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The Holy See
POST-SYNODAL
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
CHRISTIFIDELES LAICI
OF
HIS HOLINESS
JOHN PAUL II
ON THE VOCATION AND THE MISSION
OF THE LAY FAITHFUL
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD
To Bishops
To Priests and Deacons
To Women and Men Religious
and to All the Lay Faithful
INTRODUCTION
1. THE LAY MEMBERS of Christ's Faithful People (Christifideles Laici), whose "Vocation and
Mission in the Church and in the World Twenty Years after the Second Vatican Council" was the
topic of the 1987 Synod of Bishops, are those who form that part of the People of God which might
be likened to the labourers in the vineyard mentioned in Matthew's Gospel: "For the Kingdom of
heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard" ( Mt 20:1-2).
The gospel parable sets before our eyes the Lord's vast vineyard and the multitude of persons,
both women and men, who are called and sent forth by him to labour in it. The vineyard is the
whole world (cf. Mt 13:38), which is to be transformed according to the plan of God in view of the
final coming of the Kingdom of God.
You Go Into My Vineyard Too 2. "And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and to them
he said, 'You go into the vineyard too'" ( Mt 20:3-4).
From that distant day the call of the Lord Jesus "You go into my vineyard too" never fails to
resound in the course of history: it is addressed to every person who comes into this world.
In our times, the Church after Vatican II in a renewed outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost has
come to a more lively awareness of her missionary nature and has listened again to the voice of
her Lord who sends her forth into the world as "the universal sacrament of salvation"[1].
You go too . The call is a concern not only of Pastors, clergy, and men and women religious. The
call is addressed to everyone: lay people as well are personally called by the Lord, from whom
they receive a mission on behalf of the Church and the world. In preaching to the people Saint
Gregory the Great recalls this fact and comments on the parable of the labourers in the vineyard:
"Keep watch over your manner of life, dear people, and make sure that you are indeed the Lord's
labourers. Each person should take into account what he does and consider if he is labouring in
the vineyard of the Lord"[2].
The Council, in particular, with its rich doctrinal, spiritual and pastoral patrimony, has written as
never before on the nature, dignity, spirituality, mission and responsibility of the lay faithful. And
the Council Fathers, re-echoing the call of Christ, have summoned all the lay faithful, both women
and men, to labour in the vineyard: "The Council, then, makes an earnest plea in the Lord's name
that all lay people give a glad, generous, and prompt response to the impulse of the Holy Spirit
and to the voice of Christ, who is giving them an especially urgent invitation at this moment. Young
people should feel that this call is directed to them in particular, and they should respond to it
eagerly and magnanimously. The Lord himself renews his invitation to all the lay faithful to come
closer to him every day, and with the recognition that what is his is also their own ( Phil 2:5) they
ought to associate themselves with him in his saving mission. Once again he sends them into
every town and place where he himself is to come (cf. Lk 10:1)"[3].
You go into my vineyard too. During the Synod of Bishops, held in Rome, 1-30 October 1987,
these words were re-echoed in spirit once again. Following the path marked out by the Council
and remaining open to the light of the experience of persons and communities from the whole
Church, the Fathers, enriched by preceding Synods, treated in a specific and extensive manner
the topic of the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world.
In this assembly of bishops there was not lacking a qualified representation of the lay faithful, both
women and men, which rendered a valuable contribution to the Synod proceedings. This was
publicly acknowledged in the concluding homily: "We give thanks that during the course of the
Synod we have not only rejoiced in the participation of the lay faithful (both men and women
auditors), but even more so in that the progress of the Synodal discussions has enabled us to2listen to those whom we invited, representatives of the lay faithful from all parts of the world, from
different countries, and to profit from their experience, their advice and the suggestions they have
offered out of love for the common cause"[4].
In looking over the years following the Council the Synod Fathers have been able to verify how the
Holy Spirit continues to renew the youth of the Church and how he has inspired new aspirations
towards holiness and the participation of so many lay faithful. This is witnessed, among other
ways, in the new manner of active collaboration among priests, religious and the lay faithful; the
active participation in the Liturgy, in the proclamation of the Word of God and catechesis; the
multiplicity of services and tasks entrusted to the lay faithful and fulfilled by them; the flourishing of
groups, associations and spiritual movements as well as a lay commitment in the life of the
Church; and in the fuller and meaningful participation of women in the development of society.
At the same time, the Synod has pointed out that the post-conciliar path of the lay faithful has not
been without its difficulties and dangers. In particular, two temptations can be cited which they
have not always known how to avoid: the temptation of being so strongly interested in Church
services and tasks that some fail to become actively engaged in their responsibilities in the
professional, social, cultural and political world; and the temptation of legitimizing the unwarranted
separation of faith from life, that is, a separation of the Gospel's acceptance from the actual living
of the Gospel in various situations in the world.
In the course of its work, the Synod made constant reference to the Second Vatican Council,
whose teaching on the lay faithful, after twenty years, has taken on a surprisingly contemporary
character and at times has carried prophetic significance: such teaching has the capacity of
enlightening and guiding the responses that today must be given to new situations. In reality, the
challenge embraced by the Synod Fathers has been that of indicating the concrete ways through
which this rich "theory" on the lay state expressed by the Council can be translated into authentic
Church "practice". Some situations have made themselves felt because of a certain "novelty" that
they have, and in this sense they can be called post-conciliar, at least chronologically: to these the
Synod Fathers have rightly given a particular attention in the course of their discussion and
reflection. Among those situations to be recalled are those regarding the ministries and Church
services entrusted at present and in the future to the lay faithful, the growth and spread of new
"movements" alongside other group forms of lay involvement, and the place and role of women
both in the Church and in society.
At the conclusion of their work, which proceeded with great commitment, competence and
generosity, the Synod Fathers made known to me their desires and requested that at an
opportune time, a conclusive papal document on the topic of the lay faithful be offered to the
Universal Church[5].
This Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation intends to take into account all the richness of the Synod3work, from the Lineamenta to the Instrumentum Laboris, from the introductory report, the
presentations of individual bishops and lay persons to the summary reports after discussion in the
Synod hall, from the discussions and reports of the "small groups" to the final "Propositions" and
the concluding "Message". For this reason the present document is not something in
contradistinction to the Synod, but is meant to be a faithful and coherent expression of it, a fruit of
collegiality. As such, the Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the

