Norms for the cooperation of the local churches among themselves and especially for a better distribution of the clergy in the world = Notae directivae de mutua ecclesiarum particularium cooperatione promovenda ac praesertim de aptiore cleri distributione


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NORMS FOR THE COOPERATION
OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES AMONG

THEMSELVES AND ESPECIALLY FOR A
BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE

CLERGY IN THE WORLD

Notae Directivae de Mutua Ecclesiarum

Particularium Cooperatione Promovenda ac

Praesertim de Aptiore Cleri Distributione

Vatican Congregation for the Clergy

March 25, 1980

(Released July 22, 1980)



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/normsforcooperatOOunse



NORMS FOR THE COOPERATION
OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES AMONG

THEMSELVES AND ESPECIALLY FOR A
BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE

CLERGY IN THE WORLD

Notae Directivae de Mutua Ecclesiarum

Particularium Cooperatione Promovenda ac

Praesertim de Aptiore Cleri Distributione

Vatican Congregation for the Clergy

March 25, 1980

(Released July 22, 1980

j



Osaddined



I. Introduction

Teaching of Vatican Council II
1 . After the entrusting to the apostles by Christ the Lord,

before his ascension into heaven, of the mission to be
witnesses “til the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), all their
labors and sollicitudes had no other aim than the faithful
execution of the mandate of Christ: “Go into the whole world,
and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
The church, as history tells us, through the centuries

never ceased to pledge herself with faithfulness and
enthusiasm for the practical fulfillment of such a mandate.
And even recently, the successors of the apostles gathered
from all over the world in the Second Vatican Council,
insisted on the same mandate with these words: “They (the
pastors) should be especially concerned about those parts
of the world where the word of God has not yet been
proclaimed or where, chiefly because of the small number of
priests, the faithful are in danger of departing from the
precepts of Christian life and even of losing the faith itself.”
For this reason, the bishops should “strive to see to it that
suitable sacred ministers as well as assistants, both
Religious and lay, are prepared for the missions and other
areas suffering from a lack of clergy” (1).

Institution of a Commission for the Distribution of the
Clergy.

2. In order to give practical fulfillment to this intention of
the council, the supreme pontiff Paul VI, in the motu proprio
“Ecclesiae Sanctae” ordered that a special commission be
created within the Holy See “with the task to issue general
principles for a better distribution of the clergy, keeping in
mind the needs of the varius churches” (2). The seat of such
commission, as it was established in the apostolic
constitution “Regimini Ecclesiae Universae,” is to be
attached to the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy (3).
On this matter, this sacred dicastery has already

consulted the episcopal conferences and has held an
international congress at Malta in 1970. Furthermore, after
having convoked its members often and heard the opinion of
the other departments of the Roman Curia many times, this
very dicastery, having considered the importance and the
opportunity of this action, engaged itself in the preparation of
norms which now, with the approval of the supreme pontiff,
promulgates through this present document.

1



II. Need to Implement the Mandate of Christ

The Whole Church Is Called to Evangelize
3. The means through which the church has to fulfill the

mandate of Christ is evangelization, following the example of
her founder who was the first evangelizer. She has always
considered evangelization as indeed her specific and most
important task. As a matter of fact, she exists only for this
task, as the bishops stated in the synod of 1977: “We wish
once again to confirm that the mandate to evangelize all
mankind constitutes the essential mission of the church" (5).
As a consequence, no person baptized or confirmed in the

church can dispense himself from this duty, following the
exhortation of Vatican Council II: “Since the whole church is
missionary and the work of evangelization is a basic duty of
the people of God, this sacred synod summons all to a deep
interior renewal, so that they will have a vivid awareness of
their own responsibility for spreading the Gospel” (6).
Even though every Christian should cooperate in the

mission of the church for the part that is his, considering
however the diversity of the members when it comes to the
tasks to be fulfilled (7), different will be the role of the
bishop, of the priest, of the Religious as well as of the lay
person.

The Role of the Bishop.
4. The duty of evangelization belongs, first of all, to the

bishops, who — “sub Petro et cum Petro” ~ must not only
care for the evangelization as far as the faithful of their

dioceses are concerned, but they must also feel the
responsibility for the salvation of the whole world. In fact,
“each of them as a member of the episcopal college and a
legitimate successor of the apostles, is obliged by Christ’s
decree and command (9) to be solicitous for the whole
church. This solicitude, though it is not exercised by an act
of jurisdiction, contributes immensely to the welfare of the
universal church” (10).

It is the task of the bishop to use every effort so that the
faithful may have since their early childhood and may keep
all their lives an authentic Catholic conscience (11), all in
order to love the whole mystical body of Christ, especially in
its poorest members and in those who are suffering and are
being persecuted for the sake of justice (12). Furthermore,
he should promote the missionary zeal among his people, so
that the laborers of the Gospel in mission lands will not be
deprived of the necessary aid, spiritual and material; he has
to encourage missionary vocations among youngsters, and

2



also foster in the candidates to the prieshood the universal

dimension of their mission, and consequently their
disponibility to serve also outside of the diocese (13).

