healthy evolution of the church

6



and, especially, for those who have authority in the church,

as was stated earlier.

The Greatest Obstacle Springs from the Shortage of

Priests.

10. In our time, the greatest impediment for the fulfillment

of the mandate of Christ seems to be the strong diminution of

priestly and religious vocations, a phenomenon which, in the

last decades, troubles many, if not all, the regions of ancient

Christian tradition, either for the limited number of

candidates or for the sad defection of some, or for the rather

high median age of priests.

We should not forget, however, that such a shortage, if one
looks at the conditions of the dioceses where more urgent is

the need, is very relative, as we have stated in the last

paragraph. In reality, the shortage of clergy in itself should

not create an obstacle to generosity. “The dioceses that

suffer from shortage of clergy,” as Pius XII already said,

“should not refuse to listen to the imploring petitions that

come from the missions begging for help. The offering of the

widow, according to the word of the Lord, should be an

example to follow: “If a poor diocese comes to the aid of

another poor diocese, it will not become poorer because one

cannot outdo the Lord in generosity” (31).

Every local church should meditate on the messianic

prophecy: “The poor will be evangelized” (Luke 7:28), so

that a prudence, too human and earthly, may not stifle those

sentiments of generosity that impel the offering of the gift of

faith to all those who today may be called poor in some way.

We must, therefore, convince ourselves that the mandate of
Christ cannot ever be fulfilled if a local church would like to

offer only the superfluous of her energies to the churches

that are poorer.

The Plan of God and the Limits of Human Forces
1 1 . If we compare the number of Catholics with the number

of non-Catholics, and at the same time we reflect on the

mission entrusted today to the church for the fullfilment of

the mandate of Christ, we could easily get discouraged,

especially since we know that such disproportion will

probably get worse in the near future, and that the

indifferentism of a large number of Catholics is increasing,

also as a consequence of other evils, as secularism,

naturalism, materialism, etc., which have pervaded the

standard of living in countries of ancient Christian tradition.

We should not forget, however, that the church -- If we
consider only the human means — was never up to the

7



greatness of her vocation in the world. Even more, this

insufficiency was foreseen by her founder, who, having

designated 72 disciples, said to them: "The harvest is

bountiful, but the laborers are few” and added: "Pray

therefore to the master of the harvest that he may send

laborers in his field" (Luke 10:2), thus wishing to inculcate

in the mind of his disciples that the most effective way to

overcome the obstacles is prayer, since we are dealing here

not with an attempt or a project on the human level, but

rather with the realization of a divine plan. It is, in fact, with

prayer, through which we admit our need for the help of God,

that we not only assume our responsibilities in the execution

of the divine plan and we thus make ourselves available to

be sent, but — which is very important — we also exercise
our direct influence on the very increase of vocations,

because the Lord has clearly told us that the number of

laborers depends on prayer.

It is true that the divine plan of salvation for all mankind

has been revealed to us, but the time when the messianic

kingdom will reach its fullness remains obscure and

mysterious: "The exact time is not yours to know. The father

has reserved that to himself” (Acts 1 :7). These words seem

to hint that the mandate of Christ needs time in order to be

fulfilled. The history of the church tells us that, through the

centuries, we have witnessed moments of grace, when

multitudes of peoples received the seed of the word of God;

we must admit however that there have been, and there are,

moments less favorable, particularly for some populations

(32).

It is the task of those who, enlightened by the light of

Christ, can ready the signs of the times, and especially of

those placed by the Holy Spirit to govern his church (Acts

28:28), to discover the moments and the hour of grace and

recognize the peoples that seem mature to embrace the

Gospel. We would like at this point to report the example of
Pope Pius XII, who, in his encyclical letter "Fidei Donum”

recommended Africa to all the children of the church, as a

continent already mature for evangelization (33).

Testimony of the Early Church

12. What has been said so far is perfectly in accord with

the history of the early church. The acts of the apostles

clearly demonstrate that our ancestors in the faith followed

the same line of thinking and acting. Their apostolic method

was exactly this: Send the messengers of the Gospel in

other regions, without being preoccupied by the fact that the

local community was not converted as a whole to the faith of

8



Christ. In this way, the apostles and their coworkers were

obeying the command of Christ: “Go and teach all nations”

(Matthew 28:1 9), placing all their trust in the will of God who

wishes “all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of

the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

The Second Vatican Council recommends this method: “It

is very fitting that the young churches should participate as

soon as possible in the universal missionary work of the

church. Let them send their own missionaries to proclaim the

Gospel all over the world, even though they themselves are

suffering from a shortage of clergy.” And the council gives

the reason for it: “Their communion with the universal

church reaches a certain measure of perfection when they

themselves take an active part in missionary zeal toward

other nations” (35).

