CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY
GENERAL DIRECTORY
FOR CATECHESIS
ABBREVIATIONS
I
BIBLICAL ABBREVIATIONS
Old Testament
Gen: Genesis
Ex: Exodus
Lev: Leviticus
Num: Numbers
Deut: Deuteronomy
Josh: Joshua
Judg: Judges
Ruth: Ruth
1 Sam: 1 Samuel
2 Sam: 2 Samuel
1 Kings: 1 Kings
2 Kings: 2 Kings
1 Chron: 1 Chronicles
2 Chron: 2 Chronicles
Ezra: Ezra
Neh: Nehemiah
Tob: Tobit
Jud: Judith
Estherd: Esther
Job: Job
Ps: Psalms
Prov: Proverbs
Eccles: Ecclesiastes
Song: Song of Solomon
Wis: Wisdom
Sir: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Is: Isaiah
Jer: Jeremiah
Lam: Lamentations
Bar: Baruch
Ezek: Ezekiel
Dan: Daniel
Hos: Hosea
Joel: Joel
Amos: Amos
Obad: Obadiah
Jon: Jonah
Mic: Micah
Nahum: Nahum
Hab: Habakkuk
Zeph: Zephaniah
Hag: Haggai
Zech: Zechariah
Mal: Malachi
1 Mac: 1 Maccabees
2 Mac: 2 Maccabees
New Testament
Mt: Matthew
Mk: Mark
Lk: Luke
Jn: John
Acts: Acts of the Apostles
Rom: Romans
1 Cor: 1 Corinthians
2 Cor: 2 Corinthians
Gal: Galatians
Eph: Ephesians
Phil: Philippians
Col: Colossians
1 Thess: 1 Thessalonians
2 Thess: 2 Thessalonians
1 Tim: 1 Timothy
2 Tim: 2 Timothy
Tit: Titus
Philem: Philemon
Heb: Hebrews
Jas: James
1 Pet: 1 Peter
2 Pet: 2 Peter
1 Jn: 1 John
2 Jn: 2 John
3 Jn: 3 John
Jude: Jude
Rev: Revelation (Apocalypse)
II
DOCUMENTS OF THE MAGISTERIUM
AA: Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam
Actuositatem (18 November, 1965)
AG: Second Vatican Council, Decree on missionary activity in the Church Ad
Gentes (7 December 1965)
CA: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus (1 May 1991):
AAS 83 (1991) pp. 793-867
CD: Second Vatican Council, Decree on the pastoral office of Bishops in the
Church Christus Dominus (28 October 1965)
CCC: Catechism of the Catholic Church (11 October 1992)
CCL: Corpus Christianorum, Latin series (Turnholt 1953 ff.)
CIC: Codex Iuris Canonici (25 January 1983)
ChL: John Paul II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christifedeles
Laici (30 December 1988): AAS 81 (1989) pp. 393-521
COINCATI: International Council for Catechesis, Adult Catechesis in the
Christian Community, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1990
CSEL: Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (Wn 1866 ff.)
CT: John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae (16
October 1979): AAS 71 (1979), pp. 1277-1340.
DCG (1971): Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, General Catechetical
Directory, Ad normam decreti (11 April 1971): AAS 64 (1972). pp. 97-176
DH: Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Religious Liberty, Dignitatis
Humanae (7 December 1965)
DM: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Dives in Misericordia (30
November 1980): AAS 72 (1980) pp. 1177-1232
DV: Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei
Verbum (18 November 1965)
DS: H. Denzinger-A Schönmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum Definitionum
et Declarationum de Rebus Fidei et Morum, Editio XXXV, Rome 1973
EA: John Paul II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa
(14 September 1995): AAS 88 (1996) pp. 5-82
EN: Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December
1975): AAS 58 (1976) pp. 5-76
EV: John Paul II, Ecyclical Letter, Evangelium Vitae (25 March
1995): AAS 87 (1995) pp. 401-522
FC: John Paul II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Familaris Consortio
(22 November 1981): AAS 73 (1981) pp. 81-191
FD: John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum (11 October
1992) AAS 86 (1994) pp. 113-118
GCM: Congregation for the Evagelization of Peoples, Guide for
Catechists. Document of vocational, formative and promotional orientation of
Catechists in the territories depedent on the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples (3 December, 1993), Vatican City 1993
GE: Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Education, Gravissimum
Educationis (28 October 1965)
GS: Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution The Church in the Modern
World. Gaudium et Spes (7 December 1965)
LC: Cogregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Libertatis
Conscientia (22 March 1986): AAS 79 (1987) pp. 554-599
LE: John Paul II, Encyclical letter Laborem Exercens (14 September
1981), AAS 73 (1981), pp. 577-647
LG: Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen
Gentium (21 November 1944)
MM: John XXIII, Encyclical Letter, Mater et Magistra (15 May 1961):
AAS 53 (1961) pp. 401-464
MPD: Synod of Bishops, Message to the People of God, Cum iam ad exitum
on catechesis in our times (28 October 1977) Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis
1977
NA: Second Vatican Council, Decree on the relationship of the Church with
non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate (28 October 1965)
PB: John Paul II, Apostolic Costitution Pastor Bonus (28 June 1988)
AAS 80 (1988), pp. 841-930
PG: Patrologiae Cursus completus, Series Graeca ed Jacques P. Migne,
Paris 1857 ff.
PL: Patrologiae Cursus completus, Seiries Latina, ed. Jacques P.
Migne, Paris 1844 ff.
PO: Second Vatican Council, Decree on Priestly Life and Ministry Presbyterorum
Ordinis (7 December 1965)
PP: Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967)
AAS 59 (1967), pp. 257-299.
RH: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis (4 March
1979): AAS 71 (1979), pp. 257-324
RCIA: Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum, Rite of Christian
Initiationis of Adults (R.C.I.A.) Editio Typica, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis
1972
RM: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio (7 December
1990): AAS 83 (1991), pp. 249-340
SC: Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum
Concilium (4 December 1963)
SYNOD 1985: Synod of Bishops (extraordinary meeting of 1985) Final Report
Ecclesia sub verbo Dei mysteria Christi celebrans pro salute mundi (7
December 1985), Vatican City 1985
SCh: Sources Chrétiennes, Collectio, Paris 1946 ff.
SRS: John Paul II, Ecyclical letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (30
December 1987) AAS 80 (1988), pp. 513-586
TMA: John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Tertio Millennio Adveniente
(10 November 1994): AAS 87 (1995) pp. 5-41
UR: Second Vatican Council, Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio
(21 November 1964)
UUS: John Paul II, Ecyclical Lettter Ut Unum Sint (25 May 1995): AAS
87 (1995) pp. 921-982.
VS: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor (6 August
1993): AAS 85 (1993). pp. 1133-1228.
PREFACE
1. The Second Vatican Council prescribed that a "Directory for the
catechetical instruction of the Christian people"(1) be drawn up. The
Congregation for the Clergy, in execution of this conciliar mandate, availed
itself of a special commission of experts, and consulted the various Episcopal
Conferences, throughout the world, which made numerous suggestions and
observations on the subject. The text prepared was revised by an ad hoc
theological Commission and by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The General Catechetical Directory was definitively approved by Pope
Paul VI on 18 March 1971 and promulgated on 11 April 1971.
2. The thirty-year period between the conclusion of the Second Vatican
Council and the threshold of the third millennium is without doubt most
providential for the orientation and promotion of catechesis. It has been a time
in which the evangelizing vigour of the original ecclesial community has in some
ways re-emerged. It has also seen a renewal of interest in the teaching of the
Fathers and has made possible a return to the catechumenate. Since 1971, the
General Catechetical Directory has oriented the particular Churches in their
renewal of catechesis and has acted as a point of reference for content and
pedagogy, as well as for methodology.
The course of catechesis during this same period has been characterized
everywhere by generous dedication, worthy initiatives and by positive results
for the education and growth in the faith of children, young people and adults.
At the same time, however, there have been crises, doctrinal inadequacies,
influences from the evolution of global culture and ecclesial questions derived
from outside the field of catechesis which have often impoverished its quality.