The Holy See

POST-SYNODAL

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION

CHRISTIFIDELES LAICI

OF

HIS HOLINESS

JOHN PAUL II

ON THE VOCATION AND THE MISSION

OF THE LAY FAITHFUL

IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

To Bishops

To Priests and Deacons

To Women and Men Religious

and to All the Lay Faithful

INTRODUCTION

1. THE LAY MEMBERS of Christ's Faithful People (Christifideles Laici), whose "Vocation and

Mission in the Church and in the World Twenty Years after the Second Vatican Council" was the

topic of the 1987 Synod of Bishops, are those who form that part of the People of God which might

be likened to the labourers in the vineyard mentioned in Matthew's Gospel: "For the Kingdom of

heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard.

After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard" ( Mt 20:1-2).

The gospel parable sets before our eyes the Lord's vast vineyard and the multitude of persons,

both women and men, who are called and sent forth by him to labour in it. The vineyard is the

whole world (cf. Mt 13:38), which is to be transformed according to the plan of God in view of the

final coming of the Kingdom of God.

You Go Into My Vineyard Too 2. "And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and to them

he said, 'You go into the vineyard too'" ( Mt 20:3-4).

From that distant day the call of the Lord Jesus "You go into my vineyard too" never fails to

resound in the course of history: it is addressed to every person who comes into this world.

In our times, the Church after Vatican II in a renewed outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost has

come to a more lively awareness of her missionary nature and has listened again to the voice of

her Lord who sends her forth into the world as "the universal sacrament of salvation"[1].

You go too . The call is a concern not only of Pastors, clergy, and men and women religious. The

call is addressed to everyone: lay people as well are personally called by the Lord, from whom

they receive a mission on behalf of the Church and the world. In preaching to the people Saint

Gregory the Great recalls this fact and comments on the parable of the labourers in the vineyard:

"Keep watch over your manner of life, dear people, and make sure that you are indeed the Lord's

labourers. Each person should take into account what he does and consider if he is labouring in

the vineyard of the Lord"[2].

