Sion Community and the Vatican

by Michelle Moran

I have never been good at languages so receiving a letter in Latin was perplexing to say the least. What I could make out was that it appeared to be from Pope Benedict XVI. Fortunately a note of explanation accompanied the letter from the Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone. It announced that the Holy Father has invited me to become a member of the Pontifical Council of the Laity (PCL) for five years.

The PCL consists of 36 members, which comprise of 8 Cardinals, 3 Bishops and 25 Lay people. The lay membership is made up of 'lay faithful from different continents and countries with the most varied apostolic backgrounds behind them'. Currently the Church is placing a lot of emphasis upon the New Movements and Communities and I am sure that my appointment is closely linked to the fact that I have recently been elected President of International Catholic Charismatic Services (ICCRS). It is truly a great honour to be invited to serve the Church at this level and an indication that the Church affirms the work of Renewal and Evangelisation.

Members of the PCL can be called upon to serve in various ways. I recently attended a meeting of 120 bishops from all over the world who had come together to look at the relationship and the contribution of the New Movements to the Universal Church. It was interesting to see things from the perspective of the Bishops, who expresses their appreciation of the life and service that the Movements were bringing to their dioceses.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I try and serve the Church to the best of my ability as a member of Community.