3. The Magisterium of the Church, throughout these years, has never ceased
to exercise its pastoral solicitude for catechesis. Numerous Bishops and
Episcopal Conferences in all parts of the world have devoted considerable
attention to catechesis by means of catechisms and pastoral guidelines, by
promoting the formation of their priests and by encouraging catechetical
research. Efforts such as these have proved fruitful and have contributed much
to catechetical praxis in the particular Churches. The Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship on 6
January 1972, has proved especially useful for catechetical renewal.
Mention must also be made in a particular way of the ministry of Pope Paul
VI, who shepherded the Church in the immediate post-conciliar period. In his
regard, Pope John Paul II has said: "... through his gestures, his
preaching, his authoritative interpretation of the Second Vatican Council —
considered by him to have been the great catechism of modern times — and
through the whole of his life, my venerable predecessor Paul VI served the
Church's catechesis in a particularly exemplary fashion".(2)
4. The reflections of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of
October 1974 on the theme of Evangelization in the Contemporary World constitute
a decisive milestone for catechesis. The propositions subsequently drawn up by
the Synod were presented to Pope Paul VI, who promulgated the post-synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi of 8 December 1975. This
document enunciates, amongst other things, a particularly important principle,
namely, that of catechesis as a work of evangelization in the context of the
mission of the Church. Henceforth catechesis would be considered as one of the
enduring concerns of the Church's missionary mandate for our times.
The final General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, convoked by Pope Paul VI
in October 1977, proposed catechesis to its participants as the theme for
analysis and reflection. This Synod saw "in catechetical renewal a precious
gift of the Holy Spirit to the contemporary Church".(3)
5. Taking up this catechetical heritage in 1978, Pope John Paul II set out
his first orientations for catechesis in the Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi
Tradendae of 16 October 1979. This Exhortation forms a cohesive unity with
Evangelii Nuntiandi and fully locates catechesis within the context of
evangelization.
Throughout his entire pontificate, Pope John Paul II has continually
proposed a constant magisterium of the highest catechetical value. From amongst
his discourses, his letters, his written teaching, particular emphasis must be
given to the twelve Encyclicals, from Redemptor Hominis to Ut Unum
Sint. These Encyclicals constitute in themselves a synthetic corpus of
coherent doctrine with regard to the renewal of ecclesial life desired by the
Second Vatican Council.
Of particular catechetical value, amongst these documents of the Petrine
ministry of Pope John Paul II, the following are of special importance: Redemptor
Hominis (4 March 1979), Dives in Misericordia (30 November 1980),
Dominum et Vivificantem (18 May 1986) and Redemptoris Missio (7
December 1990), in which last, the permanent validity of the Church's missionary
mandate is re-affirmed.
6. On the other hand the General Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops, both
ordinary and extraordinary, have been particularly important for catechesis. In
this respect mention must be made of the Synods of 1980 and 1987 which dealt
with the mission of the family and the vocation of the laity. Following the work
of these Synods, Pope John Paul II promulgated the respective Apostolic
Exhortations Familiaris Consortio (22 November 1981) and Christifideles
Laici (30 December 1987). The Extraordinary Synod of Bishops of 1985 was
also of decisive importance for the catechesis of our times and for the future.
On that occasion, following a review of the previous twenty years of the
application of the Second Vatican Council the Synodal Fathers proposed to the
Holy Father a universal catechism for the Catholic Church. The proposal was most
favourably received and made his own by Pope John Paul II. After a long and
complex process of elaboration the Catechism of the Catholic Church was
presented to the bishops and the Particular Churches by the Apostolic
Constitution Fidei Depositum of the 11 October 1992.
7. The publication of the Catechism together with the aforementioned
interventions of the Magisterium necessitated a revision of the General
Catechetical Directory so as to adapt this valuable theologico-pastoral
instrument to new situations and needs. It is in service of the entire Church
that the Holy See now seeks to collate this heritage and to organize it
systematically in order to make it available for catechetical purposes.
The work of revising the General Catechetical Directory undertaken
by the Congregation for the Clergy, was conducted by a group of Bishops and
experts in theology and catechesis. In the revision of the General Directory,
its original inspiration and content were respected. Episcopal Conferences and
several experts were consulted as were the principal catechetical institutes and
centres.
In its present form the General Directory for Catechesis seeks to
arrive at a balance between two principal requirements:
– on the one hand the contextualization of catechesis in evangelization
as envisaged by Evangelii Nuntiandi;
– on the other the appropriation of the content of the faith as
presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
8. The General Directory for Catechesis, while retaining the basic
structure of that of 1971, is divided as follows:
– The Introduction takes its starting point from faith and
trust in the power of the Gospel seed, and proposes guidelines for interpreting
and understanding human and ecclesial conditions. These are intended to assist
mission.
– Part One(4) has three chapters and roots catechesis above all
in the conciliar Constitution Dei Verbum, placing it in the context of
evangelization as seen in Evangelii Nuntiandi and Catechesi
Tradendae, and proposes, moreover, to clarify the nature of catechesis;
– Part Two(5) contains two chapters, the first of which, under
the title Norms and Criteria for presenting the Gospel message in
Catechesis, puts forward afresh the entire content of the corresponding
chapter of the previous text from a new and enriched perspective; the second
chapter, which is completely new, serves to present the Catechism of the
Catholic Church as a reference point for the transmission of the faith in
catechesis and for the preparation of catechisms at local level; this chapter
also outlines those fundamental principles to be employed in the redaction of
catechisms in particular and local Churches;
– Part Three(6) has also been revised to formulate the main
elements of a pedagogy of the faith inspired by divine pedagogy; while this
question is primarily a theological one, it also involves the human sciences;
– Part Four(7) is entitled Those to be catechized; in
five short chapters attention is given to the diverse situations and contexts of
those to whom catechesis is directed, to matters arising from socio-religious
situations, and in particular, to the question of inculturation;
– Part Five(8) focuses on the centrality of the particular
Church and on its primordial duty to promote, organize, oversee and co-ordinate
all catechetical activities; of particular significance is the description of
the roles proper to the various agents involved in catechesis (who, of course,
are always dependent on the Pastors of the particular Churches) and of the
requirements necessary for their respective formation;
– The Conclusion advocates an intensification of catechetical
activity in our times, and concludes with an appeal to faith in the action of
the Holy Spirit and in the efficacy of the word of God sown in love.
9. The object of this Directory is clearly the same as that pursued by the
1971 Directory. It attempts to provide those fundamental theologico-pastoral
principles drawn from the Church's Magisterium, particularly those inspired by
the Second Vatican Council, which are capable of better orienting and
coordinating the pastoral activity of the ministry of the word and, concretely,
catechesis.(9) The basic intention of the Directory was (and remains) that of
offering reflections and principles, rather than immediate applications or
practical directives. This method has been adopted principally for the reason
that defects and errors in catechetical material can be avoided only if the
nature and end of catechesis, as well as the truths and values which must be
transmitted, are correctly understood from the outset.(10)
The concrete application of these principles and pronouncements by means of
guidelines, national, regional or diocesan directories, catechisms and other
ways deemed suitable for the effective promotion of catechesis is something
which pertains to the specific competence of the various Episcopates.
10. It is evident that not all parts of the Directory have the same
importance. Those dealing with Divine Revelation, the nature of catechesis, the
criteria governing the proclamation of the Gospel message are universally valid.
Those, however, referring to present circumstances, to methodology and to the
manner of adapting catechesis to diverse age groups and cultural contexts are to
be understood rather as indications or guidelines.(11)
11. The Directory is addressed principally to the Bishops, Episcopal
Conferences and, in a general way, in accordance with their competence, to those
who have responsibility for catechesis. Clearly it will be of use in forming
those preparing for ordination to the Priesthood, in the continuing formation of
priests and in the formation of catechists.
The immediate end of the Directory is to assist in the composition of
catechetical directories and catechisms. Numerous notes and references have been
included in this Directory, at the suggestion of many Bishops, which may be
useful in drawing up such catechetical aids.
