Christian formation of lay people in the light of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Christifideles laici by John Paul II

Abstract

The formation of the lay faithful is one of the most important issues of pastoral action in many dioceses in Poland and around the world. The Second Vatican Council gave a particular impetus to the development of this sphere of the Church’s life. The post-synodal exhortation Christifideles laici, written twenty years after the Council, is also the part of the renewal dynamic thus initiated. The purpose of this article is to present John Paul II’s position on the formation of the laity in the Church contained in the document under review. First, however, the Christian vision of man is introduced and basic concepts such as formation and the lay faithful are explained. The core of the article is a characterisation of post-conciliar thought on the laity and their formation. The analysis of the text of the title document presented gives an answer to the question of how and why the Church should organise the ongoing formation of the laity.