Below is the amended statutes of the Parish Pastoral Council for the Archdiocese of Palo. After twelve years since it was promulgated in November 1997 some changes were made as suggested by the priests. The statutes also include norms on the Parish Commissions, Treasurer and Auditor which are separate entities from the Parish Pastoral Council. When the Archbishop Jose Palma promulgated the Statutes of the Parish Finance Council last November 28, 2009, he likewise promulgated the amended statutes of the Parish Pastoral Council which we publish below.
STATUTES PERTINENT TO THE PARISH ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
I. PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILS
(amended)
NATURE AND PURPOSE
Identity of the PPC
1. The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is a consultative body which is truly representative of the whole parish presided over by the Parish Priest. It is the research, planning and evaluating body of the parish.
2. Pastoral in nature, the Parish Pastoral Council deals with concerns affecting Church and world, and concentrates on developing priorities and overall resolutions with regard to issues identified. It recommends parochial plans and policies to the Parish Priest for his approval before they can be implemented.
3. Being a consultative body, it is co-terminus with the Parish Priest. It ceases to exist once the Parish Priest is transferred or removed.
4. Within six months after his installation, the new Parish Priest must establish the Parish Pastoral Council. In the interim, the old PPC will serve in a hold over capacity until a new PPC is established. It is the sole prerogative of the new Parish Priest to reappoint or not the members of the former PPC.
Functions of the PPC
5. The PPC is to facilitate a process in discovering, identifying and promulgating the parish mission statement in line with the priorities of the Archdiocese as embodied in the decrees of the First Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, the universal Church, and in response to the signs of the times. Among its functions are the following:
a. to prayerfully reflect on the needs, the life and the mission of the parish community;
b. to recommend administrative, pastoral and developmental plans and programs for the pastoral needs of all members of the parish to the Parish Priest;
c. to advise the Parish Priest on the pastoral action (cf. canon 536 § 1) of the parish community;
d. to review and evaluate the implementation of the pastoral plans;
e. to gather relevant data as bases for planning, evaluation and recommendation;
f. to perform other lawful tasks which the Parish Priest may assign;
g. to provide a mechanism by which the parishioners shall be encouraged to manifest their views on matters which concern the good of the parish, in the spirit of dialogue and fraternal correction (First Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly or FAPA #20).
Membership
6. The PPC will be composed of at least 15 members with the following as automatic members:
a. Parish Priest
b. Assistant Parish Priest/s, if there is/are any
c. Chairpersons of the Parish Commissions
d. Head of the Catholic School located in the parish
e. BEC coordinator or representative
The rest of the members will be elected or appointed by the Parish Priest after consultation with some parishioners.
7. Terms of membership shall be two years. They can be reappointed or reelected but not for a third consecutive term, otherwise their appointment or election is invalid. However, after a lapse of a two year period, they may be reappointed or reelected to the PPC. The new Parish Priest may reappoint to the PPC only those who served under the former Parish Priest in their first term, regardless whether they completed the term or not; such reappointment is considered the second term.
8. The members of the Parish Pastoral Council must:
a. be of proven faith, morals and outstanding prudence;
b. not be a member of any organization whose tenets are incompatible with the Catholic Church;
c. be at least eighteen (18) years of age;
d. be available and committed to serve the parish.
e. not be under canonical penalty, whether imposed or declared.
f. have a domicile or quasi-domicile in the same parish.
9. Under special pastoral circumstances and conditions of parishes and certain persons, one may be eligible to become a council member with the written permission of the local Ordinary.
10. To the Parish Priest is given the prerogative to decide on the manner of representation or composition of the Parish Pastoral Council in a way that the members would truly represent the whole parish, including various religious and sectoral groups or a representative from the BEC clusters or barangays.
Organization
11. The Parish Priest shall be the Chairperson of the PPC. As such, he presides over the meeting. If for some valid reason he cannot perform this function, he has the power to appoint the Vice-Chairman to preside over the meeting.
12. The Parish Priest shall also appoint a Vice-Chairman and a Secretary who are both lay persons.
13. The PPC meets once every two months except in special cases where these meetings can be called outside of the regular schedule.
Duties of the Officers
14. Chairman
a. to convoke the Parish Pastoral Council;
b. to decide on the agenda of the meeting of the PPC;
c. to receive and decide upon all recommendations of the PPC before they can be implemented;
d. to preside over all meetings of the PPC.
15. Vice-Chairman
a. to preside over the meeting of the PPC in the absence of the Chairman or in his disability;
b. to perform other duties that may be assigned to him by the Chairman;
c. to be the liaison officer among the various commissions and committees.
16. Secretary
a. to record faithfully in writing the minutes of all meetings of the PPC;
b. to gather, arrange and safeguard all the records of the PPC, as well as the records of information taken from the five Commissions;
c. to give notice to members of all meetings called;
d. to receive and distribute correspondence to whom they appertain;
e. to perform all other duties incident to his office.