12. Since the Directory is intended for the use of particular Churches,
whose pastoral needs vary greatly, it is obvious that only common or
intermediate concerns could be taken into account. This is true also of the
sections dealing with the organization of catechesis at different levels. Due
note should be made of this observation while using the Directory. As has been
already noted in the 1971 Directory, what may appear insufficient in areas where
catechesis and catechetical resources have reached a high standard, may perhaps
seem excessive in areas where catechesis has not yet undergone such development.
13. It is hoped that the publication of this document, testimony of the
Apostolic See's solicitude for catechetical ministry, will be received and
carefully studied in the context of the pastoral needs of each particular
Church. It is to be hoped that it will promote future study and deepen research
so as to respond to the needs of catechesis and the norms and directives of the
Church's Magisterium.
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed on, and
triumph as it did among you (2 Thess 3:1).
From the Vatican, 15 August 1997
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
+ Darío Castrillón Hoyos
Archbishop Emeritus
of Bucamaramga
Pro-Prefect
+ Crescenzio Sepe
Titular Archbishop of Grado
Secretary
INTRODUCTION
Preaching the Gospel
in the
contemporary world
"Behold! A sower went out to sow. As he sowed some seed fell along
the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground,
where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth
of soil; and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it
withered away. Other seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked it, and it
yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain,
growing up and increasing, and yielding thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred
fold" (Mk 4:3-8).
14. The purpose of this Introduction is to foster in pastors and catechists
a greater consciousness of the necessity to keep in mind the field in which the
seed is sown, and to do so with the perspective of faith and mercy. The
interpretation of the contemporary world presented here is obviously dependant
on contingent historical circumstances.
"Behold! A sower going out to sow" (Mk 4,3)
15. The parable of the sower going out to sow is the source of inspiration
for evangelization. The seed is the word of God (Lk 8:11). The sower is
Jesus Christ. Two thousand years ago he proclaimed the Gospel in Palestine and
sent the disciples to sow the Gospel in the world. Today, Jesus Christ, present
in the Church through his Spirit, continues to scatter the word of the Father
ever more widely in the field of the world. The conditions of the soil into
which it falls vary greatly. The Gospel "falls by the wayside" (Lk
4,4) when it is not really heard; it falls on "stony soil" without
taking root; it falls "amongst the thorns" (Lk 4:2) where it
is quickly choked by the cares and troubles that weigh upon the hearts of men.
Nonetheless, some seed falls "on good soil" (Mk 4:8) that is
among men and women who are open to a personal relationship with God and who are
in solidarity with their neighbour. This seed brings forth fruit in great
abundance. Jesus, in the parable of the sower, proclaims the Good News that the
Kingdom of God is near, notwithstanding the problems in the soil, the tensions,
conflicts and difficulties of the world. The Gospel seed makes fertile the
history of mankind and promises a rich harvest. Jesus also cautions, however,
that the word of God grows only in a well disposed heart.
Looking at the world from the standpoint of faith
16. The Church continues to sow the Gospel in God's field. Christians, in
the most diverse social situations, perceive the world with the same eyes with
which Jesus contemplated the society of his time. The disciple of Jesus Christ
deeply shares the "joys and hopes, the sadness and the anxieties of the men
today".(12) He gazes upon human history and participates in it, not only
from the standpoint of reason but also from that of faith. In the light of faith
the world appears at once "created and sustained by the love of the
Creator, which has been freed from the slavery of sin by Christ, who was
crucified and rose".(13) The Christian knows that every human event—indeed
all reality—is marked by the creative activity of God which communicates
goodness to all beings; the power of sin which limits and numbs man; and the
dynamism which bursts forth from the Resurrection of Christ, the seed renewing
believers is the hope of a definitive "fulfilment".(14) A world-view
not incorporating these three elements cannot be authentically Christian. Hence
the importance of a catechesis capable of initiating catechumens and those to be
catechized into a "theological reading of modern problems".(15)
The field that is the world
17. The Church, Mother of mankind, above all, sees with profound sorrow "an
innumerable multitude of men and women, children, adults and old people and
unique human beings, who suffer misery".(16)
By means of catechesis, in which due emphasis is given to her social
teaching, the Church (17) desires to stir Christian hearts "to the cause of
justice" (18) and to a "preferential option or love for the poor",(19)
so that her presence may really be light that shines and salt that cures.
Human rights
18. The Church, in her analysis of the soil of the world, is acutely
conscious of everything that injures the dignity of the human person. She is
aware that all human rights (20) spring from this dignity, the constant object
of Christian concern and commitment. For this reason, she looks beyond mere "social
and economic indices" (21) to embrace also cultural and religious factors.
What interests the Church is above all the integral development of the human
person and of all peoples.(22) She notes with joy that "a beneficial trend
is advancing and permeating peoples of the earth, making them ever more aware of
the dignity of the individual".(23) Her vigorous insistence on respect for
human rights and her decisive rejection of all their violations are clear
expressions of that consciousness. The right to life, work, education, the
foundation of a family, participation in public life, and to religious liberty
are, today, demanded more than ever.
19. In many places, however, human rights are clearly violated,(24) in
apparent contradiction of the dignity proper to the human person. Such
violations feed other forms of poverty beyond the material level: they
contribute to a cultural and religious impoverishment which equally concerns the
Church. The negation or restriction of human rights impoverishes the human
person and entire peoples at least as much as, if not more than, material
privation itself.(25) The evangelizing activity of the Church in this field of
human rights has, as its undeniable objective, the task of revealing the
inviolable dignity of every human person. In a certain sense, "it is the
central and unifying task of service which the Church, and the lay faithful in
her, are called to render to the human family".(26) Catechesis must prepare
them for this task.
Culture and cultures
20. The sower knows that the seed falls on specific soils and that it must
absorb all the elements that enable it to bear fruit.(27) He also knows that
some of these elements can prejudice the germination of the seed and indeed the
very harvest itself.
The Constitution Gaudium et Spes underlines the importance of
science and technology for the birth and development of modern culture. The
scientific mentality, which derives from them, profoundly modifies "culture
and ways of thinking",(28) with consequent human and religious
repercussions. Modern man is deeply influenced by this scientific and
experimental method.
Nevertheless, there is today a growing realization that such a mentality is
incapable of explaining everything. Scientists themselves acknowledge that the
rigour of experimental method must be complemented by some other method of
knowing, if a profound understanding of the human being is ever to be attained.
Linguistic theory, for example, shows that symbolic thought affords an approach
to the mystery of the human person which would otherwise remain inaccessible. A
rationalism which does not dichotomize man but which integrates his affective
dimension, unifies him and gives fuller meaning to his life, is thus
indispensable.
21. Together with this "more universal form of culture",(29) there
is a growing desire to esteem anew autochthonous cultures. The question posed by
the Second Vatican Council is still valid: "What is to be done to prevent
increased exchange between cultures (which ought to lead to genuine and fruitful
dialogue between groups and nations) from disturbing the life of communities,
overthrowing traditional wisdom and endangering the character proper to each
people".(30)
– In many places there is an acute awareness that traditional cultures
are being assailed by powerful external forces and by alien imitations of
imported life-styles, with the result that the identity and values proper to
peoples are thus being gradually eroded.
– Similarly acknowledged is the widespread influence of the
communications media, which out of economic or ideological interest, often
imposes a vision of life which does not respect the cultural distinctiveness of
the peoples whom they address.
Thus, with inculturation, evangelization encounters one of its greatest
challenges. In the light of the Gospel, the Church must appropriate all the
positive values of culture and of cultures (31) and reject those elements which
impede development of the true potential of persons and peoples.
Religious and moral factors
22. Amongst the elements which make up the cultural heritage of a people,
religious and moral factors are of particular interest to the sower. There is in
contemporary culture a persistent spread of religious indifference: "Many
however of our contemporaries ...either do not at all perceive, or else
explicitly reject, this intimate and vital bond of man to God".(32)
Atheism, understood as a negation of God, "must therefore be regarded
as one of the most serious problems of our time".(33) While it can take
various forms, it often appears today under the guise of secularism, which
consists in an excessively autonomous view of man and of the world "according
to which it is entirely self-explanatory without any reference to God".(34)
In the specifically religious sphere there are signs of "a return to the
sacred",(35) of a new thirst for transcendent reality and for the divine.