9



IV. Tasks and Duties of the Particular Churches

The Particular Church as a Community.

13. The diocese, as a particular church, is a portion of the

people of God that is entrusted to the bishop, with the

collaboration of the presbyterate, to be governed, nourished

by teaching, and sanctified (36). But for a true, living

diocesan community to be formed, it is necessary that basic

structures, and especially parishes, cultivate a sense of the

diocese and consider themselves as living cells within it, and

thus insert themselves into the universal church (37).

Therefore, the council exhorts parishes to pursue their

function in such a way that "the individual parishioners and

the parish communities will really feel that they are members

of the diocese and of the universal church” (38).

In this particular church "the one, holy, catholic and

apostolic church of Christ is truly present and operative"

(39). It follows that the diocese must mirror to perfection the

universal church in the concrete environment; and it is

necessary for it to become a sign, able to reveal Christ to all

those with whom it comes in contact (40).
The Particular Church in Relationship with the Other

Churches.

14. Since the particular church is fashioned "after the

model of the universal church" (41), in its heart it mirrors the

hope and anguish, the joy and sorrow of the whole church. It

is true that the particular church must first of all evangelize

the portion of the people of God entrusted to it, that is those

who have lost the faith or no longer practice it (42);

nevertheless, there is incumbent on it the sacrosanct duty

"to foster every activity which is common to the whole

church" (43).

It follows that the particular church cannot be closed in

upon itself but, as a living part of the universal church, must

be open to the needs of the other churches. Therefore, its

participation in the universal mission of evangelization is not

left to its own judgment, even if this is generous, but must be

considered as a fundamental law of life. For its vital zeal is

diminished if, concentrating only on its own problems, it

does not care for the needs of the other churches. On the

other hand, it takes on new vigor whenever its horizons are

expanded towards the others.

This duty of the particular church is clearly emphasized by

the Second Vatican Council, which affirms that the renewal,

indeed the healthy reform of the particular church depends

on the degree of ecclesial charity with which it works to

bring the gift of faith to the other churches: "The grace of

10



renewal cannot flourish in communities unless each of them

extends the range of its charity to the ends of the earth, and

devotes to those far off a concern similar to that which it

bestows on those who are its own members” (44).

The Meaning of Reciprocal Collaboration.

15. The universal church will realize a great profit if the

diocesan communities work to develop reciprocal relations,

exchanging help and goods; thus that communion and

cooperation of the churches among themselves will arise

which today more than ever is necessary to pursue happily

the work of evangelization (45).

In talking of this question, often expressions such as “rich

dioceses” and “poor dioceses” are used. Such expressions

could lead to error, as if one church were only giving help

and the other only receiving it. The fact of the matter is

different: for what is involved is mutual cooperation, because

true reciprocity is present between the two churches, in that

the poverty of the one church that receives help makes

richer the church which deprives itself in giving, and it does

so both by making the apostolic zeal of the richer community

more vigorous and, above all, by communicating its pastoral

experiences. These are often most useful and can concern

simpler but more effective methods of pastoral work, lay

auxiliaries in the apostolate, small communities, etc.

The artisans of this common collaboration will be the

ministers themselves, chosen by the bishop, who will view

themselves as messengers of their own community, acting

as ambassadors of Christ to the other community.

To make this mutual exchange of pastoral experiences

more alive and effective, the diocese or even a large parish

community will be able to form a kind of “twin sister” link

with another poor community, to which it will be able to send

not only material subsidies but also some sacred ministers

as collaborators. Experience shows that cooperation of this

kind can benefit both communities greatly. (46)

The Need to Hear Calls for Help.

16. Since this is the situation, the particular churches

must become more and more aware of their common
responsibility. Making themselves sensitive to cries for help,

they must show themselves ready to help those who need
help. Among these, the new churches which suffer a serious
shortage of priests and lack of material means are especially

deserving of help; but it is also necessary to help those

churches which, even though they were founded a long time

ago, find themselves greatly weakened today because of

various circumstances. (47)

11



It is clear that the more needy churches can be helped

greatly by priests and other collaborators sent to their aid.

