2. Journeying towards a New Way of Being Church
Rev. Amado L. Picardal, CSsR, STD

3. Presentation Topics An Ecclesiological Vision of the BECS
A Historical /Phenomenological View of BECs
A Strategic & Pastoral Perspective in Building up the BECs
The implication of BECs for the laity and the clergy.

4. BECs: Ecclesiological Perspective

5. Vatican II Vision of a Renewed Church

6. The Call for Church Renewal
John XXIII convened Vatican II to renew the Church -- for “aggiornamento”
It was a council of the Church on the Church

7. Vatican II Vision of the Church
The Church as community and communion
a community of faith, hope and love
a communion of life, love and truth
The Church as the People of God participating in Christ’s mission
as prophetic, priestly & kingly people.
The active role of the lay-faithful in the life and mission of the Church
Lumen Gentium

8. Thrust of Vatican II Ecclesiology: Renewed Church
A communitarian vision of the Church
A holistic vision of the Church – people of God that is prophetic, priestly, kingly (servant).
Concern for the temporal order (economic, political, cultural) – for justice & peace
Lay Participation in the Church’s life & mission
Renewal of the Clergy – a more holistic understanding of ministry

9. Post-Conciliar Reception and Implimentation
From 1965 up to the present -- reception and implementation of the council’s decree and spirit after the council
The task of renewing the Church now falls on the local Churches

10. MSPC as Reception of Vatican II
MSPC I (1st Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference) in 1971
The theme: The Church of Mindanao-Sulu: A Witnessing, Worshipping & Serving Community
Note: the communitarian and holistic perspective of Vatican II in MSPC theme.
The promotion of GKK (Gagmayng Kristohanong Katilingban)
GKK as worshipping, witnessing and serving communities. (katilingbang maampoon, masaksihon ug maalagaron)

11. MSPC I vision of the Church and the BECs
Community
Witnessing
Worshipping
Serving

12. PCP II Vision of the Church
The PCP II has adopted the image of the early Church in Acts and the ecclesiology of Vatican II as its basis for its vision of a renewed Church:
Community of Disciples
living in Communion
participating in the mission of Christ as
priestly, prophetic & kingly people
and as the Church of the Poor

13. BECs as Expression of the PCP II Vision of a Renewed Church
“Our vision of the Church as communion, participation and mission, about the Church as priestly, prophetic, & kingly people, and as a Church of the Poor- a church that is renewed - is today finding expression in one ecclesial movement. This is the movement to foster Basic Ecclesial Communities.” par 137

14. PCP II Vision of BECs: Community of Disciples
Communion
Prophetic
(witnessing)
Priestly
(worshipping)
Kingly
(servant)
Church of the Poor

15. BECs as Way of Being Church
Thus, when we speak about a new way of being Church we refer to the PCP II vision of renewed Church which finds expression in the BECs.
What can be said about the Church in general can be said about BECs. The BECs are the microcosm of the Church – it is a new way of being Church.
The BECs are the most local expression of the Church: the church at the grassroots, the church in the neighborhood, the church in the barangay.

16. BECs a Way of Being Church
Through the BECs, the Church is truly experienced as a community of disciples.
The lay faithful experience communion.
The lay faithful live out their vocation as people of God that participates in Christ’s prophetic, priestly and kingly mission
The church becomes truly the Church of the Poor

17. The Church as Communion
The image of Church as communion emphasizes the communitarian and interpersonal dimension of the Church.
Ecclesial communion can be lived out in various levels:
Universal (communion of local Churches)
Local (communion of dioceses/parishes)
Parish (communion of BECs)

18. BECs as Expression of Communion
According to John Paul II, the BECs can be “true expression of communion and a means towards construction of a more profound communion.”
In the BECs the members have a strong sense of belonging & responsibility for one another.
The members experience the bond of unity which is based on shared faith, celebrated in the breaking of the bread, concretely expressed in the sharing of material goods.

19. Living in Communion as BECs
A new way of being Church means looking at the parish as network of BECs – a communion of communions.
The members of BECs experience communion among themselves, while each BEC is linked to other BECS.
Although ministered by lay leaders, the BECs maintain a bond of communion with their pastors – the parish priests & the bishop.

