Catholic Network Dismayed Over Vatican ‘Sidelining’ Poor Nations In Laity Council
2/5/08
An international Catholic network has accused the Vatican of passing over developing nations in new appointments to its laity office. The Cardijn Community International (CCI) has “greeted with dismay the news that 18 out of 24 new appointments to the Pontifical Council for the Laity announced by Pope Benedict XVI last week are from Europe,” it said in an April 28 media release. The community “regrets sidelining laity from the developing countries,” saying that it was “astonishing to find that there is only one new nomination” from Africa and Asia. The statement signed by CCI convener Joseph Ruben asked whether the nominations “imply that 75 percent of the most exciting lay initiatives in the Church today are to be found in Europe.” It quoted Apostolicam Actuositatem, the Second Vatican Council’s “Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity” as saying “the various movements and projects of the apostolate of the laity throughout the world should also be represented in this secretariat.”
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Tags: Christianity, International, Structures