Page 39 - 3.faith-ministry

39

acutely secular pastoral situation such as the police service. Ministry by its nature is

connected to mission and evangelisation, and while care must be taken to avoid
attempts at religious conversion, it should however exude an unapologetic

confidence in manifesting both its nature and indeed its mission. Quite simply if
Christian ministry is not primarily concerned about making better disciples of

Christians, then it fails in its purpose. In this regard a Catholic perspective should
learn from the experience of the CPA, and overtly affirm and promote its distinctive

values and missionary aims. Of course those from other denominations, and indeed
other faiths should also be fully encountered as the challenge for religion is to
‘celebrate both our commonalities and differences, because if we had nothing in

common we could not communicate, and if we had everything in common, we would
65
have nothing to say’ (Sacks 2010:17/09/10) . Although there are currently no wider
faith ministry perspectives within the constabulary, a Catholic approach should help
to ‘preserve and promote’ these other religious communities along with the morals
and values they represent (NA §2). In so doing a Catholic ministry shall be properly

envisioned as an ecumenical and inter-faith enterprise that not only establishes and
affirms the Christian Church but which also nourishes those from among other faiths

so that together they can ‘give a convincing witness before the world’ (Benedict XVI
2010).

65 The Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks made this point at an inter-faith meeting in his address to Benedict XVI during
the Papal visit to the UK (www.thepapalvisit.org.uk).