The Duty of the Priests
5. The priests, who, together with their bishops, act “in the

name and in the person of Christ who is the head” (14),
contribute in a very special way, to the expansion of the
kingdom of God on earth, through their office of pastors of
souls, their preaching of the word of God and the
administration of the sacraments of the new law (15). They,
therefore, through their ministry “make visible in their
communities, the universal church” (16).
On the other hand, the same Christian community by its

essence needs the presence of priests, because the
community cannot really be established without the sacrifice
of Christ which “through the hands of the priests and in the
name of the whole church, is offered in the Eucharist in an
unbloody and sacramental manner” (17); and such a
liturgical action represents the center of the community of
the faithful (1 8). Hence, the Synod of Bishops in 1971 rightly
declared concerning the ministerial priesthood: “If we would
lose the presence and the action of his (of the priest’s)
ministry.. .the church could not have the full assurance of her
faithfulness and of his visible continuity” (19). However,
such spiritual gift which is received by the priests in the
sacred ordination “prepares them not for any limited and
narrow mission, but for the widest scope of the universal
mission of salvation even to the very ends of the earth; for
every priestly ministry shares in the universality of the
mission entrusted by Christ to this apostles” (20).
Every priest should therefore nourish such disponibility of

soul in his heart, and if someone receives a special vocation
from the spirit of the Lord, with the consent of his bishop, he
will not refuse to move to another diocese in order to
continue his ministry.
Anyhow, all the priests should be sensitive to the needs of

the universal church, and therefore, they should inquire
about the state of the missions, as well as about the situation
of the local churches that find themselves in some particular
difficulty, so that they may exhort the faithful to share the
needs of the church (21).

The Participation of the Religious
6. Men and women Religious, already because of their

their vows, are intimately connected with the mystery of the
church, and therefore from the particular nature of their

3



lives, stems the duty to endeavor so that "the kingdom of
Christ may be rooted and consolidated in the souls and
spread all over the world" (22). Consequently Vatican
Council II not only exhorts them to foster the missionary
spirit, but further invites the institutes, except for their
specific goals, to update themselves in order to adjust to the
present situations, so that the "evangelization in the
missions may become more and more effective” (23).
Men and women Religious that belong to missionary

institutes have been and still are models of life entirely
dedicated to the cause of Christ. In them, we admire that
promptness which stems from their consecration to God, the
church and and their brothers; in fact "thanks to their
religious consecration they are first of all volunteers and free
to leave everything and go to announce the Gospel to the
ends of the world" (24). Finally, since the religious state is "a
special gift," it is given for the whole church, whose salvific
mission in no way can operate without the participation of
the Religious" (25).

The Call of the Laity
7. All lay people, in virtue of their baptism and

confirmation, are called by God to an effective apostolate:
"The Christian vocation is by its nature also a call to the
apostolate" (26). The apostolate of the laity, even though
exercised mainly in the parishes, has to be extended
however also to the inter-parochial, diocesan, national and
international level. And more than that, they should have at
heart "the needs of the people of God over all the earth";
which could be done by helping the missionary works with
material subsidies and personal services (27).
Furthermore, lay people may be called by the hierarchy to

a more direct and immediate cooperation in the apostolate.
The church, as a matter of fact, in the last decades has
discovered the rich possibilities and the vast resources that
the cooperation of the laity can offer to her mission of
salvation. The apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi,"
already on the basis of the most recent experiences,
enumerates various functions, such as that of catechist, that
of Christians dedicated to the service of the word of God or
to the works of mercy, that of heads of small communities,
etc. This cooperation of the laity, useful everywhere, is
useful especially in mission lands for the founding, the life
and the development of the church (28).

All the members of the church, therefore, be they pastors,
lay people or Religious, share, each in his own way, the
missionary nature of the church. The diversity of the

4



members, due to the variety of the ministries or charisms, as
the apostle tells us, has to be understood in the sense that
“these members do not all have the same functions,” but
serving each other, they form the single body of Christ
(Romans 12,4) in order to fulfill better their own mandate;
the whole church, in fact, is prompted by the Holy Spirit to
cooperate so that the plan of God may become a reality (29).

5



III. The Fulfillment of the Mandate of Christ in Our Time

Statistical Data of the World’s Population
8. Now, if we turn our attention to the world still to be

evangelized, and, more precisely, to the non-Christian
population, we cannot fail to notice the insufficiency of the
means at the disposal of the church today in order to meet
the enormous problem. As a matter of fact, in 1977, our
planet had a population of 4,094,110,000 with a Catholic
population of only 739,127,000, just 18 percent of the
world’s population (30). If we, then, wish to consider the
number of priests reported to the number of the world’s
inhabitants, we will have the following picture: for every
100,000 inhabitants, we have two priests in Asia, four in
Africa, 13 in Latin America, 26 in Oceania, 29 in North
America and 37 in Europe.

Inequality of Forces of the Apostolate Within the Church.
9. Moreover, if you examine the distribution of sacred

ministers among these Catholics, the statistical data show
this picture: for every 100,000 Catholics in Latin America
there are 16 priests; in Southern Africa, 33 priests; in the
Far East, 43 priests; in Europe, 93 priests; in Oceania, 104
priests; in North America, 120 priests; and in the Asiatic
Middle East, 133 priests.
From what has been said one notes this great

disproportion: While in Europe and North America one finds
45 percent of the Catholics of the world, assisted by 77.2
percent of all priests of the Catholic Church, in Latin America
and in the Philippines, on the other hand, where 45 percent
of the world’s Catholics also live, only 12.62 percent of the
priests lend their spiritual assistance.