The contemporary world acknowledges in a more comprehensive and vital way "the
renewed interest in religious research".(36) Certainly this phenomenon "is
not without ambiguity".(37) The widespread growth of sects and new
religious movements and the revival of "fundamentalism" (38) are
factors of serious concern for the Church and require careful analysis
23. The moral situation of today is on a par with its religious situation.
There is an evident obscuring of the ontological truth of the human person—as
though the denial of God meant an interior breakdown of the aspirations of the
human being.(39) In many places this contributes to the rise of an "ethical
relativism which would remove any sure moral reference point from political and
social life".(40) Evangelization encounters a privileged field of activity
in the religious and moral sphere. Indeed the primordial mission of the Church
is to proclaim God and to be his witness before the world. This involves making
known the true face of God and his loving plan of salvation for man, as it has
been revealed in Jesus Christ. To prepare such witnesses, it is necessary for
the Church to develop a profoundly religious catechesis, nourished on the
Gospel, which will deepen man's encounter with God and forge a bond of permanent
communion with Him.
The Church in the world
The faith of Christians
24. The disciples of Jesus are scattered in the world as leaven but, as in
every age, they are not immune from the influences of human situations. It is
therefore necessary to enquire into the current situation of the faith of
Christians. Catechetical renewal, developed in the Church over the last decades,
continues to bear very welcome fruit.(41) The catechesis of children, of young
people and of adults has given rise to a type of Christian who is conscious of
his faith and who acts consistently with it in his life. In such Christians this
catechesis has encouraged:
– a new and vital experience of God as merciful Father;
– a more profound rediscovery of Jesus Christ, not only in his divinity
but also in his humanity;
– a sense of co-responsibility on the part of all for the mission of
the Church in the world;
– and a raising of consciousness with regard to the social obligations
of the faith.
25. Nonetheless, in considering today's religious situation, the Church is
also obliged to take into account the extent to which Christians "have been
shaped by the climate of secularism and ethical relativism?" (42) A prime
category requiring examination is that of the "many people who have been
baptized but lead lives entirely divorced from Christianity".(43) This in
fact constitutes a mass of "non-practising Christians" (44) even
though in many hearts religious feeling has not been completely lost.
Re-awakening these to the faith is a real challenge for the Church. Then there
are "the simple people" (45) who express themselves, at times with
sincere religious feeling and deep rooted "popular devotion".(46)
They possess a certain faith, "but know little even of its fundamental
principles".(47) There are, moreover, numerous other Christians, often
highly educated, whose religious formation amounts solely to that which they
received in childhood. These also need to re-examine and develop their faith "from
a different standpoint".(48)
26. There is also a certain number of baptized Christians who, desiring to
promote dialogue with various cultures and other religious confessions, or on
account of a certain reticence on their part to live in contemporary society as
believers, fail to give explicit and courageous witness in their lives to the
faith of Jesus Christ. These concrete situations of the Christian faith call
urgently on the sower to develop a new evangelization,(49) especially in
those Churches of long-standing Christian tradition where secularism has made
greater inroads. In this new context of evangelization, missionary proclamation
and catechesis, especially of the young and of adults, is an evident priority.
The internal life of the ecclesial community
27. It is important to consider also the very life of the ecclesial
community which is its innermost quality. Firstly, it is necessary to see how
the Second Vatican Council has been accepted in the Church, and how it has borne
fruit. The great conciliar documents have not remained a dead letter: their
effects are widely acknowledged. The four constitutions (Sacrosanctum
Concilium, Lumen Gentium, Dei Verbum and Gaudium et Spes) have
indeed enriched the Church. In fact:
– liturgical life is more profoundly understood as the source and
summit of ecclesial life;
– the people of God has acquired a keener awareness of the "common
priesthood" (50) founded on Baptism, and is rediscovering evermore the
universal call to holiness and a livelier sense of mutual service in charity;
– the ecclesial community has acquired a livelier sense of the word of
God. Sacred Scripture, for example, is read, savoured and meditated upon more
intensely;
– the mission of the Church in the world is perceived in a new way: on
the basis of interior renewal, the Second Vatican Council has opened Catholics
to the demands of evangelization as necessarily linked to dialogue with the
world, to human development, to different cultures and religions as well
as to the urgent quest for Christian unity.
28. It must be recognized, however, that in the midst of this richness there
also occur "difficulties about the acceptance of the Council".(51)
Despite so comprehensive and profound an ecclesiology, the sense of belonging to
the Church has weakened and "a certain disaffection towards the Church is
frequently noted".(52) Thus the Church is often regarded in a
one-dimensional way as a mere institution and deprived of her mystery. In some
instances tendentious positions have been adopted and set in opposition to the
interpretation and application of the renewal sought in the Church by the Second
Vatican Council. Such ideologies and conduct have led to divisions which damage
that witness of communion indispensable to evangelization. The evangelizing
activity of the Church, catechesis included, must tend all the more decisively
toward solid ecclesial cohesion. To this end it is urgent that an authentic
ecclesiology of communion,(53) be promoted and deepened in order to arouse in
Christians a deep ecclesial spirituality.
The situation of catechesis: its vitality and difficulties
29. The vitality of catechesis in recent years has been amply demonstrated
by many positive aspects. Amongst others the following must be highlighted:
– the great number of priests, religious and laity who devote
themselves with enthusiasm to catechesis, one of the most important ecclesial
activities.
– the missionary character of contemporary catechesis and its ability
to secure adherence to the faith on the part of catechumens and those to be
catechized in a world in which religious sense is obscured must also be
underlined: in this dynamic there is an acute awareness that catechesis must
have a catechumenal style, as of integral formation rather than mere
information; it must act in reality as a means of arousing true conversion; (54)
– consonant with what has been said, concerning the expanding role of
adult catechesis (55) the catechetical programmes of many particular Churches
assume extraordinary importance. This option appears to be a priority in the
pastoral planning of many dioceses, and also plays a central role in many
ecclesial groups and movements;
– promoted no doubt by recent directions of the Magisterium,
catechetical thought, has gained much in our times in terms of quality and
profundity. In this sense many local Churches already have at their disposal
suitable and opportune pastoral programmes.
30. It is necessary, however, to examine with particular attention some
problems so as to identify their solutions:
– the first concerns the conception of catechesis as a school of faith,
an initiation and apprenticeship in the entire Christian life of which
catechists do not yet have a full understanding.
– with regard to the fundamental direction of catechesis, catechetical
activity is still usually impregnated with the idea of ?Revelation': however,
the conciliar concept of 'Tradition' is much less influential as an inspiration
for catechesis: in much catechesis, indeed, reference to Sacred Scripture is
virtually exclusive and unaccompanied by sufficient reference to the Church's
long experience and reflection,(56) acquired in the course of her
two-thousand-year history. The ecclesial nature of catechesis, in this case,
appears less clearly; the inter-relation of Sacred Scripture, Tradition and the
Magisterium, each according to "its proper mode" (57) does not yet
harmoniously enrich a catechetical transmission of the faith;
– Concerning the object of catechesis, which always seeks to promote
communion with Jesus Christ, it is necessary to arrive at a more balanced
presentation of the entire truth of the mystery of Christ. Often, emphasis is
given only to his humanity without any explicit reference to his divinity; at
other times, less frequently today, emphasis is so exclusively placed on his
divinity that the reality of the mystery of the Incarnate Word is no longer
evident; (58)
– Various problems exist with regard to the content of catechesis:
there are certain doctrinal lacunae concerning the truth about God and
man; about sin and grace and about eschatology; there is a need for a more solid
moral formation; presentations of the history of the Church are inadequate; and
too little importance is given to her social teaching; in some regions there has
been a proliferation of catechisms and texts, the products of particular
initiatives whose selective tendencies and emphases are so differing as to
damage that convergence necessary for the unity of the faith; (59)
– "Catechesis is intrinsically bound to every liturgical and
sacramental action" (60) Frequently however, the practice of catechetics
testifies to a weak and fragmetary link with the liturgy: limited attention to
liturgical symbols and rites, scant use of the liturgical fonts, catechetical
courses whith little or no connection with the liturgical year; the
marginalization of liturgical celebrations in catechetical programs;
– Concerning pedagogy, after a period in which excessive insistence on
the value of method and techniques was promoted by some, sufficient attention is
still not given to the demands and to the originality of that pedagogy which is
proper to the faith. It remains easy to fall into a 'content-method' dualism,
with resultant reductionism to one or other extreme; with regard to the
pedagogical dimension the requisite theological discernment has not always been
exercised; (61)
– Regarding differences between cultures in the service of the faith,
it is difficult to know how to transmit the Gospel within the cultural horizons
of the peoples to whom it is proclaimed, in such a way that it can be really
perceived as Good News for the lives of people and of society; (62)
– Formation for the apostolate and for mission is one of the
fundamental tasks of catechesis. Neverthless while there is a new sensitivity to
the formation of the laity for Christian witness, for inter religious dialogue,
and for their secular obligations, education for missionary activity "ad
gentes" still seems weak and inadequate. Frequently, ordinary catechesis
gives only marginal and inconsistent attention to the missions.
