07-Oct-2026

In the early Church, the terms "royal priesthood," "a Holy nation," and "God's own people" were used to describe the collective Christian faithful. This position changed in the early Middle Ages, when a dualistic concept of membership in the Church was introduced into the theology and ecclesiastical structures. The ‘laos’ of God became laity under the clergy. 

This shift in position was succinctly elaborated by Archbishop Antony Anandarayar in one of his articles in the Canon Law Society of India. He wrote, “The biblical and the theological understanding of the laity as a chosen people with equal dignity and co-responsibility gave way to a social and feudal understanding of the laity as a social category. They were considered a dependent and educationally ignorant section of society. The ecclesiastical legislation, administrative, sacramental, juridical, and penal systems further adversely affected the laity. They soon came to be identified as the mass of believers who were not among the sacred elite… The laity became the object of pastoral care and not the agents of missionary proclamations."

It must, however, be accepted that the shift in notion was, after all, part and parcel of the evolving history of the Church. But at the same time, it must be admitted that this part of history adversely affected the growth of the universal church. Besides the resentments, it had even led to disintegration within, both in spiritual and secular parlance. Tension brewed, as more and more questions were asked.

In due course, the Church realized the need for a cooperative participation of the body of Christ. Lay apostolate, therefore, became codified in various Church documents. For example, the Code of Canon Law emphasized that “Christ faithful are to join especially those associations which have been established, praised or recommended by the ecclesiastical authority” (Canon code 298: §2).

Similarly, the Vatican II document inserted several unambiguous clauses to define lay apostolate as a divine call through baptism, secular in character, and indispensable. The document underlines three important key objectives, viz. evangelization, temporal order, and cooperation — thus mandating the laity to preach, encourage justice and charity among men, and ensure cooperation with the hierarchy.

In other words, laypeople, too, are mandated to preach the Gospel, and to strive to improve human lives in families, societies, and workplaces by encouraging and promoting justice and charity, while also working in tandem with the church hierarchy.

In contemporary times, however, these mandates to the laity, including those outlined in various encyclicals of the popes from time to time, are somewhat neglected by the twin pillars (laity and clergy).

While the laypeople, unfortunately, misunderstood their primary role as keeping watch over the perceived wrongdoings of the clergy, the latter remains consistently apprehensive about interference and therefore often refrains from encouraging strong, functioning lay bodies. This atmosphere of mutual suspicion is harmful for the Church, particularly in present-day India, where one sees ominous signs of the community and the church being targeted.

Urgent course correction 

The twin failure, if we may call it, needs urgent course correction.

As we examine how the laity, which constitute 90 percent of the Body of Christ, could contribute to the good of the Church, it may be desirable to understand how the laity across India think.

Though with minor variations, about 60 percent of lay Catholics surveyed would welcome the idea of a strong lay organization, as they feel it would help check clerical domination in running the affairs of the Church.

About 50 percent think they have no role to play, while 30 percent are not at all sensitive to the problems facing the Church, and conveniently take it for granted that standing up for the Church is the responsibility of the hierarchy.

There is also a worrying sign that one sees while talking to lay Catholics: the majority are not at all aware of the rapid socio-political churning that is taking place in the last decade or more; therefore, they have no idea about the likely implications of these changes on Christians, and also the Catholic Church.

In India’s North East region, where catechists play a very important role in evangelization and the spiritual engagement of the faithful, the catechists' ignorance is as high as that of the people they preach to.

In terms of lay organization, the All India Catholic Union (AICU), the apex lay body, is the oldest lay organization in Asia.  It commands considerable respect within and outside the Catholic fold. However, the organization has not evolved sufficiently to meet changing times as it suffers from certain structural inconsistencies.

For example, an organization of such standing elects only two officials — the national president and the national vice president — while the president nominates all the remaining functionaries, including the chief executive, the secretary general, and the custodian of its treasury.

This arrangement limits meaningful democratic discourse; even suggestions are treated as criticism, as most nominated officials feel their views might be construed as such. Thus, a culture of maintaining silence looms large and discourages democratic temperament.

Secondly, inadequate decentralization leads to a lack of understanding of regional compulsions and the unique problems of some regions, notably Northeast India and a few peripheral states and regions.

For example, in the Northeast region, the Catholic Church and Christians in general face different kinds of problems that are different from those on the mainland. There, it is not just about countering physical attacks and criminalization of worship, etc., but also about ethnic and community-driven issues that need delicate balancing while handling them.

Lay apostolate is a mission

The silence of the apex body of lay people in speaking up about some of the issues, due to a lack of deeper understanding, despite all the good intentions, is often perceived as neglecting the region. Likewise, in Jammu & Kashmir and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the issues bothering Christian communities are different from those elsewhere; therefore, they require a different approach, which is often lacking.

A closer look at the status of lay bodies in different states presents two contrasting situations. There are few that are performing exceptionally well, while many dioceses don’t even have lay organizations worth the name. It is a classic case of system failure and individual brilliance, as it is the performing few who cover up the shortcomings of failing dioceses.

One area that needs urgent attention, even for organizations that are performing well, is the formation of a regional network where Catholic organizations could speak with one voice against injustices in other states and on behalf of other Christian denominations. The question is: can the lackadaisical attitude continue? Not anymore, for reasons below.

This country has a robust constitutional safeguard for every citizen irrespective of caste, community, or religious affiliations. However, ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, these constitutional rights have been trampled selectively.

According to data compiled by the United Christian Forum, the number of attacks on Christians, which stood at 147 in 2014, multiplied to 837 in 2025. Over a dozen states have enacted anti-conversion laws. Policy introductions such as the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the National Education Policy (NEP), the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, and the proposed amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act are clearly directed at the Christian community.

The threat, therefore, is real, and the need for functioning lay Catholic bodies to stand by the synodal Church is urgent.

It is time for lay Catholics to move from optics to action, from discussion to actionable strategies. It is also time for every diocese in India to form credible lay bodies and train its leaders to be alive to situations. Lay faithful need to be sensitized through awareness programs on policies and legislation likely to impact Christian and Church interests. A network of Catholic synergy at national and at regional levels needs to be ensured, with the hierarchy playing a positive role to strengthen every secular body of the Church.

It must not be forgotten that Lay apostolate is a mission, not a mere social service. It is a cooperative venture and not a platform of confrontation, where coordination must prevail over a game of one-upmanship. It should be a platform where leadership is assumed silently through constructive works instead of seeking recognition from the clergy as a matter of right.

Every contribution must come as a process of giving back to the Church in return for what the synodal Church has given to every lay member from formation to maturity, and to prosperity — contributions not necessarily measured in terms of monetary values, but by extending advice, advocacy, counseling, and devoting one’s time. Disagreements and differences with individuals must not prevent solemn service to the Mother Church.

*The writer is a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, author, and a founding member of the North East Catholic Research Forum. He can be reached @ johnshilshi@gmail.com. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.