In other words, the proportion of priests for the same
number of faithful is 6 to 1 in favor of Europe and North
America in comparison with Latin America and the
Philippines. It is worthy of note that nearly the same
inequality is found in these geographical areas if one
considers the number of deacons and of men and women
Religious.

It is true that the problem of a better distribution of clergy
is not resolved simply with the numerical method, since it is
necessary to take into account historical evolution (and) the
specific conditions of more developed particular churches
which, naturally, require a greater number of ministers.
Nevertheless, the statistical data above carry a weight which
makes one reflect and which presents grave problems for
those who have at heart the healthy evolution of the church

6



and, especially, for those who have authority in the church,
as was stated earlier.

The Greatest Obstacle Springs from the Shortage of
Priests.

10. In our time, the greatest impediment for the fulfillment
of the mandate of Christ seems to be the strong diminution of
priestly and religious vocations, a phenomenon which, in the
last decades, troubles many, if not all, the regions of ancient
Christian tradition, either for the limited number of
candidates or for the sad defection of some, or for the rather
high median age of priests.
We should not forget, however, that such a shortage, if one

looks at the conditions of the dioceses where more urgent is
the need, is very relative, as we have stated in the last
paragraph. In reality, the shortage of clergy in itself should
not create an obstacle to generosity. “The dioceses that
suffer from shortage of clergy,” as Pius XII already said,
“should not refuse to listen to the imploring petitions that
come from the missions begging for help. The offering of the
widow, according to the word of the Lord, should be an
example to follow: “If a poor diocese comes to the aid of
another poor diocese, it will not become poorer because one
cannot outdo the Lord in generosity” (31).
Every local church should meditate on the messianic

prophecy: “The poor will be evangelized” (Luke 7:28), so
that a prudence, too human and earthly, may not stifle those
sentiments of generosity that impel the offering of the gift of
faith to all those who today may be called poor in some way.
We must, therefore, convince ourselves that the mandate of
Christ cannot ever be fulfilled if a local church would like to
offer only the superfluous of her energies to the churches
that are poorer.

The Plan of God and the Limits of Human Forces
1 1 . If we compare the number of Catholics with the number

of non-Catholics, and at the same time we reflect on the
mission entrusted today to the church for the fullfilment of
the mandate of Christ, we could easily get discouraged,
especially since we know that such disproportion will
probably get worse in the near future, and that the
indifferentism of a large number of Catholics is increasing,
also as a consequence of other evils, as secularism,
naturalism, materialism, etc., which have pervaded the
standard of living in countries of ancient Christian tradition.
We should not forget, however, that the church -- If we

consider only the human means — was never up to the

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greatness of her vocation in the world. Even more, this
insufficiency was foreseen by her founder, who, having
designated 72 disciples, said to them: "The harvest is
bountiful, but the laborers are few” and added: "Pray
therefore to the master of the harvest that he may send
laborers in his field" (Luke 10:2), thus wishing to inculcate
in the mind of his disciples that the most effective way to
overcome the obstacles is prayer, since we are dealing here
not with an attempt or a project on the human level, but
rather with the realization of a divine plan. It is, in fact, with

prayer, through which we admit our need for the help of God,
that we not only assume our responsibilities in the execution
of the divine plan and we thus make ourselves available to
be sent, but — which is very important — we also exercise
our direct influence on the very increase of vocations,
because the Lord has clearly told us that the number of
laborers depends on prayer.

It is true that the divine plan of salvation for all mankind
has been revealed to us, but the time when the messianic
kingdom will reach its fullness remains obscure and
mysterious: "The exact time is not yours to know. The father
has reserved that to himself” (Acts 1 :7). These words seem
to hint that the mandate of Christ needs time in order to be
fulfilled. The history of the church tells us that, through the
centuries, we have witnessed moments of grace, when
multitudes of peoples received the seed of the word of God;
we must admit however that there have been, and there are,
moments less favorable, particularly for some populations
(32).

It is the task of those who, enlightened by the light of
Christ, can ready the signs of the times, and especially of
those placed by the Holy Spirit to govern his church (Acts
28:28), to discover the moments and the hour of grace and
recognize the peoples that seem mature to embrace the
Gospel. We would like at this point to report the example of
Pope Pius XII, who, in his encyclical letter "Fidei Donum”
recommended Africa to all the children of the church, as a
continent already mature for evangelization (33).

Testimony of the Early Church
12. What has been said so far is perfectly in accord with

the history of the early church. The acts of the apostles
clearly demonstrate that our ancestors in the faith followed
the same line of thinking and acting. Their apostolic method
was exactly this: Send the messengers of the Gospel in
other regions, without being preoccupied by the fact that the
local community was not converted as a whole to the faith of

8



Christ. In this way, the apostles and their coworkers were
obeying the command of Christ: “Go and teach all nations”
(Matthew 28:1 9), placing all their trust in the will of God who
wishes “all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).
The Second Vatican Council recommends this method: “It

is very fitting that the young churches should participate as
soon as possible in the universal missionary work of the
church. Let them send their own missionaries to proclaim the
Gospel all over the world, even though they themselves are
suffering from a shortage of clergy.” And the council gives
the reason for it: “Their communion with the universal
church reaches a certain measure of perfection when they
themselves take an active part in missionary zeal toward
other nations” (35).

