Catholic laity

There are estimated to be over one billion Roman Catholics in the world. The majority of these are lay Catholics, also known as the laity, which includes all Roman Catholics, except those who are part of the clergy. The Catholic Church is overseen by the Pope, two hundred cardinals and just over 31,000 bishops. The Pope, cardinals, and bishops are known collectively as the Catholic Hierarchy and are responsible for the supervision, management, and pastoral care of all members the Catholic Church, including clergy, religious, and the laity.

The Pontifical Council for the Laity

The Pontifical Council for the Laity is a dicastery of the Roman Curia. It is based in Vatican City.

The council "...assists the Pope in all matters concerning the contribution the lay faithful make to the life and mission of the Church, whether as individuals or through the various forms of association that have arisen and constantly arise within the Church."

This dicastery emerged from the Decree on the Lay Apostolate of the Second Vatican Council - Apostolicam Actuositatem. It was officially created by Pope Paul VI, on 6 January 1967, with the motu proprio Catholicam Christi Ecclesiam.

Laity

In religious organizations, the laity consists of all members who are not a part of the clergy, whether they are or are not members of religious institutes, e.g. a nun or lay brother.

In Christian cultures, the term lay priest is sometimes used in the past to refer to a secular priest, a diocesan priest who is not a member of a religious institute. Terms such as lay priest, lay clergy and lay nun were also once used in Buddhist cultures to indicate ordained persons who continued to live in the wider community instead of retiring to a monastery.

In the context of specialized professions, the term lay is often used to refer to those who are not members of that profession.

The word lay derives from the Anglo-French lai (from Late Latin laicus, from the Greek λαϊκός, laikos, of the people, from λαός, laos, the people at large).

Christian laity

Anglicanism

Anyone who is not a bishop, priest, or deacon in the Church. In the Anglican tradition, all baptized persons are expected to minister in Christ's name. The orders of ministry are thus laypersons, deacons, priests, and bishops.