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Catholic laity are the ordinary members of the Catholic Church who are neither clergy nor recipients of Holy Orders or vowed to life in a religious order or congregation. Their mission, according to the Second Vatican Council , is to "sanctify the world".
The role of the laity in the Catholic Church is multifaceted and deeply rooted in the Baptismal call to holiness and mission. The laity, being an integral part of the Mystical Body of Christ, have unique roles to play both within the Church and in the world at large.
The Pontifical Council for the Laity is a dicastety of the Roman Curia that assists the Holy Father in the exercise of his supreme office for the good and the service of the universal Church and the particular Churches, as regards the promotion and coordination of the lay apostolate and, in general, the Christian life of lay people.
Laity (Gr. laos, “the people”; whence laikos, “one of the people”) means the body of the faithful, outside of the ranks of the clergy. This article treats the subject under three heads: (I) General Idea; (2) Duties and Rights of the Laity; (3) Privileges and Restrictions of the Laity.
Adopting something of the same approach here, we begin this examination of the role of the Catholic laity in the mission of the Church by taking a quick look at history. This overview will touch on a few highlights of a long, complex story stretching over two millennia.
Learn the church teachings, responsibilities and USCCB policies and initiatives that relate to Laity. The Apostolate of the Laity Laity is a term that applies to the non-ordained members of the Body of Christ.
Home. Laity, Marriage, Family Life, & Youth. Church Teaching on the Laity. Vatican & Papal Statements. Benedict XVI, Message on the Occasion of the Sixth Ordinary Assembly of the International Form of Catholic Action (2012): on the "Co-responsibility" of the laity for the Church's being and acting.