The purpose of such help, obviously, Is not simply to fill in

the gaps, but rather to send the kind of sacred ministers

who, once they are inserted among the local forces of the

apostolate, will become, in the manner of teachers and

guides, true helpers in the faith. Once the local churches,

preserving their autochthonous character, are able to

become gradually stronger and more developed, they can

begin to provide for their needs with their own means. This

explains why bishops and other superiors are asked to send

for this kind of evangelization “some of the better priests.”

(48)

The Need to Reform Church Structures

1 7. So that a particular church can more adequately carry

out its task of bringing aid to other churches that are in a

state of need, above all, there is required, even in the bosom

of that particular church, a process aimed at revising forces

and restructuring traditionally Christian regions. Social

phenomena exist which themselves have already

transformed the structures of society. Thus church

structures also have to be adapted to the new reality. Among

the new phenomena it is enough to cite here: the

transmigration of the people Into industrial regions,

urbanization with the resulting depopulation of other zones,

the general problem of migration, both for the sake of work

and for political reasons (49), the quite widespread

phenomenon of tourism for longer or shorter periods (e g. for

holidays or for weekends) (50). These phenomena require a

new presence of priests who, in these changed

circumstances of life, have to face a specialized care of

souls.

The problem, then, is whether and how to renew the

structures that once satisfactorily served the spiritual needs

of the people of God. Certainly this revision is not easy and

requires much prudence and circumspection. The bishop,

with the help of priests’ senates and pastoral councils, ought

to draw up an organic project for the better employment of

those who share effectively in the care of souls. It doesn’t

seem possible for the church to put off this problem any

longer without suffering damage. In fact, despite the

bemoaned scarcity of priests, it is not unusual to find priests

who feel frustrated over a job that does not fill up their time,

with the result that they rightfully would like to work more

intensely.

12



The bishop, in his goal of making better provision for the

growing needs of the care of souls, has the responsibility to

engage the interest of religious priests who, after all, “are to

be considered in a certain sense as part of the diocesan

clergy”; like all other men and women Religious, even those

who are exempt, who live and work among the people of God,

these too “belong to the diocesan family under a certain

aspect.” In both cases it is a matter of taking into account

the particular character of each religious institute (51). In

this regard, the Sacred Congregation for Bishops, in union

with the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes,

recently published wise norms for cordial collaboration on

the formative, operational and organizational levels (52).

In recent times pastors have called the laity to the service

of the church communities more and more often. These have

willingly accepted their duties and have dedicated their

energies to the service of the church on a full or part-time

basis. Thus in the present day we have again taken up the

practice of the early church, when lay persons were involved

in various services according to their inclinations and

charisms and according to the necessities and practical

needs of the people of God “for the growth and vitality of the

church community.” (53)

13



V. The Organs of Collaboration Among the Particular

Churches.

The Bishops’ Conferences.

18. The principal and indispensable role for more effective

collaboration among the particular churches lies with the

bishops’ conferences, which have as their specific goal the

overall coordination of pastoral work. In this regard Pope

Paul VI decreed in his motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae": “It

belongs to patriarchal synods and bishops’ conferences,

keeping in mind what has been prescribed by the Holy See,

to achieve an appropriate distribution of the clergy both in

their own territory and in that which comes from other areas;

with such a distribution, provision will be made for the needs

of all the dioceses of one’s own territory, and the good of the

church in mission lands and in countries that suffer a

scarcity of clergy will also be considered” (54).

Accordingly, beyond providing for the needs of pastoral

care in their own territory, two other requirements are

recommended to the bishops’ conferences, namely the first

preaching of the Gospel in mission lands and assistance to

weaker churches in general. Both tasks are incumbent on

each particular church; nevertheless, in order for the matter

to be regulated well the collaboration of all the bishops of the

same nation or territory is required. To provide for these

necessities, each bishops’ conference must establish two

commissions: one for the better distribution of the clergy,

and another for the missions (55). Since the institution of the

latter is intended to promote missionary zeal and both have,

in a certain way, a similar scope, it seems necessary that the

two commissions collaborate or even, in some cases, it may

seem more convenient to unite the two.