II. PARISH COMMISSIONS
1. Every parish shall establish five (5) Commissions which shall be the implementing arm of the plans and programs of the Parish Pastoral Council as approved by the Parish Priest. The Commissions are:
a. Commission on Worshipb. Commission on Education (Christian Formation)
c. Commission on Social Action
d. Commission on Temporalities
e. Commission on Youth
2. Each of the five (5) Commissions shall meet at least once a month separately. Minutes of all meetings shall be duly recorded by the Commission Secretaries and copies are to be furnished to the Secretary of the PPC.
3. Each Commission shall have a Chairman appointed by the Parish Priest for a term of two (2) years subject to one reappointment but not for a third consecutive term, otherwise the reappointment is invalid. After a lapse of a two-year period, they can be reappointed. The term does not cease with the transfer or removal of the Parish Priest. The new Parish Priest, however, has to confirm the appointment of the Commission Chairman; otherwise, he has to appoint new Commission Chairman.
Duties of the Commission Chairman
4. The Commission Chairman shall act as the Program Director in his own Commission. He coordinates and oversees the implementation of the parish programs decided by the PPC and approved by the Parish Priest as they pertain to his area of responsibility.
5. Each Commission Chairman may recommend at least five (5) lay faithful as members of the Commission, subject to the approval of the Parish Priest.
6. The Commission Chairman shall appoint a Commission Secretary who shall keep records of the minutes of all meetings and the activities of each respective Commission.
7. He shall submit periodic accomplishment report during the regular meeting of the Parish Pastoral Council.
8. He shall perform such other duties as the PPC or the Parish Priest may prescribe from time to time.
Commission on Worship
9. The Commission on Worship is the Parish Priest’s arm in his duty to promote “full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations” (SC 14) among his parishioners.
10. Among the functions of the Commission, under the guidance of the Parish Priest, are the following:
a. to know the state of the pastoral liturgical activity of the parish;
b. to diligently implement, together with the Parish Priest, policies and activities coming from the Archdiocesan Commission on Liturgy;
c. to suggest opportune plans for the progress of pastoral liturgical action. They should help the Parish Priest in the preparation of the celebration of the liturgy and even select and propose competent people who can assist him in this matter;
d. to help the Parish Priest in the proper maintenance and upkeep of the physical structure of the Church and all sacred furnishings in order to ensure a place and material things worthy of the dignity of the liturgy;
e. to see to it that there is involvement of lay people in the liturgical celebrations, whether the celebration of the Mass or the sacraments, particularly the Sunday liturgy, and that all initiatives towards the promotion of the liturgy in the parish are in mutual accord;
f. to provide the parish with a variety of lay liturgical ministries (i. e., lectors, extraordinary ministers of communion, altar servers, commentators, music directors, choir, cantors of the psalms, organists, and collectors) to promote full, conscious and active participation of the faithful in liturgical celebrations;
g. to conduct regular liturgical formation seminars for all agents of renewal in the parish. These seminars shall aim at a better understanding of the liturgy – emphasizing the centrality of the Eucharist in Christian life (FAPA #58);
h. to introduce special liturgical celebrations catering to the needs of the various sectors in the parish (FAPA #65); and,
i. to study existing popular devotions and make recommendations to the Parish Priest for the purpose of reorienting the parishioners in accordance with the principles of sacred liturgy and in line with the thrust of PCP II (FAPA #57.2).
Commission on Education or Christian Formation
11. Under the guidance of the Parish Priest, the coordination and supervision of Christian formation in the parish shall be assigned to the Commission on Education. It shall be composed of representatives from different parish organizations, faith communities and renewal movements (FAPA #11). Among its functions are the following:
a. to spearhead, coordinate, monitor, evaluate and sustain the task of evangelization of the lay faithful towards the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities at the parish level (FAPA #11);
b. to coordinate, monitor and evaluate activities among faith communities and renewal movements in the Archdiocese in order to establish a more unified, cohesive and effective evangelization (FAPA #3.5);
c. the Commission on Education shall spearhead the establishment of a Parish Biblical Committee which shall conduct Basic Bible Seminars and training (FAPA #12);
d. with the full support of the Parish Priest, the Commission on Christian Education shall also establish a Family and Life Apostolate and Committee on Mass Media the tasks and responsibilities of which are similar to that in the archdiocesan level (FAPA ## 13-14);
e. to prepare programs and projects according to the guidelines set by the Archdiocese that will integrate the evangelical and social dimension of Christian Formation. Hence, the Commission on Christian Education should interact closely with the Worship, Social Action and Youth Commissions to ensure that these dimensions are woven into the total Christian Education Program; and,
f. to conduct an orientation seminar or give catechetical instructions to recipients and sponsors in the celebrations of such sacraments as baptism, confirmation and weddings, so that they will understand their Christian duties and responsibilities relative to their role as recipient or sponsor (FAPA #62).