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IV. Tasks and Duties of the Particular Churches

The Particular Church as a Community.
13. The diocese, as a particular church, is a portion of the

people of God that is entrusted to the bishop, with the
collaboration of the presbyterate, to be governed, nourished
by teaching, and sanctified (36). But for a true, living
diocesan community to be formed, it is necessary that basic
structures, and especially parishes, cultivate a sense of the
diocese and consider themselves as living cells within it, and
thus insert themselves into the universal church (37).
Therefore, the council exhorts parishes to pursue their
function in such a way that "the individual parishioners and
the parish communities will really feel that they are members
of the diocese and of the universal church” (38).

In this particular church "the one, holy, catholic and
apostolic church of Christ is truly present and operative"
(39). It follows that the diocese must mirror to perfection the
universal church in the concrete environment; and it is
necessary for it to become a sign, able to reveal Christ to all
those with whom it comes in contact (40).
The Particular Church in Relationship with the Other

Churches.
14. Since the particular church is fashioned "after the

model of the universal church" (41), in its heart it mirrors the
hope and anguish, the joy and sorrow of the whole church. It
is true that the particular church must first of all evangelize
the portion of the people of God entrusted to it, that is those
who have lost the faith or no longer practice it (42);
nevertheless, there is incumbent on it the sacrosanct duty
"to foster every activity which is common to the whole
church" (43).

It follows that the particular church cannot be closed in
upon itself but, as a living part of the universal church, must
be open to the needs of the other churches. Therefore, its
participation in the universal mission of evangelization is not
left to its own judgment, even if this is generous, but must be
considered as a fundamental law of life. For its vital zeal is
diminished if, concentrating only on its own problems, it
does not care for the needs of the other churches. On the
other hand, it takes on new vigor whenever its horizons are
expanded towards the others.
This duty of the particular church is clearly emphasized by

the Second Vatican Council, which affirms that the renewal,
indeed the healthy reform of the particular church depends
on the degree of ecclesial charity with which it works to
bring the gift of faith to the other churches: "The grace of

10



renewal cannot flourish in communities unless each of them
extends the range of its charity to the ends of the earth, and
devotes to those far off a concern similar to that which it
bestows on those who are its own members” (44).
The Meaning of Reciprocal Collaboration.
15. The universal church will realize a great profit if the

diocesan communities work to develop reciprocal relations,
exchanging help and goods; thus that communion and
cooperation of the churches among themselves will arise
which today more than ever is necessary to pursue happily
the work of evangelization (45).

In talking of this question, often expressions such as “rich
dioceses” and “poor dioceses” are used. Such expressions
could lead to error, as if one church were only giving help
and the other only receiving it. The fact of the matter is
different: for what is involved is mutual cooperation, because
true reciprocity is present between the two churches, in that
the poverty of the one church that receives help makes
richer the church which deprives itself in giving, and it does
so both by making the apostolic zeal of the richer community
more vigorous and, above all, by communicating its pastoral
experiences. These are often most useful and can concern
simpler but more effective methods of pastoral work, lay
auxiliaries in the apostolate, small communities, etc.
The artisans of this common collaboration will be the

ministers themselves, chosen by the bishop, who will view
themselves as messengers of their own community, acting
as ambassadors of Christ to the other community.
To make this mutual exchange of pastoral experiences

more alive and effective, the diocese or even a large parish
community will be able to form a kind of “twin sister” link
with another poor community, to which it will be able to send
not only material subsidies but also some sacred ministers
as collaborators. Experience shows that cooperation of this
kind can benefit both communities greatly. (46)

The Need to Hear Calls for Help.
16. Since this is the situation, the particular churches

must become more and more aware of their common
responsibility. Making themselves sensitive to cries for help,
they must show themselves ready to help those who need
help. Among these, the new churches which suffer a serious
shortage of priests and lack of material means are especially
deserving of help; but it is also necessary to help those
churches which, even though they were founded a long time
ago, find themselves greatly weakened today because of
various circumstances. (47)

11



It is clear that the more needy churches can be helped
greatly by priests and other collaborators sent to their aid.
The purpose of such help, obviously, Is not simply to fill in
the gaps, but rather to send the kind of sacred ministers
who, once they are inserted among the local forces of the
apostolate, will become, in the manner of teachers and
guides, true helpers in the faith. Once the local churches,
preserving their autochthonous character, are able to
become gradually stronger and more developed, they can
begin to provide for their needs with their own means. This
explains why bishops and other superiors are asked to send
for this kind of evangelization “some of the better priests.”
(48)

The Need to Reform Church Structures
1 7. So that a particular church can more adequately carry

out its task of bringing aid to other churches that are in a
state of need, above all, there is required, even in the bosom
of that particular church, a process aimed at revising forces
and restructuring traditionally Christian regions. Social
phenomena exist which themselves have already
transformed the structures of society. Thus church
structures also have to be adapted to the new reality. Among
the new phenomena it is enough to cite here: the
transmigration of the people Into industrial regions,
urbanization with the resulting depopulation of other zones,
the general problem of migration, both for the sake of work
and for political reasons (49), the quite widespread
phenomenon of tourism for longer or shorter periods (e g. for
holidays or for weekends) (50). These phenomena require a
new presence of priests who, in these changed
circumstances of life, have to face a specialized care of
souls.

