“The promotion of the Christian laity, in Vatican Council II’s vision of the Church, is also achieved through the various forms of lay association, among which a particular role is played by Catholic Action”. So say the Italian bishops, in a letter sent to Catholic Action on 10 April. The Italian Episcopal Conference calls Catholic Action, in its letter, a “typical experience of lay people” that “represents a great resource for the Church in Italy”. “The formation of an adult laity in the faith; the development and diffusion of a mature Christian conscience that may guide people’s lives and the moral choices they make; the animation of civil society and culture, in collaboration with all those who place themselves at the service of the human person”: these says the document are the directions traced by the Pope for Catholic Action, whose special ecclesial role is recognized by the bishops. Catholic Action, therefore, is not “just one of many ecclesial associations but a gift of God and a resource for the growth of ecclesial communion”. The 11th National Assembly of Catholic Action, called to renew its national Council, will be held in Rome from 25 to 28 April, and be attended by some 1,000 delegates representing the 2,100 diocesan teams and 34,900 parish teams operating in 219 Italian dioceses and 7,283 parishes.
