26 April" "
“Pastoral units are now a necessity in many European Churches due to the crisis of vocations to the priesthood. But they also represent a useful challenge to find new approaches to evangelization, catechesis, and the increased involvement of the laity in the ecclesial community”: that’s the opinion expressed by Father Christian Schaller, president of the Council of European Presbyteral Commissions (CCPE), on recently addressing the 10th symposium of European bishops in Rome. He described the experience of the “pastoral units” that, in many European Churches, combine the territory of more than one parish and are served by various priests who live in a community. In France, in Switzerland, in Germany this is already a widespread solution: “In the diocese of Besançon alone he pointed out – the number of parishes was reduced from 600 to 50. In German-speaking Switzerland half of the parishes are now assigned to lay people; in Germany and Austria responsibility for catechesis is being increasingly entrusted to many theologically trained young people”. All this, Schaller emphasized, “is not just the result of the ageing and decrease of the clergy. It’s also a challenge at the psychological, theological and human levels. First at the psychological level, because “many faithful, in the presence of a pastoral unit, especially in rural areas, can no longer attend liturgical celebrations in the church a few steps from their front door but must get used to travelling a distance to go to Mass”. Second at the theological level, because “it’s a way of progressing in putting Vatican Council II into practice by increasingly co-opting the laity into the ecclesial community”. And third at the human level, because the pastoral units may involve “priests going to live together in a community. It’s an occasion for mutual enrichment, especially between the older and younger generations. But it also brings with it the difficulties typical of community life”. This situation has also given rise to a different way of tackling pastoral care among the young: “In many regions of Europe said Father Schaller we are unable to ensure the necessary presence of priests at the side of the young, especially in the rural regions and in the suburbs of the big cities”. That’s why thought must be given he suggested to new forms of pastoral presence and animation, with a greater contribution of the laity and a greater use of the ministry of permanent deacons.