The problem, then, is whether and how to renew the
structures that once satisfactorily served the spiritual needs
of the people of God. Certainly this revision is not easy and
requires much prudence and circumspection. The bishop,
with the help of priests’ senates and pastoral councils, ought
to draw up an organic project for the better employment of
those who share effectively in the care of souls. It doesn’t
seem possible for the church to put off this problem any
longer without suffering damage. In fact, despite the
bemoaned scarcity of priests, it is not unusual to find priests
who feel frustrated over a job that does not fill up their time,
with the result that they rightfully would like to work more
intensely.

12



The bishop, in his goal of making better provision for the
growing needs of the care of souls, has the responsibility to
engage the interest of religious priests who, after all, “are to
be considered in a certain sense as part of the diocesan
clergy”; like all other men and women Religious, even those
who are exempt, who live and work among the people of God,
these too “belong to the diocesan family under a certain
aspect.” In both cases it is a matter of taking into account
the particular character of each religious institute (51). In
this regard, the Sacred Congregation for Bishops, in union
with the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes,
recently published wise norms for cordial collaboration on
the formative, operational and organizational levels (52).

In recent times pastors have called the laity to the service
of the church communities more and more often. These have
willingly accepted their duties and have dedicated their
energies to the service of the church on a full or part-time
basis. Thus in the present day we have again taken up the
practice of the early church, when lay persons were involved
in various services according to their inclinations and
charisms and according to the necessities and practical
needs of the people of God “for the growth and vitality of the
church community.” (53)

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V. The Organs of Collaboration Among the Particular
Churches.

The Bishops’ Conferences.
18. The principal and indispensable role for more effective

collaboration among the particular churches lies with the
bishops’ conferences, which have as their specific goal the
overall coordination of pastoral work. In this regard Pope
Paul VI decreed in his motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae": “It
belongs to patriarchal synods and bishops’ conferences,
keeping in mind what has been prescribed by the Holy See,
to achieve an appropriate distribution of the clergy both in
their own territory and in that which comes from other areas;
with such a distribution, provision will be made for the needs
of all the dioceses of one’s own territory, and the good of the
church in mission lands and in countries that suffer a
scarcity of clergy will also be considered” (54).
Accordingly, beyond providing for the needs of pastoral

care in their own territory, two other requirements are
recommended to the bishops’ conferences, namely the first
preaching of the Gospel in mission lands and assistance to
weaker churches in general. Both tasks are incumbent on
each particular church; nevertheless, in order for the matter
to be regulated well the collaboration of all the bishops of the
same nation or territory is required. To provide for these
necessities, each bishops’ conference must establish two
commissions: one for the better distribution of the clergy,
and another for the missions (55). Since the institution of the
latter is intended to promote missionary zeal and both have,
in a certain way, a similar scope, it seems necessary that the
two commissions collaborate or even, in some cases, it may
seem more convenient to unite the two.

Solicitude for Mission Territories.
19. As regards the first preaching of the Gospel, that is,

the missions, the supreme direction over the pertinent
questions belongs to the Sacred Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples, which “has competency over
matters regarding all the missions instituted to spread the
kingdom of Christ everywhere, and therefore over the
establishment and changing of the necessary ministers and
the ecclesiastical circumscriptions; over the proposing of
the persons who govern them; over the promotion in the most
effective way of an autochthonous clergy, to which the
highest posts and government are to be gradually entrusted;
over the direction and coordination of all the missionary
activity in every part of the land, as regards both the

14



missionaries themselves and the missionary cooperation of
the faithful” (56).

In this context, it is up to the bishops’ conferences to
promote the effective participation of the diocesan clergy in
the apostolate in the missions; to establish a determinate

monetary contribution for missionary work; to intensify more
and more their relations with missionary institutes and
collaborate so that seminaries which serve the missions are
erected or aided (57).

As regards missionary works, the bishops’ commission
established in every bishops’ conference must increase
missionary activity and the appropriate collaboration among
the dioceses; therefore, it will have to maintain relations with
other conferences and work to see to it that, as far as
possible, a just proportion is maintained in giving aid to the
missions (58).

Solicitude for More Needy Particular Churches.
20. As stated above, bishops’ conferences must form

another bishops’ commission which has as its duty “to
investigate the needs of the various dioceses within their
territory and the possibilities of giving some of their own
clergy to other churches to carry out the decisions made and
approved by the conferences regarding the distribution of
the clergy and to inform the bishops of the territory of these
decisions” (59).

The task, therefore, of this commission is twofold. Above
all it is to remove the possible inequalities in its own
territory. Quite often, in fact, one can note a great
disproportion in the number of priests. While there are some
dioceses with an abundance of clergy, there are others in
which the scarcity of priests endangers the very
preservation of the faith.

