The history of the Church is woven by men and women who understood that the mission does not belong to a single person, but to the entire believing community. Long before the word “co-responsibility” occupied a central place in contemporary ecclesial language, saints, religious, and laity were already living that experience of communion and shared service. Among them, two fundamental figures for the Order of Saint Augustine stand out: Clement of Osimo and Augustine of Tarano.
Both religious, united by friendship, mission, and the governance of the Order, embodied a deeply evangelical form of co-responsibility: placing one’s own gifts at the service of the People of God to build a Church that is more fraternal, organized, and faithful to the Gospel.
Two Men at the Service of a Common Mission
Clement of Osimo was born at the beginning of the 13th century and served as Prior General of the Order on four occasions. He died in Orvieto in 1291 with a reputation for holiness. His work was decisive in consolidating Augustinian life in Europe: he promoted general studies in Rome, Bologna, Padua, Naples, and Paris; encouraged the establishment of convents for women; oversaw religious observance; and strengthened Marian devotion within the Order.
Augustine of Tarano, for his part, was born around 1240. Trained in law at the University of Bologna, he initially developed a political career at the court of King Manfred of Sicily. Later, he joined the Augustinians as a non-clerical brother, even concealing his social and academic status. However, his intellectual and legal capacity soon became evident. Clement of Osimo called him to Rome, where he received the priesthood and was appointed Apostolic Penitentiary and confessor to Pope Boniface VIII.
Both ended up linked to one of the Order’s most important works: the drafting of the Constitutions of Ratisbon of 1290, considered the first Augustinian constitutions preserved to this day.
A Co-responsibility Lived Through Talents
The Church today defines co-responsibility as a spirituality based on Baptism, where all the faithful share the evangelizing mission according to their charisms and vocations. It is not solely about financial collaboration, but about offering time, talent, and treasure for the common good and the building up of the community.
The lives of Clement of Osimo and Augustine of Tarano reflect precisely that dynamic.
Clement placed his capacity for governance, pastoral vision, and spiritual sensitivity at the service of the Church. He understood that formation was essential for evangelization and committed himself decisively to culture and study. He did not centralize the mission in himself; he knew how to convene, delegate, and create structures that allowed the Order to grow.
Augustine of Tarano offered another type of talent: legal knowledge, prudence, and organizational capacity. His political and academic experience became a tool at the service of religious life and ecclesial communion. Far from seeking personal prestige, he transformed his human capabilities into humble service for the Church.
Co-responsibility is born precisely there: when each person discovers that their gifts do not belong to them exclusively, but are a gift to be shared.
Walking Together: A Deeply Synodal Intuition
The current synodal path promoted by Pope Francis insists on the need to “walk together,” listen, discern communally, and recognize that everyone has something to contribute to the life of the Church.
In a way, Clement and Augustine already lived that intuition centuries ago. The drafting of the Constitutions of Ratisbon was not simply an administrative exercise. It was a process of communal discernment to provide stability, identity, and a sense of belonging to a young and expanding Order.
Co-responsibility does not eliminate differences in vocation or ministry, but it does remind us that everyone participates in the same baptismal mission. Clement and Augustine exercised different, complementary, and deeply united responsibilities. One through pastoral leadership; the other through legal and organizational reflection. Both understood that ecclesial communion requires a diversity of charisms.
A Current Teaching for the Church
Today, as the Church seeks to strengthen the participation of the laity, community life, and synodality, these medieval figures offer a surprisingly modern teaching.
Co-responsibility is not an organizational strategy or a pastoral fad. It is a way of understanding the Church as the family of God, where no one is left on the sidelines of the mission. Everyone—laity, consecrated persons, priests, and deacons—is called to be actively involved with their abilities, time, and resources.
Clement of Osimo and Augustine of Tarano remind us that holiness is also built by collaborating, organizing, listening, and working together. The mission is never individual. The Church grows when each baptized person discovers they have something valuable to offer and places it generously at the service of others.