20. Church as People of God: Prophetic, Priestly & Kingly
Vatican II, MSPC I & PCP II view the Church as a people of God that is prophetic, priestly & kingly by nature and mission.
This image of the Church asserts that all the baptized share in the life and mission of the Church.
Thus, the laity have the right and responsibility to actively participate in the prophetic, priestly and kingly mission of the Church

21. Prophetic, Priestly, Kingly People
This provides us with a holistic view of the Church.
It negates the exclusively liturgical/ sacramental image of the Church.
The Church is not only a worshipping community, it is also a prophetic and servant community.
This image of the Church can be experienced by ordinary lay people at the BECs since these are prophetic, priestly and servant communities.

22. The Church as Prophetic People
It has the mission of proclaiming the Good news – a mission of evangelization & catechesis.
It is also called to be the conscience of society – this is the mission of denouncing evil and all its manifestation: injustice, oppression, violence, the culture of death.
It witnesses to the word & calls people to conversion.
The prophetic mission of the church can be exercised in the universal and local level by the hierarchy and the laity,

23. BECs as Prophetic Communities
It is in and through BECs that lay people can participate in the mission of the Church.
The BECs come together to listen to the Word, to proclaim and give witness to it.
They are evangelized and evangelizing communities, they are witnessing communities.
BECs have the task of evangelizing & catechizing families, neighborhood communities and barangays.

24. BECs as Prophetic Communities
BECs carry out their prophetic & evangelizing mission whenever they come together in their homes and chapels for their bible-service to reflect on the word of God and their concrete situation.

25. The Church as Priestly People
The Church is a worshipping and celebrating community.
The priesthood of the faithful is expressed in the full and active participation in the liturgical and sacramental celebration.
The lay-faithful can exercise their priestly mission not only in the parish level but also in BECs.

26. BECs as Priestly Communities
They gather weekly in their chapel to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word presided by lay leaders.
Their monthly or bi-monthly celebration of the Eucharist with the parish priest is festive and well participated.
They have communal liturgies or rituals for various occasions (birthdays, planting & harvesting, sickness, wakes & funerals)

27. Priestly/Worshipping Communities
Bible-Service/
Liturgy of the Word
BEC Mass

28. The Kingly/Servant People
The Church as a Kingly People is called to be a Servant Church.
The mission of the church is not purely spiritual.
The Church is called to be attentive to the situation of poverty, injustice, armed conflict, human rights violation, ecological degradation,
PCP II calls for a renewed social apostolate and for the Church to actively participate in the work for justice, peace, development & integrity of creation. The church is to be involved in social transformation.

29. BECs as Serving Communities
It is in & through the BECs that lay people can actively participate in the process of social transformation.
In response to the problem of poverty, they can set up socio-economic projects (IGP, livelihood, cooperatives, sustainable agriculture, etc.)
Cooperative

30. BECs as Serving Communities
In response to the armed conflict, they can establish peace zones and be part of the peace movement that pressures the government and revolutionary forces to pursue the peace process.

31. BECs as Serving Communities

32. BECs as Serving Communities
To ensure clean and honest elections, the BECs can be mobilized to help the PPCRV or NAMFREL.
They can help in defending the environment
They can be mobilized to participate in nationwide prayer rallies and vigils for various causes taken up by the CBCP or the diocese

33. The Church of the Poor
The most popular image of the Church in PCP II – the Church of the poor
This requires that the leaders and members of the Church embrace evangelical poverty, live a simple life-style and share their resources with the poor.
Those who are not poor are called to make an option for the poor, to be in solidarity with the poor and to defend their rights.
The poor members are empowered & called to actively participate in the life & mission of the Church.

34. BECs as expression of the Church of the Poor
The BECs enable the poor to embrace evangelical poverty and to actively participate in the Church’s prophetic, priestly and pastoral mission
The poor are not only evangelized, they also become evangelizers
The poor are not just passive recipients of aid, they are active participants in the process of social transformation.

35. Conclusion
The building up of BEC is part of the reception and implementation of Vatican II and PCP II vision of the Church
Through the BECs, the Church can truly be experienced as Community of Disciples, whose members live in communion, and participate in the mission of Christ as worshipping, witnessing and serving communities, and as the Church of the poor.
The Church can truly be renewed through the BECs