Unity in a Diverse Church: Dream and Task

Описание: October 23, 2025
Presenter:  Mar Muñoz-Visoso, executive director, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Unity in a Diverse Church: Dream and Task

What is the source of unity in the Church? And are we looking for unity in all the wrong places? Muñoz-Visoso, focuses on the necessity of building intercultural competence for effective pastoral leadership in the increasingly diverse U.S. Catholic Church. With 44% of U.S. parishes defining themselves as multicultural. She argues that the source of unity is who (the Holy Trinity/Christ) and not what, and that diversity is a constitutive mark of the Church.

She outlines five core intercultural competencies required for ministry, including framing diversity theologically and attaining a deeper understanding of culture (using the iceberg analogy to distinguish visible cultural traits from underlying values and beliefs). The biblical foundation for diversity and mission, references the missionary mandate, Old Testament imperatives regarding aliens (Leviticus 19:33-34; Isaiah 56:7), the Church's birth at Pentecost (Acts 2:4), and the vision of heaven (Revelation 7:9-10).

To achieve genuine ecclesial integration and inclusion—beyond just assimilation—five principles are offered: recognizing cultural differences as a gift; fostering enculturation of the Gospel in all cultures; planning with people rather than for them; broadening ministry understanding (casting a bigger net); and empowering people from different cultures into leadership positions, noting that representation matters. The Church, by addressing these issues faithfully, can become a beacon of hope against societal polarization.

Missionary Disciples Going Forth with Joy: National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic and Latino Ministry from the USCCB https://www.usccb.org/resources/Missi...

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Video summary was composed with the assistance of NotebookLM