Lay pastoral care: spiritual and psychological challenges

By welcoming laypersons into the pastoral ministry, the Church is participating in transformation--clearing away the familiar patterns of ministry so that the laity can respond more fully to its baptismal calling. Three basic questions should be asked in meeting the challenges of this calling: 1. Who should be chosen for lay pastoral care? Those selected should not be overly passive, but assertive and mature in their faith. 2. What should be expected of pastoral laypersons? Catholic hospitals should be careful not to exploit lay ministers by expecting extraordinary sacrifices (e.g., being on call 24 hours a day and on weekends) that will burn out the lay minister and adversely affect his or her family. 3. What are the potential roadblocks to the laity's success? One danger is that hospital's financial belt-tightening could disproportionately penalize pastoral care. Another pitfall is the misperception that the lay ministry movement is a means of moving clergy and religious out of the way. We are being called to act now in developing lay ministers. This is not a one-way process in which clergy and religious "act upon" the laity through the Spirit. Rather, it is a two-way transaction, for the laity have the Spirit, too, and are themselves a source of divine power. As they take on pastoral responsibilities, laypersons will of course need guidance. But this guidance should be given in a spirit of equality and with an understanding of the interdependence of all members of the Body of Christ.