Le Comunità Gerachiche “abituali”

At a time when the Italian Church is suffering from a drastic decline in the number of priests, when for decades the pastoral care of parish Units has been tried, when pastoral conversion is necessary to develop existing ministries and create new ones so as to witness a concrete synodality and active co-responsibility, this study on Hierarchical Communities fits in. Conceived by Prof. Valdrini, Hierarchical Communities, habitual and intermediate, become valuable tools for a structural organization of dioceses. Moreover, a characteristic feature of them is that they consider not only the territorial aspect, but also the theological aspect of Communities gathered around the Risen One. They help to set up an organization in “concentric circles” so as to make visible both the hierarchical and the co-responsible and synodal aspects. What the study attempts to do, besides reaffirming the substantial importance of dioceses and parishes, is to give a universal norm to Pastoral Zones, Foranies and Pastoral Units. This becomes, thus, a practical solution, not only for the decline in priests, but for a rethinking of Church as a Community of believers.