The sowing of the Gospel
31. Having tested the ground, the sower sends out his workers to proclaim
the Gospel through all the world and to that end shares with them the power of
his Spirit. At the same time he shows them how to read the signs of the times
and asks of them that special preparation which is necessary to carry out the
sowing.
How to read the signs of the times
32. The voice of the Spirit, which Jesus, on behalf of the Father, has
communicated to his disciples "resounds in the very events of history".(63)
Behind the changing data of present situations and in the deep motives of
evangelization, it is necessary to discover "what may be genuine signs of
the presence or the purpose of God".(64)
Such analysis, however, must always be done in the light of faith. Availing
herself of the human sciences,(65) which are always necessary, the Church seeks
to discover the meaning of the present situation within the perspective of the
history of salvation. Her judgements on reality are always a diagnosis of the
need for mission.
Some challenges for catechesis
33. In order to express its vitality and to be efficacious, catechesis today
needs to undertake the following challenges and directions:
– Above all it needs to present itself as a valid service to
evangelization of the Church with an accent on missionary character;
– It should address itself to those who have been and continue to be
its privileged recipients: children, adolescents, young people and adults;
– Based on the example of catechesis in the patristic era, it needs to
form the personality of the believer and therefore be a true and proper school
of Christian pedagogy;
– It needs to announce the essential mysteries of Christianity,
promoting the trinitarian experience of life in Christ as the center of the life
of faith;
– It needs to consider as its primary task the preparation and
formation of catechists in the deep riches of the faith.
PART ONE
CATECHESIS
IN THE CHURCH'S
MISSION OF EVANGELIZATION
Catechesis in the Church's mission of evangelization
"Go into all the world; and preach the Gospel to the whole creation"
(Mk 16:15).
"Go, therefore make disciples of all nations;
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt
28:19-20).
"You are witnesses of these things" (Lk
24:48); "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you, and you shall be my witnesses... to the end of the earth" (Acts
1:8).
The missionary mandate of Jesus
34. Jesus Christ, after his Resurrection together with the Father sent the
Holy Spirit in order that he might accomplish from within the work of salvation
and that he might animate his disciples to continue the mission to the whole
world.
He was the first and supreme evangelizer. He proclaimed the Kingdom of
God,(66) as the urgent and definitive intervention of God in history, and
defined this proclamation "the Gospel", that is, the Good
News. To this Gospel, Jesus devoted his entire earthly life: he made known the
joy of belonging to the Kingdom,(67) its demands, its magna carta,(68)
the mysteries which it embraces,(69) the life of fraternal charity of those who
enter it (70) and its future fulfilment.(71)
The meaning and purpose of Part One
35. This first part intends to define the proper character of catechesis.
Its first chapter, with regard to theology, recalls briefly the concept of
Revelation as set forth in the conciliar constitution Dei Verbum. It determines
in a specific manner the way in which the ministry of the word is to be
conceived. The concepts word of God, Gospel, Kingdom of God, and Tradition,
in this dogmatic constitution, are fundamental to the meaning of catechesis.
Together with these, the concept of evangelization is an indispensable point of
reference for catechesis. The same dynamic is presented with new and profound
precision in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi.
The second chapter situates catechesis within the context of evangelization
and relates it to other forms of the ministry of the word of God. Thanks to this
rapport one more easily discovers the proper character of catechesis.
The third chapter presents a more direct analysis of catechesis in itself:
its ecclesial nature, its binding objective of communion with Jesus Christ, its
tasks and the catechumenal idea by which it is inspired.
The term catechesis has undergone a semantic evolution during the twenty
centuries of the Church's history. In this Directory the concept of catechesis
takes its inspiration from the post-conciliar Magisterial documents, principally
from Evangelii Nuntiandi, Catechesi Tradendae and Redemptoris Missio.
The concept of catechesis which one has, profoundly conditions the selection
and organization of its contents (cognitive, experiential, behavioural),
identifies those to whom it is addressed and defines the pedagogy to be employed
in accomplishing its objectives.
CHAPTER I
Revelation and its transmission
through
evangelization
"Blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places... for
he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness
of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth"
(Eph 1:3-10).
The revelation of God's providential plan
36. "God who creates and conserves all things by his Word, offers to
men a constant evidence of himself in created things".(72) Man, who by his
nature and his vocation is capable of knowing God, when he listens to this
message of creation is able to arrive at the certainty of the existence of God,
as the cause and end of all things and as the one who is able to reveal himself
to man.
The Constitution Dei Verbum of the Second Vatican Council describes
Revelation as that act by which God manifests himself personally to man. God
truly reveals himself as one who desires to communicate himself, making the
human person a participant in his divine nature.(73) In this way God
accomplishes his plan of love.
"It pleased God, in his goodness and wisdom, to reveal himself and to
make known the mystery of his will [to men]...in order to invite and receive
them into communion with himself".(74)
37. The "providential plan" (75) of the Father, fully revealed in
Jesus Christ, is realized by the power of the Holy Spirit. This implies:
– the Revelation of God, of his "innermost truth",(76) of his
"secret",(77) of the true vocation and dignity of the human person;
(78)
– the offer of salvation to all men, as a gift of God's grace and
mercy,(79) which implies freedom from evil, sin and death; (80)
– the definitive call to gather into the family of God all of his
scattered children, thus realizing a fraternal union amongst men.(81)
Revelation: deeds and words
38. God, in his greatness, uses a pedagogy (82) to reveal himself to the
human person: he uses human events and words to communicate his plan; he does so
progressively and in stages,(83) so as to draw even closer to man. God, in fact,
operates in such a manner that man comes to knowledge of his salvific plan by
means of the events of salvation history and the inspired words which accompany
and explain them.
"This economy of Revelation is realized by deeds and words, which are
intrinsically bound up with each other. As a result,
– the works performed by God in the history of Salvation show forth and
bear out the doctrine and realities signified by the words,
– the words, for their part, proclaim the works, and bring to light the
mystery they contain".(84)
39. Evangelization too which transmits Revelation to the world, is also
brought about in words and deeds. It is at once testimony and proclamation, word
and sacrament, teaching and task. Catechesis, for its part, transmits the words
and deeds of Revelation; it is obliged to proclaim and narrate them and, at the
same time, to make clear the profound mysteries they contain. Moreover, since
Revelation is a source of light for the human person, catechesis not only
recalls the marvels worked by God in the past, but also, in the light of the
same Revelation, it interprets the signs of the times and the present life of
man, since it is in these that the plan of God for the salvation of the world is
realized.(85)
Jesus Christ: mediator and fullness of Revelation
40. God revealed himself progressively to man, through the prophets and
through salvific events, until he brought to completion his self-revelation by
sending his own Son: (86)
"[Jesus Christ] completed and perfected Revelation, he did this by way
of his presence and self manifestation—by words and works, signs and
miracles, but above all by his death and glorious resurrection from the dead,
and finally by sending the Spirit of truth".(87)
Jesus Christ is not merely the greatest of the prophets but is the eternal
Son of God, made man. He is, therefore, the final event towards which all the
events of salvation history converge.(88) He is indeed "the Father's one,
perfect and unsurpassable Word".(89)
41. The ministry of the word must always give prominence to this wonderful
characteristic, proper to the economy of Revelation: the Son of God enters human
history, assumes human life and death, and brings about the new and definitive
covenant between God and man. It is the task of catechesis to show who Jesus
Christ is, his life and ministry, and to present the Christian faith as the
following of his person.(90) Consequently, it must base itself constantly on the
Gospels, which "are the heart of all the Scriptures 'because they are our
principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Saviour'".(91)
The fact that Jesus Christ is the fullness of Revelation is the foundation
for the "Christocentricity" (92) of catechesis: the mystery of Christ,
in the revealed message, is not another element alongside others, it is rather
the centre from which all other elements are structured and illuminated.