Commission on Social Action
12. The Social Action Commission concerns itself with the Social Action Apostolate of the Church in the parish level. In pursuance of the goals defined by the 2nd Plenary Council, the Commission must form the “social conscience” of each parishioner in the light of the Social Doctrines of the Church. Its functions, therefore, are:
a. to judiciously adapt with revisions or adopt in entirety an education program for social awareness and action for the various sectoral groups in the parish (FAPA #73.1);
b. to organize a Committee on Social Services composed of competent and skilled manpower (FAPA #73.3) which will be tasked to conduct the periodic surveys to determine the socio-pastoral needs of the parishioners (FAPA #73.2);
c. to conduct community involvement projects that will address the socio-economic concerns of the community;
d. to coordinate with the different government and non-government agencies (FAPA #73) and serve as the local arm of the Social Action Center of the Archdiocese; and,
e. to create an ecology desk which will coordinate with barangay and municipal officials and the different government and non-government agencies insofar as this is practicable (FAPA #74).
Commission on Temporalities
13. The Commission on Temporalities assists the Parish Priest in the administration of the physical properties of the parish and the conservation of other temporal goods belonging to the parish. Among its functions are the following:
a. to help the Parish Priest administer the temporal goods of the parish;b. to assist the Parish Priest in the titling of all the real estate properties of the parish;
c. to assist in the support and maintenance of the Church and the rectory facilities, funding of parish programs and other temporal needs of the parish (FAPA #81.2);
d. to help the Parish Priest conduct activities to generate local resources for the parish;
e. to assist the Parish Priest in the supervision and coordination of parish construction projects and improvements;
f. to assist the Parish Priest in maintaining an Inventory of all Church properties in the parish. An Inventory should be made with every outgoing and incoming Parish Priest (FAPA #81.1);
g. to coordinate with and assist the Archdiocesan Commission on Temporalities regarding temporal matters of the parish (FAPA #81.3);
h. to establish a management information system to include specifically the directory of parishioners for pastoral purposes, in consultation with the Archdiocesan Commission on Temporalities (FAPA #81.4); and,
i. to require religious organizations engaging in fund raising activities to seek approval from the Parish Priest and to account and submit reports to the Commission on Temporalities.
Commission on Youth
14. The organization and Christian formation of the youth in the parish shall be assigned to the Commission on Youth. There shall be created corresponding Worship, Education and Social Action Committees whose functions are the following:
a. to take charge in the evangelization and Christian formation of the youth in coordination with the Parish Commission on Education;
b. to initiate activities and programs for the youth in the parish such as worship, vocation promotions, social concerns and catechism for the out-of-school youth (FAPA ##15 & 19) in coordination with the Parish Commissions concerned; and,
c. to maintain close contact with the Archdiocesan Youth Ministry and to implement its plans and activities in the parish level.
III. PARISH TREASURER
1. In each parish, a Parish Treasurer is to be appointed by the Parish Priest, after consulting the members of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) and the Parish Finance Council (PFC).
2. The Parish Treasurer is to be appointed for five (5) years subject to one reappointment, unless removed for grave reasons.
3. Persons related to the Parish Priest up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity are excluded from this office (cf. canon 492 § 3).
4. The following are the functions of the Parish Treasurer:
a. to act as custodian of the money gathered from special or extraordinary collections or fund raising projects. All monies should be deposited in the bank except for petty cash which will stay in the hands of the Treasurer. Books and documents should be deposited in a steel cabinet provided for this purpose in which case only the priest and treasurer will hold the key to this cabinet. Strict rules of bookkeeping and accounting must be followed;
b. to be co-signatory with the Parish Priest of all the accounts of the Commissions
Pursuant to the Circular Letter No. 04, Series of 1997, all parish monies should never be deposited under the personal name of the Parish Priest. The title of the deposit should be:
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF PALO, Inc.
In trust for the Parish of __________.
Aside from the Parish Priest and the Treasurer, the Archbishop should always be a signatory alone in the deposits of parish funds, so that in cases of emergency the money can be easily withdrawn;
d. to disburse funds only with the knowledge and consent of the Parish Priest, with vouchers and receipts;
e. to prepare, submit and publish annual financial report to the Parish Priest, to the PPC and to the PFC (cf. canon 494 § 4), or as often as the Parish Priest requires it;
f. to open the books for inspection at anytime by authorized officials of the Chancery;
g. in the case of transfer or removal of the parish priest, to submit a terminal financial report to the new Parish Priest, specifically during the installation and turn-over rites, together with the canonical books and other pertinent records of the parish.
IV. PARISH AUDITOR
The Parish Auditor has the following functions:
a. to make a periodic audit of the book of accounts of the Treasurer;
b. to make a performance audit periodically of projects of the parish; and,
c. to submit to the Archbishop his audit report of the parish.
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