MANDALAY, Myanmar (UCAN) -- The change is small, and a rather late response to the greater prominence the Second Vatican Council gave laypeople half a lifetime ago, but it might be revolutionary.

In a country where bishops and priests are still considered the unquestioned leaders of the Catholic Church, a layperson heads Mandalay archdiocese's newly established Laity Commission.

It is a small step initiated by Archbishop Paul Grawng of Mandalay to offer laypeople a greater role in the Church.

All the other archdioceses and dioceses in Myanmar have lay associations headed by priests, but Doctor John Khin Maung Pyone is the "lay face" of Mandalay archdiocese. Archbishop Grawng appointed the 60-year-old medical doctor president in July 2006, after consulting local laypeople.

"I have an idea that our laypeople could initiate efforts to develop Catholics as well as help with Church activities," Maung Pyone told UCA News.

He spoke about the changing role of laypeople in the Catholic Church following Vatican Council II (1962-65) and the role of the new laity commission at a one-day laity meeting in Mandalay city, 580 kilometers north of Yangon.

During the March meeting, held at St. John's Church, 37 laypeople and two priests discussed catechism classes, education, faith, economics and social issues. It was the first official meeting of laypeople in the archdiocese since the commission was set up last year and its president appointed.

Maung Pyone said he was concerned "that our Catholic people are weak in faith, economics, education and social dealings." He suggested that laypeople need to take the initiative in promoting personal development. "We also need to get more laypeople involved in Church activities," he continued, but "we don't want to clash with the priests."

Emphasizing that laypeople want to serve, he said some of them already help priests with evangelization, other Church activities and social work.

"For example, when a flood occurred in some parishes near Mandalay city in 2006, our laity commission collected donations of money, clothes, rice and oil from city parishioners," he reported.

One of the priests who attended the meeting, Father Richard Hla Min Oo, the St. John's parish priest, told UCA News that laypeople in his parish are active and conduct monthly meetings. He said he has "no problems" with them and even depends on them to help with social work.

Since laypeople live more like the other people around them, they know more about the people's situation, he reasoned, saying priests need to listen to the laity and not ignore them just because "some laypeople are against us." Reiterating that priests need to collaborate with the laity, he predicted laypeople "would become more active if priests appreciate their activities."

Vatican Council II marked a turning point for the Catholic Church, as it emphasized that the laity are full members of the Church and have a responsibility to be active in Church work.

In a recent interview with UCA News, Archbishop Grawng stressed the "great improvement" he has seen in lay participation in the Church. "It is heartening to have laypeople come up with suggestions and proposals, for example, for teaching the faith, getting necessary funds for the work of the Church, and ensuring proper formation and support of seminarians," he remarked. Archbishop Grawng was appointed archbishop of Mandalay in 2003.

Theory and practice, though, are not always the same. Eusebius Aung Nyunt, from the archdiocese's St. Francis Xavier Parish, spoke of a lingering perception that only bishops and priests, not laypeople, have the authority to conduct meetings. "When the parish priest calls a meeting," he told UCA News, "that is when our laypeople attend."

Aung Nyunt, who has been active in Church work for 30 years, added that they carry out Church activities "only when the parish priest asks us to do so."

On average, the Myanmar Church has nearly 1,000 laypeople for every priest. According to the 2007 Myanmar Catholic Directory, there are about 675 priests, including three archbishops and 12 bishops, serving 627,510 Catholics in a national population of 47 million.

END