The other task concerns solicitude toward those particular
churches outside one’s own territory, to help them in virtue
of that bond of communion between particular churches
which was spoken of above.
This work must be pursued with the investigation, first of

all, of the needs of the dioceses, comparing the number of
the faithful with the number of pastors; then proposing to the
bishops’ conference a study of the more urgent needs and
the possibility of helping the more needy churches.
As regards this latter task of the commission, praiseworthy

initiatives have already been undertaken which have
produced happy results in this field (60).

15



Collaboration With the Councils of Major Superiors
21. To coordinate ministerial activities and works of the

apostolate in the territory of the same bishops’ conference,
closer collaboration between the diocesan clergy and the
religious institutes is required. The promotion of this kind of
collaboration is up to the bishops’ conference. But since
profitable cooperation depends heavily on an attitude of
putting special interests in second place and looking solely
for the general good of the church, it is advisable for bishops
and religious superiors to hold meetings, at set times, to
study what is to be done in common in their respective
territories (61). For this reason the motu proprio "Ecclesiae
Sanctae” prescribes the formation of a mixed commission of
the bishops’ conference and the national council of major
superiors to study questions that concern both parties (62).
The principal theme of the meetings of this mixed
commission ought to be precisely that of a better and more
fitting distribution of the forces of the apostolate,
determining the priorities and options to be pursued in a
common effort to promote joint pastoral action (63). The
deliberations of this commission ought then to be submitted,
for reasons of competency, to the judgment of the bishops’
conference and the council of religious superiors (64).

The Animation of the Faithful.
22. One cannot stress enough the first and principal task

incumbent on both commissions, which is that of continually
keeping the public opinion of the faithful well informed both
about the needs of the missions and about the situations of
particular churches that find themselves in difficulty. They
must therefore use all the means of social communications,
they must assist and spread reviews and other similar
publications, and engage as well in the preparation and
execution of well-defined programs to publicize the problems
in this field.

The aim of all this, in addition to quick, accurate
information, is to make the faithful more and more aware of
their responsibilities and to develop in them a sense of
catholicity regarding mature and effective collaboration of
the particular churches (65).

*

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VI. Sacred Ministers Sent to Other Diocese

The Necessity of a Special Vocation
23. Granted that all the faithful in their own way ought to

participate in the work of evangelization, nevertheless one
who wants to carry out his sacred ministry in another
diocese needs a special vocation. Indeed the whole
community, under the guidance of the bishop, is bound to
petition the Holy Spirit with prayer and works of penance for
the gift of vocations, so that there may be priests, Religious
and laity available who will leave their homeland and go to
carry out the mandate of Christ in another area (66).
Regarding the preparation of young souls, it is necessary

to inculcate in them a truly Catholic mentality right from the
earliest age; then, regarding candidates for the priesthood,
during their formation it is necessary to see to it that they
cultivate a sense of solicitude for the whole church in
addition to a love of the diocese for the service of which they
are ordained (67).

Fitness of the Ministers.

24. This special vocation presupposes, however, the right
kind of character and particular natural gifts. Among the
qualities of the psyche, spiritual fortitude and a sincere spirit
of service are considered necessary. Thus, in the direction
of souls superiors will use great diligence to find fit,
appropriate candidates. And since it is to be hoped that
bishops will destine the best priests for this work, these
ought to be not only abundantly imbued with sound sacred
doctrine but also distinguished by their robust faith,
steadfast hope and zeal for souls (68), so that they will be
able to truly generate in others the faith that they themselves
have.

The Necessary Preparation.
25. All ministers who go to another diocese need an

adequate preparation in matters regarding their human
formation, orthodoxy of doctrine, and the apostolic style of
life. Those who are going to a diocese in another nation to
announce the Gospel, moreover, must receive a special
formation. That is, they must know the culture and religion of
that people; they must value highly the language and
customs; they must acquire practice in the language, along
with understanding of the social conditions, habits and
customs; finally, they must carefully study the moral order
and deepest convictions which that people, according to its
sacred traditions, has formed for itself about God, the world
and man (69).

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The Convention Required for the Transfer
26. The transfer of ministers, especially of priests, from

one diocese to another must be done with good order. The
ordinary “a quo” is to furnish the ordinary “ad quern” honest
and open information about those who are to be sent,
especially if the reasons for them come under suspicion.

It is absolutely necessary that the rights and duties of
priests who offer themselves for such a transfer of their own
free will should be accurately defined in a written convention
between the bishop ”ad quern” (70); this convention, drawn
up with the involvement of the priest as well so that it will
have normative value, must be accepted and signed by the
priest himself; copies of the convention are then to be kept
by the priest and by the two curias.

Similar conventions are to be made with lay auxiliaries. For
Religious, it is necessary to observe the constitutions of the
institute of provenance. The same principle, applies to the
following numbers, to the degree that it fits.

The Object of the Convention.
27. In this convention it is necessary to define: a) the

length of the term of service; b) the duties of the priest and
his place of ministry and of residence, taking into account
the living conditions in the area where the priest will go;
whatever subsidies of any kind he is to receive and from
whom; c) his social security in case of sickness, disability or
old age. If the case permits, it will also be useful to include
the possibility of revisiting one’s homeland after a certain
period of time.

