Small Christian Communities; Domestic Church

SUMMARY
This study traces some lines of theological-biblical and pastoral reflection on the ecclesial «ministry» of the Christian family, founded on the sacrament of the marriage. A Christian family becomes a «domestic Church» to the extent that the spouses, through their total, faithful, indissoluble and fruitful love, participate in Christ’s love and make it visible to their children, to the Christian community and also to those who no longer understand the «language» of the Church.

SOMMARIO
Il presente studio traccia alcune linee di riflessione teologico-biblica e pastorale sul «ministero» ecclesiale della famiglia cristiana, fondata sul sacramento del matrimonio. Una famiglia cristiana diventa una «Chiesa domestica» nella misura in cui gli sposi, con il loro amore totale, fedele, indissolubile e fecondo, prendono parte a quello di Cristo e lo rendono visibile ai figli, alla comunità cristiana e anche a coloro che non comprendono più la «lingua» della Chiesa.

Today there are over 180,000 Small Christian Communities in the nine AMECEA countries. For example, Tanzania has over 60,000 and Kenya over 45,000 SCCs. We can describe an African SCC as the domestic church, the church in the neighborhood. SCCs are also called domestic communities of faith. 90--95% of the SCCs in the AMECEA Region are geographical/territorial, parish-based groups that are an official ecclesial structure in the Eastern African pastoral model of church, an official pastoral policy and an
instrument/vehicle/tool of evangelization.

      This article treats: "Historical Perspective of SCCs in Africa;" "Reading the Signs of the Times in Africa;" "Case Study of SCCs in Family and Marriage Ministry in Africa; and "The Way Forward in Eastern Africa."

There is a common phenomenon in Belgium in which individuals or families choose to share their life in some form of communal existence with other individuals or families. Among these, there are several projects that are specifically organized by or for Catholics. These are characterized by being primarily groups of families choosing to construct a shared life around a shared mission. These projects are autonomous, neither religious communities nor part of the new international lay movements but characteristically Christian. With a view to the person’s fulfillment, these projects integrate various dimensions of a person’s social as well as spiritual relations, both individual and familial. The way these communities are organized and the effect they have on the members’ faith development make them very similar to the beguinage movement of the later middle ages. The article examines six different communities in Belgium that have existed for many years. It sets out the different motives involved in their formation, describes their community structure, and gives an account of their different goals. It then engages in a theological reflection on how these different communities as a whole can be said to contribute to the sanctity of its members. The reflection is organized around the themes of sanctification, communion, and mission. The article continues by considering the various ways in which the communities share in an ecclesial dimension, concretizing the vocation of each of the members within a family context. This is examined in terms of the autonomy, strength, and mutual recognition that life in community fosters. It concludes by offering how further reflection on this new lifestyle can contribute to both a theology of the laity and to a renewal of parish life.

La Epístola de Judas, escrito cristiano de inicios del siglo II d.C., contiene una dura crítica a ciertos miembros de la comunidad que están ejerciendo una influencia creciente. Si bien se ha intentado ver en estos personajes a creyentes desordenados y licenciosos, incluso de tinte gnóstico, nuestra propuesta se orienta a comprender la Epístola de Judas como representante de un cristianismo opositor a la emergente jerarquía local. Esta hipótesis la sostendremos a partir de un análisis de los términos con que el autor designa a sus oponentes, que confrontaremos con la Ascensión de Isaías y las cartas de Ignacio de Antioquía. La Ascensión de Isaías, documento también proveniente del área de Siria, coincide en muchos aspectos con nuestra epístola en cuestión; Ignacio exalta la conducción episcopal y describe a los jerarcas de la comunidad con ciertas características que se estarían oponiendo explícitamente a lo que se propone en la Epístola de Judas.

Palabras clave: Epístola de Judas; liderazgo; obispos; Iglesia; discurso.

The work establishes the magisterial and theological foundations for an understanding of the family as domestic church. From the Second Vatican Council on, this 255-page book examines the official teachings of the Catholic Church on the subject and analyze the identity, mission and spirituality of the Christian household. The volume intents to help readers to deepen knowledge and support their ministry with families.