In a recently posted article on St. John Henry Newman (See: [*St. John Henry Newman's Elevation as Doctor of the Church Seen as a Gift for Our Times*](https://www.ncregister.com/news/pentin-newman-doctor-providential)) , Fr. [Ignatius] Harrison who commented on five key teachings of the Saint only briefly addresses Newman's thoughts on the importance of the laity and their role in the Church: "that the laity is not supplementary' but crucial to the very foundation of the Church, and that he wanted an informed, and well-educated laity for the Church's mission.'" QUESTION: Can anyone expand in more detail St. John Henry Newman's teaching on the importance of the laity and their role in the Catholic Church? Primary references are appreciated. Thank you.

I have been trying to find the original source and transcript containing the following famous quote of Ven. Fulton J. Sheen on the laity: > Who’s going to save our Church? It’s not our bishops, it’s not our priests and it is not the religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that the priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops, and the religious act like religious. I have read that he said it at the Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in June of 1972, but I would like to locate, if possible, an audio recording or a transcript of the speech. Would anyone know where I can find such? If he uttered this quote earlier than this, it would be very helpful to know this.

So says Matt. 19:24--- > It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. QUESTION: I would like to know who (if any) among the **non-royal laity** have been canonized by the Catholic Church who died a natural death (i.e., not martyred) as a lay person in an economic state that might be considered well-to-do or better? (I am interested in canonized Saints who fit this criteria; nevertheless, if anyone is aware of a well-to-do individual whose cause for Sainthood has been opened, I would like to know of that individual(s) as well.) *Remark:* I have not been able to think of one such individual. I know that the Ven. Leo Dupont was born wealthy and did many wonderful things with his money, much of which he spent on charitable and pious endeavors. I don't believe that he died poor. However, he still has not been declared a Saint in the Catholic Church.

Were there any lay Christian writers/theologians as prominent as Church Fathers in the Early Church? Also, why was there a lack of laity representation in bible studies and theology?

I am under the impression that a Roman Catholic parish priest must visit the households of his parish on an annual basis. But is this done anymore? I am sure it has been promulgated somewhere and at some time in the past. Can anyone provide any light on this? Thank you.

The talk given by Ven. Fulton Sheen in the following link pertains to the laity: - [**Confirmation** - Venerable Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (YouTube video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gm3X1vJNZU) It begins as follows: “... The greatest untapped reservoir of spiritual power is to be found in the Christian laity.” I would like to obtain a transcript of the audio, which is entitled *Confirmation*. QUESTION: Does anyone know if a transcript of this audio is available online? I have been able to locate other transcripts of Ven. Sheen, but not this one. Thank you.

In the news reports swirling around the 2019 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, something struck me as odd – there were "lay delegates" among the 800 delegates able to vote on the future direction of the denomination. For example, NPR reported: > Also speaking against the plan was Nancy Denardo, a lay delegate of western Pennsylvania ([source](https://www.npr.org/2019/02/26/698188343/united-methodist-church-votes-to-keep-bans-on-same-sex-weddings-lgbtq-clergy)) Methodism was born out of the Church of England, which has an "episcopal" system of government – churches are led by priests and overseen by bishops. It's a more hierarchical structure than Presbyterianism, for example, where churches are led by a group of elders and each church is overseen by all the elders in a particular region. But at least in my Presbyterian denomination, there is no concept of "lay delegates" at the general assembly – the only people who can vote are those who have been ordained as an elder/pastor. Thus it seems odd to me that the Methodists – more hierarchical than Presbyterians – would allow the laity to vote in their general assemblies. From my cursory research on Wikipedia, it sounds like the system today is not the way it was from the beginning – apparently the laity were denied voting rights at the 1792 General Conference, and a faction split from the church when laity were not given voting powers in the 1820s ([source](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Methodist_Episcopal_Church&oldid=846221567#Growth,_the_first_General_Conference,_and_the_O 'Kelly_Schism_(1785%E2%80%931792))). Thus my question is – **when did the UMC, or its predecessor denominations, first allow laity to vote in its general conferences?** By predecessor denominations, I mean the [Methodist Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Church_(USA)) (1939–1968), the [Methodist Episcopal Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Episcopal_Church) (1784–1939), and the [Methodist Episcopal Church, South](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Episcopal_Church,_South) (1844–1939).

I know that proclaiming the Gospel at Mass is restricted to ordained folks. But, is it permissible for a lay man or woman to lead a word and communion service and read from the Gospel? Can they lead a different sort of prayer service in a Catholic Church that includes the proclamation of the Gospel?

If leaders of Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches are still far from resolving the theological issues separating these two true churches, is there any ecumenical movement at lay people level like the [Taize fraternity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiz%C3%A9_Community) where Protestants and Catholics live and worship together? Are there Christians from both sides who recognize the truthfulness of the other side and are longing to share the richness of these two traditions despite the opinions of their respective church hierarchies?

For example, suppose a forum member asked, "What is the meaning of the phrase 'this mystery...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory' in Col. 1:27? (You can replace this with any scripture, the point being that the forum member is asking for the interpretation of scripture, or a phrase therein.) Is a Catholic layperson (laity) permitted to answer such a question, and therefore interpret scripture? If so, what guidelines must he/she follow when interpreting scripture (i.e., answering a question asking for the interpretation of a scripture, or a phrase therein)? **Primary reason for the question**: I get the impression that the interpretation of scripture is reserved for the magisterium. If so, wouldn't that also prohibit or restrict the laity from interpreting scripture on blogs, forums, and websites?