This convention cannot be changed without the consensus
of the inerested parties. The right of the bishop “ad quern”
remains firm to remand the priest to his own diocese
whenever his ministry has become harmful, provided that he
has advised the bishop “a quo” beforehand and has
observed natural and canonical equity.

The Duties of the Bishops “A Quo” and "Ad Quern” Toward
the Priests.

28. The bishop ”a quo” should have a special solicitude,
as far as possible, toward his priests who exercise their
sacred ministry ouside their own diocese, considering them
as members of his own community who work far away. He
should do this whether by letter, by visiting them personally
or through others, or by helping them according to the tenor
of the convention. The bishop "ad quern,” who enjoys the
help of these priests, remains the guarantor of their material
and spiritual life, again in terms of the convention.

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The Priests as Members of the Other Diocese’s
Presbyterate.

29. In regions that differ notably in language, customs or
social conditions, except in urgent necessity, priests should

not ordinarily be sent individually, but rather in groups so
that they can help out each other (71). Such groups
nevertheless should work to insert themselves in the midst
of the local clergy in such a way as to bring not the least
prejudice to brotherly cooperation.

Priests who have entered another diocese are to revere the
local bishop and obey him, in accord with the convention. As
regards their style of life, they are to adapt to the conditions
of of the autochthonous priests and work to cultivate their
friendship, since all form a single presbyterate under the
bishop’s authority (72). Therefore, they must insert
themselves into the local community as if they were native
members of that particular church; this demands an
uncommon spiritual disposition and deep spirit of service. As
ministers joined to a new family, they are to abstain from
judgments and criticisms of the local church, leaving the
task of following that prophetic office to the bishop, to whom
belongs the full responsibility of governing the particular
church.

Return of Priests to Their Homeland
30. Priests who want to return to their own diocese at the

end of the time set in the convention are to be welcomed;
this return requires a preparation, just as their going to the
mission did. They are to enjoy all the rights in their diocese
of origin, in which they have remained incardinated, as if
they had been involved in the sacred ministry there without
interruption (73). With the various experiences they have
acquired, they can bring a significant spiritual contribution to
their own diocese. Further, a sufficient period of time is to be
given to returnees to take up new tasks, to allow them to
adapt to changes that may have taken place in the meantime.

Incardination in the Host Diocese.
31. The prescriptions of the Code of Canon Law remain in

force concerning the incardination of priests in other
dioceses. However, the motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae”
has set out a new norm, for obtaning incardination “ope
legis” (by the power of the law), which takes into account the
service rendered: “The cleric who goes legitimately from his
own diocese to another, after five years, will be incardinated
by law in the latter diocese if he has expressed in writing
such a desire to the ordinary of the host diocese and to his

19



own ordinary, and has not received a judgment to the
contrary from either of the two within four months/’ (74).

20



Conclusion
The situation of the church today, especially as regards

the insufficiency of clergy for the most urgent needs of
evangelization, could induce many to a pessimistic vision of
things and thus create a certain sense of discouragement
toward the future of the church.
Such a way of thinking is not the way of Christians and

even less becoming to pastors of souls.
This, in fact, is but one aspect, not all the ecclesial reality,

if we look at it not in an exterior and superficial manner but in
a Christian way, that is with the eyes of faith, the
supernatural light of which makes us perceive, through the
interreaction of human events, the living and toiling presence
of the Holy Spirit which animates the church and leads it
infallibly toward that direction of salvation which God
conceived for man and which he realizes despite the most
violent opposition from those who seek to impede the path of
the church.

Therefore, just as we know that along all the course of the
history of the church the principal agent of evangelization is
the Holy Spirit who moves Christians to make progress
toward the kingdom of God and opens the hearts of men to
the divine word, thus also we must believe that under the
direction of that same Spirit is placed the future of the
church. In the meantime, the duty of us all is to pray for it
incessantly and to allow ourselves faithfully to be guided by
him, employing all our power in order that among the faithful
the conviction of the missionary nature of the church may
remain alive and the awareness of responsibility which
individual Christians and especially the pastors of souls
have toward the universal church may increase.
May we seek to fulfill such effort and enliven it, guided and

animated always by Christian hope, “which does not
disappoint” (Romans 5:5) since it is founded on the words of
Christ, who, about to leave his disciples among the dangers
and hostile forces of this world, promised, “know that I am
with you always, until the end of the world” (Matthew 29:20).
“Take courage. I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Rome, March 25, 1980, solemnity of the annunciation of
the Lord.

Silvio Cardinal Oddi, prefect.
Maximino Romero De Lena, titular archbishop of Cittanova.

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FOOTNOTES
1 . Decree “Christus Dominus,” n.6.
2. Motu proprio "Ecclesaie Sanctae,” 1,1, in AAS 58

(1966), p. 757 f.
3. N. 68, Par. 2, AAS 59, (1967), p. 885 F.
4. Atti del 1 Congresso “Pro meliori cleri distributione in

mundo,” il mondo e’ la mia parrocchia, Rome 1971.
5. “Declarationes Patrum Synodalium,” n. 4. L’Osservatore

Romano (27 October 1974, p. 6). Cf. Apostolic exhortation
“Evangelii Nuntiandi” nn. 6-15, AAS 68 (1976), p. 5 f.

6. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 35.
7. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 13.
8. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 38.
9. Cf. Encyclical letter “Fidei Donum,” Pope Pius XII, AAS

49 (1957), p. 237.

17.

Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.
1 1. Cf. "Directorium de Pastorali Ministerio Episcoporum,”

1 973 n. 43, Rome.
12. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.
13. Cf. Decree "Christius Dominus,” n. 6; Decree "Ad

Gentes Divinitus,” n. 38.
14. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 2.
15. Ibid. nn. 4, 5, 6.

16. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 28.
17. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 2.
18. Ibid. n. 5.

19. I. n. 4. AAS 63 (1971), p. 898 f.
20. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 10.
21. Cf. apostolic letter “Graves et Increscentes ,” AAS 58

(1966), p. 750 f.
22. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 44.
23. Decree “Perfectae Caritatis,” n. 20. Cf. Decree "Ad

Gentes Divinitus,” n. 40.
24. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” n. 69.

25. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 43 Cf. Sacred
Congregations for Religious and Secular Institutes, and for
Bishops: Notae Directivae Pro Mutuis Relationibus Inter
Episcopos et Religiosos in Ecclesia, AAS 70 (1978), p. 373
f.

26. Decree “Apostolicam Actuositatem,” n. 2.
27. Ibid. n. 10.

28. N. 73; Cf. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 22.
29. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 17.
30. Cf. Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, 1977, p. 44.
31. Encyclical letter “Fidei Donum,” AAS 49 (1957), p.

244.

32. Cf. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” n. 50.

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33. AAS 49 (1957), pp. 225 F.
34. Cf. 8,14; 11,22.; 13,3 etc.

35. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 20.
36. Decree “Christus Dominus,” n. 11.
37. Decree “Apostolicam Actuositatem,” n. 10.
38. Decree “Christus Dominus,” n. 30.
39. Ibid. n. 11.

40. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 20.
41. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.
42. Cf. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” nn. 55,

56.

43. Constitution “Lumen Gentium,” n. 23.
44. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 37.
45. Ibid. n.38.

46. Cf. Instructio S. Congregationis Pro Gentium
Evangelizatione, “Pro Aptius,” AAS 61 (1969), p. 276 f.

47. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 19.
48. Ibid. n. 38.

49. Motu proprio “Pastoralis Migratorum Cura,” AAS 61
(1969) p. 601; and Instructio S. Congregationis Pro
Episcopis; Ibid. p. 614 f.; Commissionis de Spirituali
Migratorum Atque Itinerantium Cura: Chiesa e Mobilia
Umana, AAS 70 (1978), p. 357 f.

50. Cf. Directorium generale, pro ministerio quoad
“turismum” Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, in AAS 61
(1969), p. 361 f.
51. Decree “Christus Dominus,” nn. 34, 35; Cf. “Ecclesiae

Sanctae,” I, n. 36.
52. AAS 70 (1978), p. 473 f.
53. Apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi,” n. 73.

54. Ibid. 2.

55. Motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae,” I, 2. Ill, 9.
56. Apostolic constitution “Regimini Ecclesiae Universae,”

n. 82 AAS, 59 (1967), p. 885 F.
57. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 38.
58. Motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae,” III, 9.
59. Motu proprio “Ecclesia Sanctae,” n. 2.
60. To promote relations with the dioceses of Latin

America, the following bishops’ commissions exist: COPAL
in Belgium, CEFAL in France, CEIAL in Italy, CECADE-
OCSHA in Spain, Adveniat in West Germany, NCCB-LAB in
the United States, OCCAL in Canada, etc. All these
commissions work with the Pontifical Commission for Latin
Ameica (CAL), which maintains close relations with the Latin
American Bishops Council (CELAM). In addition there is the
general council of the Pontifical Commission for Latin
America (COGECAL), composed of CAL, CELAM, the

23



presidents of the bishops’ commissions mentioned above,
the president of the International Union of Superiors
General, and the president of the Confederation of Religious
of Latin America.

61. Decree “Christus Dominus,” 35:5-6.
62. II, 43, cf. Sacred Congregations for Religious and

Secular Institutes and for Bishops, Notae Directivae, nn. 60-
65, AAS 70 (1978), p. 503 f.

63. Decree “Perfectae Caritatis,” n. 23.
64. Notae Directivae, n. 63, AAS 70 (1978), p. 504.
65. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus," n. 36.
66. Ibid. n. 23; Cf. Decree “Optatam Totius,” n. 2.
67. Decree “Optatam Totius,” n. 20.
68. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 25.
69. Ibid. n. 26.

70. Motu proprio "Ecclesiae Sanctae,” 1,1, par. 2.
71. Decree “Presbyterorum Ordinis,” n. 10.
72. Decree “Ad Gentes Divinitus,” n. 20.
73. Motu proprio “Ecclesiae Sanctae,” I, 3, par. 4.
74. Ibid. I, 2, par. 5.

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