The transmission of Revelation by the Church, the work of the Holy
Spirit
42. The Revelation of God, culminating in Jesus Christ, is destined for all
mankind: "He (God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
of the truth" (1 Tim 2,4) (93) In virtue of his universal salvific
will, God has ordained that Revelation should be transmitted to all peoples and
to all generations and should remain always in its entirety.
43. To fulfil this divine plan, Jesus Christ founded the Church, built on
the Apostles. He gave them the Holy Spirit from the Father and sent them to
preach the Gospel to the whole world. The Apostles, by words, deeds and
writings, faithfully discharged this task.(94)
This Apostolic Tradition is perpetuated in the Church by means of the Church
herself. The entire Church, pastors and faithful, is responsible for its
conservation and transmission. The Gospel is conserved whole and entire in the
Church: the disciples of Jesus Christ contemplate it and meditate upon it
unceasingly; they live it out in their everyday lives; they proclaim it in their
missionary activity. As the Church lives the Gospel she is continually made
fruitful by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit causes her to grow constantly in her
understanding of the Gospel, prompts her and sustains the task of proclaiming
the Gospel in every corner of the world.(95)
44. The integral conservation of Revelation, the word of God contained in
Tradition and Scripture, as well as its continuous transmission, are guaranteed
in their authenticity. The Magisterium of the Church, sustained by the Holy
Spirit and endowed with "the sure charism of truth",(96) exercises the
function of "authentically interpreting the word of God".(97)
45. The Church, "universal sacrament of salvation", born of the
Holy Spirit, transmits Revelation through evangelization; she announces the Good
News of the salvific plan of the Father and in the sacraments, communicates his
Diving gifts.
To God who reveals himself is due this obedience of faith by which man
adhers to the "Gospel of the grace of God". (Acts 20,24) with
full assent of the intellect and of the will. Guided by faith, by means of the
gift of the Spirit, man succeeds in attaining to contemplate and to delight in
the God of love, who in Christ has revealed the riches of his glory.(98)
Evangelization (99)
46. The Church "exists in order to evangelize" (100) that is "the
carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its
strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race".
(101)
The missionary mandate of Jesus to evangelize has various aspects,
all of which, however, are closely connected with each other: "proclaim",
(Mk 16,15) "make disciples and teach", (102) "be
my witnesses", (103) "baptize", (104) "do
this in memory of me", (Lk 22,19) "love one another"
(Jn 15,12) Proclamation, witness, teaching, sacraments, love of
neighbour: all of these aspects are the means by which the one Gospel is
transmitted and they constitute the essential elements of evangelization itself.
Indeed they are so important that, at times, there is a tendency to identify
them with the action of evangelization. However, "no such definition can be
accepted for that complex, rich and dynamic reality which is called
evangelization". (105) There is the risk of impoverishing it or even of
distorting it. Evangelization, on the contrary, must develop its "totality"
(106) and completely incorporate its intrinsic bipolarity: witness
andproclamation, (107) word and sacrament, (108) interior change and social
transformation. (109) Those who evangelize have a "global vision"
(110) of evangelization and identify with the overall mission of the Church.
(111)
The process of evangelization
47. The Church, while ever containing in herself the fullness of the means
of salvation, always operates "by slow stages". (112) The conciliar
decree Ad Gentes clarifies well the dynamic of the process of
evangelization: Christian witness, dialogue and presence in charity (11-12), the
proclamation of the Gospel and the call to conversion (13), the catechumenate
and Christian Initiation (14), the formation of the Christian communities
through and by means of the sacraments and their ministers (1518). (113) This is
the dynamic for establishing and building up the Church.
48. Accordingly, in conformity with this, evangelization must be viewed as
the process by which the Church, moved by the Spirit, proclaims and spreads the
Gospel throughout the entire world. Evangelization:
– is urged by charity, impregnating and transforming the whole
temporal order, appropriating and renewing all cultures; (114)
– bears witness (115) amongst peoples of the new way of being
and living which characterizes Christians;
– proclaims explicitly the Gospel, through "first
proclamation", (116) calling to conversion. (117)
– initiates into the faith and the Christian life, by means of "catechesis"
(118) and the "sacraments of Christian initiation", (119) those who
convert to Jesus Christ or those who take up again the path of following him,
incorporating both into the Christian community; (120)
– constantly nourishes the gift of communion (121) amongst the
faithful by means of continuous education in the faith (homilies and other forms
of catechesis), the sacraments and the practice of charity;
– continuously arouses mission, (122) sending all the disciples
of Christ to proclaim the Gospel, by word and deed throughout the whole world.
49. The process of evangelization, (123) consequently, is structured in
stages or "essential moments": (124) missionary activity directed
toward non-believers and those who live in religious indifference; initial
catechetical activity for those who choose the Gospel and for those who need to
complete or modify their initiation; pastoral activity directed toward the
Christian faithful of mature faith in the bosom of the Christian community.
(125) These moments, however, are not unique: they may be repeated, if
necessary, as they give evangelical nourishment in proportion to the spiritual
growth of each person or of the entire community.
The ministry of the word in evangelization
50. The ministry of the word (126) is a fundamental element of
evangelization. The presence of Christianity amongst different human groups and
its living witness must be explained and justified by the explicit proclamation
of Jesus Christ the Lord. "There is no true evangelization if the name, the
teaching, the life, the promises, the Kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of
Nazareth, the Son of God, are not proclaimed". (127) Those who are already
disciples of Jesus Christ also require to be constantly nourished by the word of
God so that they may grow in their Christian life. (128)
The ministry of the word, within the context of evangelization, transmits
Revelation, through the Church, by using human words. These, however, always
refer to works: to those which God has done and continues to do, especially in
the liturgy; to the witness of Christians; to the transforming action which
these Christians achieve, together with so many men of good will, throughout the
world. This human word of the Church is the means used by the Holy Spirit to
continue dialogue with humanity. He is, in fact, the principle agent of the
ministry of the word, the one through whom "the living voice of the Gospel
rings out in the Church—and through her in the world". (129)
The ministry of the word is exercised in "different forms". (130)
The Church, since apostolic times, (131) in her desire to offer the word of God
in the most appropriate manner, has realized this ministry in the most varied of
ways. (132) All of these, however, perform the essential and fundamental
functions of the ministry of the word itself.
Functions and forms of the ministry of the word
51. The following are the principal functions of the ministry of the word:
– Called together and called to faith
This function is the most immediate expression of the missionary mandate of
Jesus. It is realized through "the primary proclamation", directed to
non-believers; those who have chosen unbelief, those Christians who live on the
margins of Christianlife, those who follow other religions. (133) The religious
awakening of the children of Christian families, is also an eminent form of this
function.
– Initiation
Those who are moved by grace to decide to follow Jesus are "introduced
into the life of faith, of the liturgy and of the charity of the People of God".
(134) The Church achieves this function fundamentally by catechesis, in close
relation with the sacraments of initiation, whether these are about to be
received or have already been received. Important forms include: the catechesis
of non-baptized adults in the catechumenate, the catechesis of baptized adults
who wish to return to the faith, or of those who need to complete their
initiation; the catechesis of children and of the young, which of itself has the
character of initiation. Christian education in families and religious
instruction in schools also have an initiatory function.
– Continuous education in the faith
In many regions this is also called "permanent catechesis".
