The Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy has released a new document to help guide the reform of parish communities.
It is entitled 'The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelizing mission of the Church' (read it here).
Isabella Piro, on vaticannews.va, writes: "The document does not promulgate any new legislation, but proposes methods to better apply existing rules and canonical norms.
"The aim is to encourage the co-responsibility of the baptized and to promote pastoral care based on closeness and cooperation between parishes."
She adds: "What emerges most forcefully from the Instruction is the urgency of missionary renewal, a pastoral conversion of the parish, so that the faithful may rediscover the dynamism and creativity which allows the parish to be always "going forth", aided by the contribution of all the baptized faithful."