Pastoral council

The parish council is a body in a Catholic parish / congregation, made up of elected, appointed and official members. The official members belonging to the parish priest, the other parish priests and pastoral workers or employees. The parish council has the task, advise or beschließend participate in all matters affecting the parish. In this form it is introduced only in the German language area. Its function is clearly different from the in can. 536 CIC described Pastoral Council, which is chaired by the competent pastor 's only job is to help with the promotion of pastoral activity. The parish council has been established to make the responsibility of all Christians ( Lay Apostolate ) more noticeable and visible. He is to be distinguished from the church administration since he does not care about the assets and personnel issues.

Parish council election

Most of the parish council (abbreviated PGR) is elected by the members of the parish. Who may be elected and who does not, depends on the respective statutes of the diocese. In some dioceses come to the elected laity and pastors still some appointed by the committee staff / inside, on areas such as Caritas, child and youth work. At the election even believers can participate who are not resident in the parish in some dioceses. In many dioceses, the parents each have half the voting rights for their children under 16 years. May be chosen in many dioceses as early as 14 years. Chance (eg, in the diocese of Essen) from the parish council seconded representatives of local councils is formed, which in turn are elected to the churches existing in a parish.

Depending on the size of the parish and the order of the respective diocese are set different membership and tasks of this body. In medium-sized parishes of PGR has about 10-15 elected members, which must be added some delegates.

Historically

The establishment of parish councils goes back to a decision of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965 ). The decree Apostolicam Actuositatem on the Apostolate of the Laity stimulates the creation of advisory bodies in the parishes. In this development, the transformation of the pastoral exclusively supplied shows Communiokirche. After the Second Vatican Council was the question of how the decisions are implemented from there in Germany. From 1972 to 1975 met in Würzburg Synod of the German dioceses, where the decisions of the Second Vatican Council were transferred to the situation in Germany. By Ratizifierung the diocesan bishops the joint decisions of the Synod were implemented in all local churches. Laity and clergy in the synod wanted to cooperate to establish the idea of the council and respond to the changing social situation. Key elements included a greater participation of the faithful, not only in the liturgy but also in the decision-making processes of the Catholic Church. An essential element of this should be the newly designed parish council, whose members were mostly chosen from now, two-thirds of all eligible voters.

Committees and Agendas

In order to do its work, the parish council forms several committees - in larger parishes about on the topics of liturgy, mission, Caritas, Youth, Marriage and Family, Seniors, mass media, hard design, construction and management. In these committees usually also non-members of the PGR are appointed, resulting in a wider participation of church-goers.

For the dioceses in Germany is taking recourse to the Würzburg Synod (1976 ): The only advice the parish council shall act in all matters that are entrusted to the priest as commissioned for pastors and leaders of the church. Decide he can adopt measures concerning the ministry of the Church to society and the world: for example, Caritas, media, third-world projects, politics and church asylum. Do not fall into the jurisdiction of the Parish Pastoral issues asset management. For them, the parish board, the church administration or the church board is responsible.

A reconciliation between the church council, the church administration or the parish Board of Directors makes sense. Mutual staffing agencies are usually anchored in the respective statutes.

Regional characteristics

In Austria and southern Germany some dioceses of the parish or the church council is responsible not only for the parish staff for the asset management and in this area constitute a quorum. The title PFGR - In addition, in Austria is - in contrast to Germany. as part of the name. Thus, an Austrian parish council must of church law because ( Can. 145-196 of the Code of Canon Law ) insist on this name also in non- religious matters.

An exception in the agendas in Germany forms the diocese of Regensburg. Here in 2005 can. 536 of the world's current ecclesiastical Code CIC ( 1983) interpreted differently than in the other German dioceses in which applies the agreement of the Joint Conference of the Central Committee of German Catholics and German Bishops' Conference to date, after which the German parish council a aliud ( else), but a not totaliter aliud ( completely different ) to can. 536: The management function of the pastor in pastoral and theological issues is ensured by a comprehensive veto. Can. 536 of the CIC states: "§ 1 If it seems appropriate to the diocesan Bishop, after consulting the council of priests, to be formed in every parish a pastoral council, which is chaired by the minister; Believers are in it together with those who by virtue of their office at the parish pastoral partake help to promote pastoral activity. § 2 The pastoral council has only a consultative vote and shall be governed by the norms established by the diocesan bishop. "

In the Diocese of Rottenburg- Stuttgart, the parish council is called a church council (short- KGR ).

In the Protestant churches the names Kirch ( s) are available for the selected governing body of the municipality town council, parish council, parish council, presbytery or elders circuit common (see parish line ). Depending on the constitution of the church, the skills go beyond that of the Parish Pastoral Council and a cover all of church life issues through the election of a parish priest. The fact that Protestant pastors and pastors in their local council a different position than among Catholics, depends among other things with the parish picture or the priesthood of all believers ( no ordination ) together.