The Function of the Laity in the Power of the Governance

Abstract

In the mission of the early Church, the lay people played a significant role. With clericalism, their role was reduced to a passive one. The CIC/1917 stated that the laity included all baptized persons, their rights, and obligations. Cc. 682 and 683 deal directly with the laity as individuals. The Second Vatican Council restored the positive status of the laity and CIC/1983 speaks about the involvement and cooperation of the laity in the three-fold function of the Church, that is, teaching (docendi), sanctifying (sanctificandi) and governing (regendi) functions. This paperwork focuses on the third function i.e., the governing function in which the laity can participate and contribute for building up of the Church. According to c. 135 §1 the power of governance is divided into legislative, executive, and judicial power.