The Council, in particular, with its rich doctrinal, spiritual and pastoral patrimony, has written as

never before on the nature, dignity, spirituality, mission and responsibility of the lay faithful. And

the Council Fathers, re-echoing the call of Christ, have summoned all the lay faithful, both women

and men, to labour in the vineyard: "The Council, then, makes an earnest plea in the Lord's name

that all lay people give a glad, generous, and prompt response to the impulse of the Holy Spirit

and to the voice of Christ, who is giving them an especially urgent invitation at this moment. Young

people should feel that this call is directed to them in particular, and they should respond to it

eagerly and magnanimously. The Lord himself renews his invitation to all the lay faithful to come

closer to him every day, and with the recognition that what is his is also their own ( Phil 2:5) they

ought to associate themselves with him in his saving mission. Once again he sends them into

every town and place where he himself is to come (cf. Lk 10:1)"[3].

You go into my vineyard too. During the Synod of Bishops, held in Rome, 1-30 October 1987,

these words were re-echoed in spirit once again. Following the path marked out by the Council

and remaining open to the light of the experience of persons and communities from the whole

Church, the Fathers, enriched by preceding Synods, treated in a specific and extensive manner

the topic of the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world.

In this assembly of bishops there was not lacking a qualified representation of the lay faithful, both

women and men, which rendered a valuable contribution to the Synod proceedings. This was

publicly acknowledged in the concluding homily: "We give thanks that during the course of the

Synod we have not only rejoiced in the participation of the lay faithful (both men and women

auditors), but even more so in that the progress of the Synodal discussions has enabled us to2listen to those whom we invited, representatives of the lay faithful from all parts of the world, from

different countries, and to profit from their experience, their advice and the suggestions they have

offered out of love for the common cause"[4].

In looking over the years following the Council the Synod Fathers have been able to verify how the

Holy Spirit continues to renew the youth of the Church and how he has inspired new aspirations

towards holiness and the participation of so many lay faithful. This is witnessed, among other

ways, in the new manner of active collaboration among priests, religious and the lay faithful; the

active participation in the Liturgy, in the proclamation of the Word of God and catechesis; the

multiplicity of services and tasks entrusted to the lay faithful and fulfilled by them; the flourishing of

groups, associations and spiritual movements as well as a lay commitment in the life of the

Church; and in the fuller and meaningful participation of women in the development of society.

At the same time, the Synod has pointed out that the post-conciliar path of the lay faithful has not

been without its difficulties and dangers. In particular, two temptations can be cited which they

have not always known how to avoid: the temptation of being so strongly interested in Church

services and tasks that some fail to become actively engaged in their responsibilities in the

professional, social, cultural and political world; and the temptation of legitimizing the unwarranted

separation of faith from life, that is, a separation of the Gospel's acceptance from the actual living

of the Gospel in various situations in the world.

In the course of its work, the Synod made constant reference to the Second Vatican Council,

whose teaching on the lay faithful, after twenty years, has taken on a surprisingly contemporary

character and at times has carried prophetic significance: such teaching has the capacity of

enlightening and guiding the responses that today must be given to new situations. In reality, the

challenge embraced by the Synod Fathers has been that of indicating the concrete ways through

which this rich "theory" on the lay state expressed by the Council can be translated into authentic

Church "practice". Some situations have made themselves felt because of a certain "novelty" that

they have, and in this sense they can be called post-conciliar, at least chronologically: to these the

Synod Fathers have rightly given a particular attention in the course of their discussion and

reflection. Among those situations to be recalled are those regarding the ministries and Church

services entrusted at present and in the future to the lay faithful, the growth and spread of new

"movements" alongside other group forms of lay involvement, and the place and role of women

both in the Church and in society.

At the conclusion of their work, which proceeded with great commitment, competence and

generosity, the Synod Fathers made known to me their desires and requested that at an

opportune time, a conclusive papal document on the topic of the lay faithful be offered to the

Universal Church[5].

This Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation intends to take into account all the richness of the Synod3work, from the Lineamenta to the Instrumentum Laboris, from the introductory report, the

presentations of individual bishops and lay persons to the summary reports after discussion in the

Synod hall, from the discussions and reports of the "small groups" to the final "Propositions" and

the concluding "Message". For this reason the present document is not something in

contradistinction to the Synod, but is meant to be a faithful and coherent expression of it, a fruit of

collegiality. As such, the Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the