(135)
It is intended for those Christians who have been initiated in the basic
elements of the Christian faith, but who need constantly to nourish and deepen
their faith throughout their lives. This function is accomplished through a
great variety of forms: "systematic and occasional, individual and
community, organized and spontaneous". (136)
– The liturgical function
The ministry of the word also has a liturgical function since,
when realized within the context of a sacred action, it is an integral part of
that action. (137) It takes different forms but amongst them the most important
is the homily. Other forms in the liturgical context include celebrations of the
word and instruction received during the administration of the sacraments. On
the other hand, mention must also be made of the immediate preparation for
reception of the different sacraments, the celebration of sacramentals and above
all of the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist, as a primary means of
education in the faith.
– The theological function
This seeks to develop understanding of the faith and is to be situated in
the dynamic of "fides quaerens intellectum", that is, of
belief which seeks to understand. (138) Theology, in order to fulfil this
function, needs to confront philosophical forms of thought, various forms of
humanism and the human sciences, and dialogue with them. It is articulated
whenever: "the systematic treatment and the scientific investigation of the
truths of the Faith" (139) are promoted.
52. The important forms of the ministry of the Word are: the first
annoucement or missionary preaching, pre and post baptismal catechesis, the
liturgical forms and the theological forms. Then, it often happens, for pastoral
reasons, that important forms of the ministry of the word must assume more than
one function. Catechesis, for example, together with its initiatory forms, has
frequently to discharge tasks of mission. The same homily, depending on
circumstances, can take on both the functions of convocation and of integral
initiation.
Conversion and faith
53. In proclaiming the Good News of Revelation to the world, evangelization
invites men and women to conversion and faith. (140) The call of Jesus, "Repent
and believe in the Gospel", (Mk 1,15) continues to resound today by
means of the Church's work of evangelization. The Christian faith is, above all,
conversion to Jesus Christ, (141) full and sincere adherence to his person and
the decision to walk in his footsteps. (142) Faith is a personal encounter with
Jesus Christ making, of oneself a disciple of him. This demands a permanent
commitment to think like him, to judge like him and to live as he lived. (143)
In this way the believer unites himself to the community of disciples and
appropriates the faith of the Church. (144)
54. This "Yes" to Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of the
revelation of the Father is twofold: a trustful abandonment to God and a loving
assent to all that he has revealed to us. This is possible only by means of the
action of the Holy Spirit. (145)
"By faith man freely commits his entire self completely to God, making
the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals, and willingly
assenting to the Revelation given by him". (146)
"To believe has thus a double reference: to the person and to the
truth; to the truth, by trust in the person who bears witness to it". (147)
55. Faith involves a change of life, a "metanoia", (148)
that is a profound transformation of mind and heart; it causes the believer to
live that conversion. (149) This transformation of life manifests itself at all
levels of the Christian's existence: in his interior life of adoration and
acceptance of the divine will, in his action, participation in the mission of
the Church, in his married and family life; in his professional life; in
fulfilling economic and social responsibilities.
Faith and conversion arise from the "heart", that is, they
arise from the depth of the human person and they involve all that he is. By
meeting Jesus Christ and by adhering to him the human being sees all of his
deepest aspirations completely fulfilled. He finds what he had always been
seeking and he finds it superabundantly. (150) Faith responds to that "waiting",
(151) often unconscious and always limited in its knowledge of the truth about
God, about man himself and about the destiny that awaits him. It is like pure
water (152) which refreshes the journey of man, wandering in search of his home.
Faith is a gift from God. It can only be born in the intimacy of Man's heart as
a fruit of that "grace [which] moves and assists him", (153) and as a
completely freeresponse to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who moves the heart
and turns it toward God, and who "makes it easy for all to accept and
believe the truth". (154) The Blessed Virgin Mary lived these dimensions of
faith in the most perfect way. The Church "venerates in Mary the purest
realization of faith". (155)
The process of continuing conversion
56. Faith is a gift destined to grow in the hearts of believers. (156)
Adhering to Jesus Christ, in fact, sets in motion a process of continuing
conversion, which lasts for the whole of life. (157) He who comes to faith is
like a new born child, (158) who, little by little, will grow and change into an
adult, tending towards the state of the "perfect man", (159) and to
maturity in the fullness of Christ. From a theological viewpoint, several
important moments can be identified in the process of faith and conversion:
a) Interest in the Gospel. The first moment is one in which,
in the heart of the non believer or of the indifferent or of those who practise
other religions, there is born, as a result of its first proclamation, an
interest in the Gospel, yet without any firm decision. This first movement of
the human spirit towards faith, which is already a fruit of grace, is identified
by different terms: "propensity for the faith", (160) "evangelic
preparation", (161) inclination to believe, "religious quest".
(162) The Church calls those who show such concern "sympathizers".
(163)
b) Conversion. This first moment of interest in the Gospel
requires a period of searching (164) to be transformed into a firm option. The
option for faith must be a considered and mature one. Such searching, guided by
the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the Kerygma, prepares the way
for conversion which is certainly "initial", (165) but brings with it
adherence to Christ and the will to walk in his footsteps. This "fundamental
option" is the basis for the whole Christian life of the Lord's disciple.
(166)
c) Profession of faith. Abandonment of self to Jesus Christ
arouses in believers a desire to know him more profoundly and to identify with
him. Catechesis initiates them in knowledge of faith and apprenticeship in the
Christian life, thereby promoting a spiritual journey which brings about a "progressive
change in outlook and morals". (167) This is achieved in sacrifices and in
challenges, as well as in the joys which God gives in abundance. The disciple of
Jesus Christ is then ready to make an explicit, living and fruitful profession
of faith. (168)
d) Journeying towards perfection. The basic maturity which
gives rise to the profession of faith is not the final point in the process of
continuing conversion. The profession of baptismal faith is but the foundation
of a spiritual building which is destined to grow. The baptized, moved always by
the Spirit, nourished by the sacraments, by prayer and by the practise of
charity, and assisted by multiple forms of ongoing education in the faith, seeks
to realize the desire of Christ: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is
perfect". (169) This is the call to the fullness of perfection which is
addressed to all the baptized.
57. The ministry of the word is at the service of this process of full
conversion. The first proclamation of the Gospel is characterized by the call
to faith; catechesis by giving a foundation to conversion and providing
Christian life with a basic structure; while ongoing education in the faith, in
which the place of the homily must be underlined, is characterized by being the
necessary nourishment of which every baptized adult has need in order to live.
(170)
Socio-religious situations and evangelization
58. The evangelization of the world finds itself placed in a very
diversified and changing religious panorama, in which it is possible to
distinguish three basic situations (171) requiring particular and precise
responses.
a) The situation of those "peoples, groups and socio-cultural
contexts in which Christ and his Gospel are not known, or which lack Christian
communities sufficiently mature to be able to incarnate the faith in their own
environment and proclaim it to other groups". (172) This situation requires
a "mission ad gentes", (173) where missionary activity is
concentrated preferably toward young people and adults. Its particular
characteristic consists in the fact that it is directed to non-Christians and
invites them to conversion. In this context catechesis is usually developed
within the baptismal catechumenate.
b) There are, moreover, situations in which, in a definite
socio-cultural context, "there are Christian communities with adequate and
solid ecclesial structures. They are fervent in their faith and in Christian
living. They bear witness to the Gospel in their surroundings and have a sense
of commitment to the Universal mission". (174) These communities demand an
intense "pastoral action of the Church" since they are made up of
people and families of profound Christian outlook. In such contexts it is vital
that catechesis for children, adolescents and young people develop various
processes of well articulated Christian initiation which permit these to arrive
at adulthood with mature faith which makes evangelizers of those who have been
evagelized. Also in these situations adults are also in need of different types
of Christian formation.
c) In many countries of established Christian tradition and
sometimes in younger Churches there exists "an intermediate situation",
(175) where "entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the
faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church and live a
life far removed from Christ and his Gospel". (176) Such situations require
"a new evangelization". The peculiar nature of this situation is found
in the fact that missionary activity is directed towards the baptized of all
ages, who live in a religious context in which Christian points of reference are
perceived purely exteriorly. Here primary proclamation and basic catechesis are
priorities.
The mutual connection between the activities of evangelization which
correspond to these socio-religious situations.
