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metaphors in order that a more fully integrated and religious spirituality can emerge

(CES 2005:61).

The second principle concerns how we understand ministry? As we have established
there can be a tendency for both the police service and the church to maintain a

traditional approach that is centred upon the minister rather than the ministry itself.
Indeed within the service a narrow priest-minister version of chaplaincy is the focus
and alternative methods of chaplaincy, or indeed other models of ministry have yet to

be properly considered. This can be reflected within the universal Church which
continues to envision a hierarchical approach to ministry. One of the problems of

course is that the priest-chaplain model of ministry can in the Catholic perspective
presuppose a sacramental imperative. However it is difficult to discern within the
policing environment the sacramental outlook that is found within other chaplaincy

contexts. There is a risk that this can in turn signal to the Church an absence of any
requirement for a specific ministry to the police service. Instead ministry may become

conceived in its loosest terms as nothing more than individual discipleship 63 or
Christian witness by Catholics within the service. Clearly at a grassroots level wider

models of ministry are emerging, and chaplaincy has moved beyond the boundaries
of its canonical definition as lay participation has become incorporated. A Catholic

perspective should therefore be able to clearly articulate its understanding of
ministry, and likewise be prepared to move beyond its own established norms and
patterns so that ministry becomes more flexible, and can be tailored to the needs of

each specific pastoral situation.

This brings us to the third principle of a Catholic approach which relates to how the

resources of ministry are identified. The police service has demonstrated a real
openness to issues of faith and examples at a local level include its support and

promotion of the CPA, and its willingness to work in partnership with the Street
Pastors initiative. How the service perceives these initiatives is open to question, and

it is a limitation of this research that the views of the constabulary leadership

63 Cunningham & Egan hint at the lived encounter with Jesus within Christian spirituality being a metaphor for
discipleship which itself involves a participation in the ministry of Jesus (1996:7-14).