Solicitude for Mission Territories.

19. As regards the first preaching of the Gospel, that is,

the missions, the supreme direction over the pertinent

questions belongs to the Sacred Congregation for the

Evangelization of Peoples, which “has competency over

matters regarding all the missions instituted to spread the

kingdom of Christ everywhere, and therefore over the

establishment and changing of the necessary ministers and

the ecclesiastical circumscriptions; over the proposing of

the persons who govern them; over the promotion in the most

effective way of an autochthonous clergy, to which the

highest posts and government are to be gradually entrusted;

over the direction and coordination of all the missionary

activity in every part of the land, as regards both the

14



missionaries themselves and the missionary cooperation of

the faithful” (56).

In this context, it is up to the bishops’ conferences to

promote the effective participation of the diocesan clergy in

the apostolate in the missions; to establish a determinate

monetary contribution for missionary work; to intensify more

and more their relations with missionary institutes and

collaborate so that seminaries which serve the missions are

erected or aided (57).

As regards missionary works, the bishops’ commission

established in every bishops’ conference must increase

missionary activity and the appropriate collaboration among

the dioceses; therefore, it will have to maintain relations with

other conferences and work to see to it that, as far as

possible, a just proportion is maintained in giving aid to the

missions (58).

Solicitude for More Needy Particular Churches.

20. As stated above, bishops’ conferences must form

another bishops’ commission which has as its duty “to

investigate the needs of the various dioceses within their

territory and the possibilities of giving some of their own

clergy to other churches to carry out the decisions made and

approved by the conferences regarding the distribution of

the clergy and to inform the bishops of the territory of these

decisions” (59).

The task, therefore, of this commission is twofold. Above

all it is to remove the possible inequalities in its own

territory. Quite often, in fact, one can note a great

disproportion in the number of priests. While there are some

dioceses with an abundance of clergy, there are others in

which the scarcity of priests endangers the very

preservation of the faith.

The other task concerns solicitude toward those particular

churches outside one’s own territory, to help them in virtue

of that bond of communion between particular churches

which was spoken of above.

This work must be pursued with the investigation, first of

all, of the needs of the dioceses, comparing the number of

the faithful with the number of pastors; then proposing to the

bishops’ conference a study of the more urgent needs and

the possibility of helping the more needy churches.

As regards this latter task of the commission, praiseworthy

initiatives have already been undertaken which have

produced happy results in this field (60).

15



Collaboration With the Councils of Major Superiors

21. To coordinate ministerial activities and works of the

apostolate in the territory of the same bishops’ conference,

closer collaboration between the diocesan clergy and the

religious institutes is required. The promotion of this kind of

collaboration is up to the bishops’ conference. But since

profitable cooperation depends heavily on an attitude of

putting special interests in second place and looking solely

for the general good of the church, it is advisable for bishops

and religious superiors to hold meetings, at set times, to

study what is to be done in common in their respective

territories (61). For this reason the motu proprio "Ecclesiae

Sanctae” prescribes the formation of a mixed commission of

the bishops’ conference and the national council of major

superiors to study questions that concern both parties (62).

The principal theme of the meetings of this mixed

commission ought to be precisely that of a better and more

fitting distribution of the forces of the apostolate,

determining the priorities and options to be pursued in a

common effort to promote joint pastoral action (63). The

deliberations of this commission ought then to be submitted,

for reasons of competency, to the judgment of the bishops’

conference and the council of religious superiors (64).

The Animation of the Faithful.

22. One cannot stress enough the first and principal task

incumbent on both commissions, which is that of continually

keeping the public opinion of the faithful well informed both

about the needs of the missions and about the situations of

particular churches that find themselves in difficulty. They

must therefore use all the means of social communications,

they must assist and spread reviews and other similar

publications, and engage as well in the preparation and

execution of well-defined programs to publicize the problems

in this field.

The aim of all this, in addition to quick, accurate

information, is to make the faithful more and more aware of

their responsibilities and to develop in them a sense of

catholicity regarding mature and effective collaboration of

the particular churches (65).

