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WHY SHOULD I REGISTER AT MY PARISH?
The Code of
Canon Law states, "A parish is a definite community of the Christian
faithful established on a stable basis within a particular Church; the
pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd
under the authority of the diocesan bishop" (No. 515). Even if a bishop
determines that the pastoral care of a parish or parishes is entrusted to a
team of several priests, one priest should direct the activity and be
responsible to the bishop. Likewise, in the case of the death of a pastor or
when no resident pastor can be appointed, the bishop must still appoint a
priest with the powers and faculties of a pastor to ensure the pastoral care
of the faithful (No. 517).
The pastor
has grave responsibilities to his flock. He must preach the Word of God;
instruct the people in the faith; promote apostolic works; see to the
Catholic education of children; reach out to those either who have stopped
practicing the faith or who do not believe; ensure the devout celebration of
the sacraments, particularly the most holy Eucharist and penance; and foster
family prayer and devotion (No. 528).
However,
parish life does not depend solely on the priests. The Second Vatican
Council's "Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People" asserted that the laity
should be filled with an apostolic spirit and work closely with their
priests. "Nourished by their active participation in the liturgical life of
their community, they engage zealously in its apostolic works; they draw men
toward the Church who had been perhaps very far away from it; they ardently
cooperate in the spread of the word of God, particularly by catechetical
instruction; by their expert assistance they increase the efficacy of the
care of souls as well as of the administration of the goods of the Church
(No. 10).
Therefore,
the pastor, his assistants and the faithful work together to build a sense
of community within the parish, particularly through the celebration of the
Mass. For this reason, under normal circumstances, adults are to be baptized
in their parish church and infants in the parish church of their parents;
and couples are to be married in the parish where either the bride or groom
lives. Through the spirit and practice of the laity and clergy working
together to foster this community, the relationship of the parish to the
bishop is strengthened ("Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy," No. 42).
To help
ensure this dynamic in the parish, the Church requires registration. Parish
registration creates a two-fold obligation. On one hand, the pastor is
obligated to support the mission and needs of the parish. On the other hand,
the individual is obligated to support the mission and needs of the parish.
In her wisdom, the Church has seen the practice of registering at the church
responsible for a particular territory as the best way for both priests and
laity to meet these obligations. The Code of Canon law stipulates, "As a
general rule a parish is to be territorial, that is, it embraces all of the
Christian faithful within a certain territory; whenever it is judged useful,
however, personal parishes are to be established based upon rite, language,
the nationality of the Christian faithful within some territory or even upon
some determining factor" (No. 518).
In our
society today, sometimes a person may feel more comfortable at a particular
parish or like the ambiance of a particular parish even though it is not the
territorial parish where the person lives. When a pastor allows these
individuals to register, he also accepts the responsibility for their
spiritual care. For instance, if a person were sick or dying, that parish
priest now has the responsibility for that person. The ironic part is that
in cases of emergency, usually the priests of the closest parish—the
territorial parish—get the call.
Pope Pius X
reminded us that the purpose of the parish is to gather people with their
different backgrounds and talents and insert them into the universality of
the Church. The parish is a microcosm of the whole Church. While nurturing
the souls of the faithful members, the parish as a whole must be ready to
respond to the broader needs of the diocese and the national and
international Church. The faithful must also have a sense of serving the
needs of all the faithful throughout the world and of building up the
Kingdom of God now.
Provided
Courtesy of EWTN
