The apostolate of the laity in Abuja Archdiocese in the light of Apostolicam actuositatem no. 9

Abstract

The Church in fulfilling its apostolic mandate of proclaiming the message of Christ to the ends of the world, does so with great zeal and apostolic charity. This is made possible by the collaboration of the laity who by virtue of their baptism share in the priestly, kingly and prophetic mission of Christ. Instead of being passive, the lay faithful are called to be actively involved in the mission of the Church. There is a great call on the laity who constitute a sizeable number in the Church to reach out to people in their various fields of endeavour. Given the demographics and socio-cultural composition of the populace within the Federal Capital Territory, this dissertation intends to examine the apostolate of the laity in the Archdiocese of Abuja in a bid to stir up, and promote a deeper understanding and participation of the laity in various segments of the Archdiocese, so as to achieve the desired spiritual and pastoral growth. Drawing largely from the Second Vatican Council document, Apostolicam Actuositatem, the laity are challenged not to remain at the region of mere spectators but to seek to enrich the Church with their unique skill, talent and professionalism, by engaging in various apostolates within the Archdiocese.