*

16



VI. Sacred Ministers Sent to Other Diocese

The Necessity of a Special Vocation

23. Granted that all the faithful in their own way ought to

participate in the work of evangelization, nevertheless one

who wants to carry out his sacred ministry in another

diocese needs a special vocation. Indeed the whole

community, under the guidance of the bishop, is bound to

petition the Holy Spirit with prayer and works of penance for

the gift of vocations, so that there may be priests, Religious

and laity available who will leave their homeland and go to

carry out the mandate of Christ in another area (66).

Regarding the preparation of young souls, it is necessary

to inculcate in them a truly Catholic mentality right from the

earliest age; then, regarding candidates for the priesthood,

during their formation it is necessary to see to it that they

cultivate a sense of solicitude for the whole church in

addition to a love of the diocese for the service of which they

are ordained (67).

Fitness of the Ministers.

24. This special vocation presupposes, however, the right

kind of character and particular natural gifts. Among the

qualities of the psyche, spiritual fortitude and a sincere spirit

of service are considered necessary. Thus, in the direction

of souls superiors will use great diligence to find fit,

appropriate candidates. And since it is to be hoped that

bishops will destine the best priests for this work, these

ought to be not only abundantly imbued with sound sacred

doctrine but also distinguished by their robust faith,

steadfast hope and zeal for souls (68), so that they will be

able to truly generate in others the faith that they themselves

have.

The Necessary Preparation.

25. All ministers who go to another diocese need an

adequate preparation in matters regarding their human

formation, orthodoxy of doctrine, and the apostolic style of

life. Those who are going to a diocese in another nation to

announce the Gospel, moreover, must receive a special

formation. That is, they must know the culture and religion of

that people; they must value highly the language and

customs; they must acquire practice in the language, along

with understanding of the social conditions, habits and

customs; finally, they must carefully study the moral order

and deepest convictions which that people, according to its

sacred traditions, has formed for itself about God, the world

and man (69).

17



The Convention Required for the Transfer

26. The transfer of ministers, especially of priests, from

one diocese to another must be done with good order. The

ordinary “a quo” is to furnish the ordinary “ad quern” honest

and open information about those who are to be sent,

especially if the reasons for them come under suspicion.

It is absolutely necessary that the rights and duties of

priests who offer themselves for such a transfer of their own

free will should be accurately defined in a written convention

between the bishop ”ad quern” (70); this convention, drawn

up with the involvement of the priest as well so that it will

have normative value, must be accepted and signed by the

priest himself; copies of the convention are then to be kept

by the priest and by the two curias.

Similar conventions are to be made with lay auxiliaries. For

Religious, it is necessary to observe the constitutions of the

institute of provenance. The same principle, applies to the

following numbers, to the degree that it fits.

The Object of the Convention.

27. In this convention it is necessary to define: a) the

length of the term of service; b) the duties of the priest and

his place of ministry and of residence, taking into account

the living conditions in the area where the priest will go;

whatever subsidies of any kind he is to receive and from

whom; c) his social security in case of sickness, disability or

old age. If the case permits, it will also be useful to include

the possibility of revisiting one’s homeland after a certain

period of time.

This convention cannot be changed without the consensus

of the inerested parties. The right of the bishop “ad quern”

remains firm to remand the priest to his own diocese

whenever his ministry has become harmful, provided that he

has advised the bishop “a quo” beforehand and has

observed natural and canonical equity.

The Duties of the Bishops “A Quo” and "Ad Quern” Toward

the Priests.

28. The bishop ”a quo” should have a special solicitude,

as far as possible, toward his priests who exercise their

sacred ministry ouside their own diocese, considering them

as members of his own community who work far away. He

should do this whether by letter, by visiting them personally

or through others, or by helping them according to the tenor

of the convention. The bishop "ad quern,” who enjoys the

help of these priests, remains the guarantor of their material

and spiritual life, again in terms of the convention.

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The Priests as Members of the Other Diocese’s

Presbyterate.

29. In regions that differ notably in language, customs or

social conditions, except in urgent necessity, priests should

not ordinarily be sent individually, but rather in groups so

that they can help out each other (71). Such groups

nevertheless should work to insert themselves in the midst

of the local clergy in such a way as to bring not the least

prejudice to brotherly cooperation.

Priests who have entered another diocese are to revere the

local bishop and obey him, in accord with the convention. As

regards their style of life, they are to adapt to the conditions

of of the autochthonous priests and work to cultivate their

friendship, since all form a single presbyterate under the

bishop’s authority (72). Therefore, they must insert

themselves into the local community as if they were native

members of that particular church; this demands an

uncommon spiritual disposition and deep spirit of service. As

ministers joined to a new family, they are to abstain from

judgments and criticisms of the local church, leaving the

task of following that prophetic office to the bishop, to whom
belongs the full responsibility of governing the particular

church.

