Parish Pastoral Councils
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILS
Archdiocese of Cebu
P R E A M B L E
We, the living members of the Mystical Body of Christ, inspired, enhanced and encouraged to become more expressive in our concern for our faith; as sharers in hope through ________________________________________ Pastoral Council guided by the authority of the Church and existing laws do pledge to become active in our Service to the Lord.
ARTICLE I: NAME AND OFFICE
Section 1 – The name of this organization shall be the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) of _____________________________________________.
Section 2 - The main office of this organization shall be located at the Parish rectory of_____________________________________________.
ARTICLE II – NATURE AND ROLE
Section 1 - The Parish Pastoral Council prescribed in Canon 536.1 of the Code is a consultative and advisory body (C 536.2) “that advises and assists the parish priest in the implementation of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan in the parish level and the continuing formation of the parish communities” (4th Synod of Cebu, no. 219).
Section 2 - The Parish Pastoral Council shall be presided over by the Parish Priest (C 536.1, 4th Synod of Cebu no. 219). Any program or activity initiated by the Parish Pastoral Council shall be presented for approval to the Parish Priest.
ARTICLE III: OBJECTIVES
Section 1 - To build the local church with the inspiration, guidance and supervision of the Parish Priest through continuous evangelization and personal witnessing of the teaching of Christ.
a) to teach continuously the Gospel of Christ to all parishioners.
b) to lead and guide the people in the proper and dynamic worship of the Lord.
c) to study the conditions and situations of the people of God in the community.
d) to propose, undergo and evaluate programs of activities in response to identified needs.
e) to develop lay leaders who will be the leaven and animators in the building of communities.
Section 2 - To implement in the parish level all archdiocesan programs under the supervision of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Board.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
The members of this organization shall be: a) presidents of all mandated lay organizations and movements in the parish, b) presidents of all chapels and zones in the parish, c) chairpersons of the WESTY (Worship, Education, Service, Temporalities, Youth) Committees and the heads of their various ministries (lay ministers, choir, cantors, catechists, etc.), d) BEC Coordinator or his equivalent, e) head/s of catholic school/s in the parish, f.) superior/head of the religious house/community in the parish.
ARTICLE V: ORGANIZATION
Section 1 - The Pastoral Council shall have the following built-in structures for effective implementation of the Parish Vision, Mission and Objectives. These are: The General Assembly, the Executive Committee (EXECOM), the WESTY Committees, the Zone and Chapel Pastoral Councils.
Section 2 - The General Assembly shall be composed of the members mentioned in Article IV. They shall as a body formulate, approve, disapprove resolutions and policies related to the implementation of the objectives. Said body also evaluate the activities undertaken and on-going in the light of the objectives.
Section 3 - The EXECOM shall be composed of the officers of the Parish Pastoral Council, the chairpersons of the WESTY Committees and the President of the Chapel Leaders’ Association or Zone Presidents and the BEC Coordinator. They are tasked to formulate policies to implement the programs and policies of the parish and the programs from the Archdiocese.
Section 4 - The WESTY Committees are composed of the officers elected by the General Assembly or appointed by the Parish Priest under the following: Worship, Education/Formation, Service, Temporalities and Youth. They are tasked to implement the programs of evangelization in their areas. They are periodically required to give progress reports of their performance and are evaluated according to their objectives.
Section 5 - The Zone Pastoral Council is composed of the officers of the chapels belonging to the zone. They see to the needs of the zones and implement the policies of the Parish Pastoral Council.
Section 6 - The Chapel Pastoral Council is composed of the officers of the chapel. They see to the needs of the chapel and implement the policies of the Parish Pastoral Council at their level.
ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS AND TENURE OF OFFICE
Section 1 - The Parish Pastoral Council officers are:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Auditor.
Section 2 - Each WESTY Committee shall have a chairman and a secretary.
Section 3 - The officers of the Zone / Chapel Pastoral Councils are:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor.
Section 4 - The Zones / Chapels shall have their own WESTY.
Section 5 - All officers shall hold office for two (2) years and can be re-elected. However, no officer shall hold office for more than two (2) consecutive terms. The officers of the PPC shall tender their courtesy resignation upon assumption of the new parish priest.
Section 6 - When an officer is incapacitated or for other reasons may be incapable to function before the end of his term, the EXECOM, after consultation with the Parish Priest, shall decide who shall fill the vacant position.
Section 7 - The Parish Pastoral Council EXECOM after due consultation with the immediate superior/s may be dissolved by the Parish Priest and subsequently the structures under it if it no longer functions as stated in this Constitution and By-Laws.
ARTICLE VII: FUNCTIONS / TASKS OF THE OFFICERS
Section 1 - Functions of the President
The President shall:
a) Call meetings of the General Assembly, the EXECOM and the WESTY Committees through the secretary.
b) Preside at all meetings.
c) Have the decisive vote on occasions when there is a tie in the voting.
d) Orders payments authorized by the EXECOM and the General Assembly.
e) Preserve order and defend the rights of the members.
f) Approve all disbursements and other administrative documents/papers.
g) See to it that the Constitution and By-Laws and all resolutions passed by the EXECOM and General Assembly are followed.
h) Attend national, diocesan and district meetings when called for.
i) Sign all documents and official papers pertinent to his/her position.
j) Submit administrative, financial and other necessary reports and papers to the Parish Pastoral Council.
k) Perform other duties that may be assigned to him/her by the Parish Priest or the Parochial Vicar.