Return of Priests to Their Homeland

30. Priests who want to return to their own diocese at the

end of the time set in the convention are to be welcomed;

this return requires a preparation, just as their going to the

mission did. They are to enjoy all the rights in their diocese

of origin, in which they have remained incardinated, as if

they had been involved in the sacred ministry there without

interruption (73). With the various experiences they have

acquired, they can bring a significant spiritual contribution to

their own diocese. Further, a sufficient period of time is to be

given to returnees to take up new tasks, to allow them to

adapt to changes that may have taken place in the meantime.

Incardination in the Host Diocese.

31. The prescriptions of the Code of Canon Law remain in

force concerning the incardination of priests in other

dioceses. However, the motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae”

has set out a new norm, for obtaning incardination “ope

legis” (by the power of the law), which takes into account the

service rendered: “The cleric who goes legitimately from his
own diocese to another, after five years, will be incardinated

by law in the latter diocese if he has expressed in writing

such a desire to the ordinary of the host diocese and to his

19



own ordinary, and has not received a judgment to the

contrary from either of the two within four months/’ (74).

20



Conclusion

The situation of the church today, especially as regards

the insufficiency of clergy for the most urgent needs of

evangelization, could induce many to a pessimistic vision of

things and thus create a certain sense of discouragement

toward the future of the church.

Such a way of thinking is not the way of Christians and

even less becoming to pastors of souls.

This, in fact, is but one aspect, not all the ecclesial reality,

if we look at it not in an exterior and superficial manner but in

a Christian way, that is with the eyes of faith, the

supernatural light of which makes us perceive, through the

interreaction of human events, the living and toiling presence

of the Holy Spirit which animates the church and leads it

infallibly toward that direction of salvation which God

conceived for man and which he realizes despite the most

violent opposition from those who seek to impede the path of

the church.

Therefore, just as we know that along all the course of the

history of the church the principal agent of evangelization is

the Holy Spirit who moves Christians to make progress

toward the kingdom of God and opens the hearts of men to

the divine word, thus also we must believe that under the

direction of that same Spirit is placed the future of the

church. In the meantime, the duty of us all is to pray for it

incessantly and to allow ourselves faithfully to be guided by

him, employing all our power in order that among the faithful

the conviction of the missionary nature of the church may

remain alive and the awareness of responsibility which

individual Christians and especially the pastors of souls

have toward the universal church may increase.

May we seek to fulfill such effort and enliven it, guided and

animated always by Christian hope, “which does not

disappoint” (Romans 5:5) since it is founded on the words of

Christ, who, about to leave his disciples among the dangers

and hostile forces of this world, promised, “know that I am
with you always, until the end of the world” (Matthew 29:20).

“Take courage. I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Rome, March 25, 1980, solemnity of the annunciation of

the Lord.

Silvio Cardinal Oddi, prefect.

Maximino Romero De Lena, titular archbishop of Cittanova.

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FOOTNOTES
1 . Decree “Christus Dominus,” n.6.

2. Motu proprio "Ecclesaie Sanctae,” 1,1, in AAS 58

(1966), p. 757 f.

3. N. 68, Par. 2, AAS 59, (1967), p. 885 F.

4. Atti del 1 Congresso “Pro meliori cleri distributione in

mundo,” il mondo e’ la mia parrocchia, Rome 1971.

5. “Declarationes Patrum Synodalium,” n. 4. L’Osservatore

Romano (27 October 1974, p. 6). Cf. Apostolic exhortation

“Evangelii Nuntiandi” nn. 6-15, AAS 68 (1976), p. 5 f.

6. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 35.

7. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 13.

8. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 38.

9. Cf. Encyclical letter “Fidei Donum,” Pope Pius XII, AAS

49 (1957), p. 237.

17.

Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.

1 1. Cf. "Directorium de Pastorali Ministerio Episcoporum,”

1 973 n. 43, Rome.

12. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.

13. Cf. Decree "Christius Dominus,” n. 6; Decree "Ad

Gentes Divinitus,” n. 38.

14. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 2.

15. Ibid. nn. 4, 5, 6.

16. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 28.

17. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 2.

18. Ibid. n. 5.

19. I. n. 4. AAS 63 (1971), p. 898 f.

20. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 10.

21. Cf. apostolic letter “Graves et Increscentes ,” AAS 58

(1966), p. 750 f.

22. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 44.

23. Decree “Perfectae Caritatis,” n. 20. Cf. Decree "Ad

Gentes Divinitus,” n. 40.

24. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” n. 69.

25. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 43 Cf. Sacred

Congregations for Religious and Secular Institutes, and for

Bishops: Notae Directivae Pro Mutuis Relationibus Inter

Episcopos et Religiosos in Ecclesia, AAS 70 (1978), p. 373

f.

26. Decree “Apostolicam Actuositatem,” n. 2.

27. Ibid. n. 10.

28. N. 73; Cf. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 22.

29. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 17.

30. Cf. Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, 1977, p. 44.

31. Encyclical letter “Fidei Donum,” AAS 49 (1957), p.
244.

32. Cf. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” n. 50.

22



33. AAS 49 (1957), pp. 225 F.

34. Cf. 8,14; 11,22.; 13,3 etc.

35. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 20.

36. Decree “Christus Dominus,” n. 11.

37. Decree “Apostolicam Actuositatem,” n. 10.

38. Decree “Christus Dominus,” n. 30.

39. Ibid. n. 11.

40. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 20.

41. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.

42. Cf. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” nn. 55,

56.

43. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.

44. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 37.

45. Ibid. n.38.

46. Cf. Instructio S. Congregationis Pro Gentium

Evangelizatione, “Pro Aptius,” AAS 61 (1969), p. 276 f.

47. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 19.

48. Ibid. n. 38.

49. Motu proprio “Pastoralis Migratorum Cura,” AAS 61

(1969) p. 601; and Instructio S. Congregationis Pro

Episcopis; Ibid. p. 614 f.; Commissionis de Spirituali

Migratorum Atque Itinerantium Cura: Chiesa e Mobilia

Umana, AAS 70 (1978), p. 357 f.

50. Cf. Directorium generale, pro ministerio quoad

“turismum” Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, in AAS 61

(1969), p. 361 f.

51. Decree “Christus Dominus,” nn. 34, 35; Cf. “Ecclesiae

Sanctae,” I, n. 36.

52. AAS 70 (1978), p. 473 f.

53. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” n. 73.

54. Ibid. 2.

55. Motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae,” I, 2. Ill, 9.

56. Apostolic constitution “Regimini Ecclesiae Universae,”

n. 82 AAS, 59 (1967), p. 885 F.

57. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 38.

58. Motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae,” III, 9.

59. Motu proprio “Ecclesia Sanctae,” n. 2.

60. To promote relations with the dioceses of Latin

America, the following bishops’ commissions exist: COPAL
in Belgium, CEFAL in France, CEIAL in Italy, CECADE-
OCSHA in Spain, Adveniat in West Germany, NCCB-LAB in
the United States, OCCAL in Canada, etc. All these
commissions work with the Pontifical Commission for Latin

Ameica (CAL), which maintains close relations with the Latin

American Bishops Council (CELAM). In addition there is the

general council of the Pontifical Commission for Latin

America (COGECAL), composed of CAL, CELAM, the

23



presidents of the bishops’ commissions mentioned above,

the president of the International Union of Superiors

General, and the president of the Confederation of Religious

of Latin America.

61. Decree “Christus Dominus,” 35:5-6.

62. II, 43, cf. Sacred Congregations for Religious and

Secular Institutes and for Bishops, Notae Directivae, nn. 60-

65, AAS 70 (1978), p. 503 f.

63. Decree “Perfectae Caritatis,” n. 23.

64. Notae Directivae, n. 63, AAS 70 (1978), p. 504.

65. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus," n. 36.

66. Ibid. n. 23; Cf. Decree “Optatam Totius,” n. 2.

67. Decree “Optatam Totius,” n. 20.

68. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 25.

69. Ibid. n. 26.

70. Motu proprio "Ecclesiae Sanctae,” 1,1, par. 2.

71. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 10.

72. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 20.

73. Motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae,” I, 3, par. 4.

74. Ibid. I, 2, par. 5.

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