Section 2 - Functions of the Vice-President
The Vice-President shall:
a) Take the place of the President in case the latter becomes incapable of holding office. He/She shall assume the power and responsibility of the President.
b) Attend national, diocesan and other meetings delegated to him/her.
c) Coordinate, direct and support the varied pastoral activities in the parish for better efficiency.
d) Perform all other duties delegated to him/her.
Section 3 - Functions of the Secretary
The Secretary shall:
a) Act as secretary of the General Assembly and the EXECOM in all meetings.
b) Keep the records of all the minutes of the meetings.
c) Coordinate, guide and support the varied activities, programs of the PPC for better implementation.
d) Furnish all the officers of the PPC with all the minutes of the meeting.
e) Be the custodian of all minutes and other important papers submitted to his/her office by the different standing committees.
f) Perform all other duties delegated to him/her.
Section 4 - Functions of the Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
a) Keep all the funds of the PPC and all the books of account relative to his/her function.
b) Campaign for the collection of all necessary fees and dues approved by the EXECOM.
c) Receive and keep accurate records of all donations to the PPC.
d) Issue receipts for all collections, donations, fees/dues, and other income received and keep an accurate recording of the same.
e) Deposit all funds/moneys in the bank before disbursements are made.
f) Pay all legitimate and authorized expenses or issue necessary checks to be always countersigned by the Parish Priest and the President.
g) Keep his books and records open for examination at a convenient time for any member of the Council or by any authorized person.
h) Be the custodian of all kinds of property belonging to the PPC.
i) Coordinate, support and supervise the varied activities of the PPC for better implementation and efficiency.
j) Perform other duties that may be delegated to him/her by the Parish Priest and the President.
Section 5 - Functions of the Auditor
The Auditor shall:
a) Audit/Check all money, disbursements and records made by the Treasurer.
b) Coordinate, support and supervise the different activities of the PPC for better efficiency.
c) Perform all other functions delegated to him/her.
ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS
Section 1 - The Parish Pastoral Council shall call for a meeting of the General Assembly in the month of _____________ every year. The election of officers shall be held during this assembly every other year, i.e. 1991, 1993, 1995, etc.
Section 2 - The EXECOM shall meet every ____________ of the month at ______________ .
Section 3 - The WESTY Committees shall meet every ____________ of the month at ______________.
Section 4 - The Committee on Temporalities shall meet as frequently as necessary to plan on special projects and other activities pertinent to fund raising.
Section 5 - The Parish Priest or his Parochial Vicar shall attend all meetings of the General Assembly and the EXECOM.
ARTICLE IX: MODE OF ELECTION
Section 1 - The election of officers shall be conducted by the General Assembly. The elections shall be preceded with a recollection. The General Assembly shall determine the manner of election in consultation with the Parish Priest. The election may be Consistorial or Corporation type.
Consistorial Type
Election of the five (5) PPC Officers is by secret ballot. There
shall be no nomination. Everyone is eligible for election. The one who gets ¾ of the vote gets the position. If however, nobody gets the ¾ vote a second balloting will be conducted with the highest five (5) nominees as candidates. The one who gets the highest vote is elected.
Corporation Type
At least three (3) or a maximum of five (5) can be nominated for each position. After the balloting, the one who gets the highest number of votes is elected.
Section 2 - The following are qualifications of the officers of the PPC and its structures:
- A practicing Catholic.
- A bona fide member:
a) resident of the parish, and/or
b) active in the parish
Section 3 - The following cannot be elected to the PPC and its structures:
- Not a practicing Catholic.
- An elected government official (National, Region, City, Town, Barangay).
- Has shown behavior contrary to moral standards or is a member of Masonic and anti-catholic sects.
Section 4 - Elected officers of the PPC and its structures who intend to run for government office shall tender their resignation upon filing their certificate of candidacy.
ARTICLE X: FINANCES
Section 1 - The funds of the PPC shall consist of the following:
a) Annual dues to be determined by the EXECOM shall be collected from each organization, movement or chapel. This amount will defray the administrative function of the PPC.
b) Fund raising projects initiated by the PPC shall be undertaken by the Chairman on Temporalities upon approval and recommendation of the Parish Priest.
c) Solicitations, pledges and voluntary contribution for specific purposes in cash or in kind may be entrusted to the treasurer provided there is an authorization from the Parish Priest.
d) Funds shall be deposited in the bank under three signatories namely, the Parish Priest/Moderator of the Team Ministry, the PPC President and the PPC Treasurer.
Section 2 - The EXECOM with the approval of the Parish Priest shall have the power, control and supervision over the funds.
a) The EXECOM shall prepare the annual budget two (2) months after assuming office.
b) Money shall be disbursed according to the specific objectives of the project and upon proper resolutions.
c) Application for a funding of delegates to seminars, workshops and meetings shall depend on the availability of funds and upon recommendation of the EXECOM.
d) The Treasurer and Auditor, in coordination with the Committee on Temporalities, shall submit an annual financial report to the General Assembly with regular monthly reporting by the Treasurer.
Section 3 - The PPC shall be responsible only for the funds it has raised.
ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS
Section 1 - The proposed revisions to the articles and subsequent sections shall be referred to an AD-HOC Committee for study. The proposal shall then be presented to the General Assembly for reaction, modification, deletion, disapproval or approval. The proposed amendments are forwarded to the Pastoral Planning Board for ratification.
Section 2 - The composition of the AD-HOC Committee on Amendments shall be a Chairman and six (6) Members, selected based on expertise, experience and integrity.
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