59. These socio-religious situations obviously differ from each other and it
is wrong to regard them as equal. Such diversity, which has always existed in
the Church's mission, acquires in today's changing world a new significance.
Indeed, increasingly different situations oftentimes co-exist in the same
territory. In many of the great cities, for example, a situation requiring "missio
ad gentes" can co-exist along with one which requires "new
evangelization". Together with these there can be present in a dynamic way
Christian missionary communities sustained by "comprehensive pastoral
activity". Very often today, local Churches are obliged to address the
entire panorama of these religious situations. "The boundaries between
pastoral care of the faithful, new evangelization and specific missionary
activity are not clearly definable, and it is unthinkable to create barriers
between them or to put them into water-tight compartments". (177) In fact, "each
of them influences, stimulates and assists the others". (178)
In order, therefore, to arrive at a mutual enrichment between the various
activities of evangelization which can co-exist, it is useful to remember that:
– Mission ad gentes, regardless of the zone or context in which
it is realized, is the missionary responsibility most specifically entrusted to
the Church by Jesus and thus the exemplary model for all her missionary
activity. New evangelization cannot supplant or be substituted for 'the mission
ad gentes,' which continues to be the paradigm and primary task of
missionary activity. (179)
– "The model for all catechesis is the baptismal catechumenate
when, by specific formation, an adult converted to belief is brought to explicit
profession of baptismal faith during the Paschal Vigil". (180) This
catechumenal formation should inspire the other forms of catechesis in both
their objectives and in their dynamism.
– "Catechesis for adults, since it deals with persons who are
capable of an adherence that is fully responsible, must be considered the chief
form of catechesis. All the other forms, which are indeed always necessary, are
in some way oriented to it". (181) This implies that the catechesis of
other age groups should have it for a point of reference and should be expressed
in conjunction with it, in a coherent catechetical programme suitable to meet
the pastoral needs of dioceses.
In this way catechesis, situated in the context of the Church's mission of
evangelization and seen as an essential moment of that mission, receives from
evangelization a missionary dynamic which deeply enriches it and defines its own
identity. The ministry of catechesis appears, then, as a fundamental ecclesial
service for the realization of the missionary mandate of Jesus.
CHAPTER II
Catechesis
in the process of evangelization
"Things what we have heard and known, that our fathers have told
us. We will not hide them from their chidren, but tell to the coming generation,
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders he has wrought"
(Ps 78:3-4).
"He (Apollos) had been instructed in the Way
of the Lord and being fervent in spirit he spoke and taught accurately in the
things concerning Jesus" (Acts 18:25).
60. In this chapter the relationship of catechesis with the other elements
of evagelization, of which it is itself an integral part, is demonstrated. Thus,
firstly, the relationship of catechesis with the primary proclamation, which is
realized in mission, is described. There follows an examination of the close
connection between catechesis and the sacraments of Christian initiation. Then
is perceived the fundamental role of catechesis in the ordinary life of the
Church and its role as continuing teacher in the faith. Special consideration is
given to the relationship between catechesis and the teaching of religion in
schools, since both activities are profoundly inter-connected, and, together
with education in the Christian home, are basic to the formation of children and
young people.
Primary or first proclamation and catechesis
61. Primary proclamation is addressed to non-believers and those living in
religious indifference. Its functions are to proclaim the Gospel and to call to
conversion. Catechesis, "distinct from the primary proclamation of the
Gospel", (182) promotes and matures initial conversion, educates the
convert in the faith and incorporates him into the Christian community. The
relationship between these two forms of the ministry of the word is, therefore,
a relationship of complementary distinction. Primary proclamation, which every
Christian is called to perform, is part of that "Go" (183)
which Jesus imposes on his disciples: it implies, therefore, a going-out, a
haste, a message. Catechesis, however, starts with the condition indicated by
Jesus himself: "whosoever believes", (184) whosoever converts,
whosoever decides. Both activities are essential and mutually complementary: go
and welcome, proclaim and educate, call and incorporate.
62. Nevertheless in pastoral practice it is not always easy to define the
boundaries of these activities. Frequently, many who present themselves for
catechesis truly require genuine conversion. Because of this the Church usually
desires that the first stage in the catechetical process be dedicated to
ensuring conversion. (185) In the "missio ad gentes", this
task is normally accomplished during the 'pre-catechumenate'. (186) In the
context of "new evangelization" it is effected by means of a "kerygmatic
catechesis", sometimes called "pre-catechesis", (187) because it
is based on the precatechumenate and is proposed by the Gospel and directed
towards a solid option of faith. Only by starting with conversion, and therefore
by making allowance for the interior disposition of "whoever believes",
can catechesis, strictly speaking, fulfil its proper task of education in the
faith. (188)
The fact that catechesis, at least initially, assumes a missionary
objective, does not dispense a particular Church from promoting an
institutionalized programme of primary proclamation to execute more directly
Jesus's missionary command. Catechetical renewal should be based thus on prior
missionary evangelization.
Catechesis at the service of christian initiation
Catechesis, an essential "moment" in the process of
evangelization
63. The Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae places catechesis
firmly within the Church's mission and notes that evangelization is a rich,
complex and dynamic reality which comprises essential but different "moments".
"Catechesis", it adds, "is one of these moments—a very
remarkable one—in the whole process of evangelization". (189) This is
to say that there are activities which "prepare" (190) for catechesis
and activities which "derive" from it (191) The "moment" of
catechesis is that which corresponds to the period in which conversion to Jesus
Christ is formalized, and provides a basis for first adhering to him. Converts,
by means of "a period of formation, an apprenticeship in the whole
Christian life", (192) are initiated into the mystery of salvation and an
evangelical style of life. This means "initiating the hearers into the
fullness of Christian life". (193)
64. In discharging in different ways the initiatory function of the ministry
of the word, catechesis lays the foundation for the building of the faith. (194)
Other functions of the same ministry will continue to build, at different
levels, on that foundation.
Initiatory catechesis is thus the necessary link between missionary activity
which calls to faith and pastoral activity which continually nourishes the
Christian community. This is not, therefore, an optional activity, but basic
and fundamental for building up the personality of the individual disciple, as
it is for the whole Christian community. Without it, missionary activity lacks
continuity and is sterile, while pastoral activity lacks roots and becomes
superficial and confused: any misfortune could cause the collapse of the entire
building. (195)
In truth, "the inner growth [of the Church] and her correspondence with
God's plan depend essentially on catechesis". (196) In this sense
catechesis must always be considered a priority in evangelization.
Catechesis, at the service of Christian initiation
65. Faith, by means of which man responds to the proclamation of the Gospel,
requires Baptism. The close connection between the two realities is rooted in
the will of Christ himself, who commanded his apostles to make disciples of all
nations and to baptize them. "The mission to baptize, and so the
sacramental mission, is implied in the mission to evangelize". (197)
Those who have converted to Jesus Christ and who have been educated in the
faith by means of catechesis, by receiving the sacraments of Christian
initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) "are delivered from the
powers of darkness through the sacraments of Christian initiation and having
died, been buried, and risen with Christ, they receive the Spirit of adoption as
children and celebrate with the whole people of God the memorial of the Lord's
death and resurrection". (198)
66. Catechesis, is thus, a fundamental element of Christian initiation and
is closely connected with the sacraments of initiation, especially with Baptism,
"the sacrament of faith". (199) The link uniting catechesis and
Baptism is true profession of faith, which is at once an element inherent in
this sacrament and the goal of catechesis. The aim of catechetical activity
consists in precisely this: to encourage a living, explicit and fruitful
profession of faith. (200) The Church, in order to achieve this, transmits to
catechumens and those to be catechized, her living experience of the Gospel, her
faith, so that they may appropriate and profess it. Hence, "authentic
catechesis is always an orderly and systematic initiation into the revelation
that God has given of himself to humanity in Christ Jesus, a revelation stored
in the depths of the Church's memory and in Sacred Scripture, and constantly
communicated from one generation to the next by a living active traditio".
(201)
Fundamental characteristics of initiatory catechesis
67. Catechesis acquires certain characteristics in virtue of being an "essential
moment" in the process of evangelization, in the service of Christian
initiation. (202) It is:
– a comprehensive and systematic formation in the faith. The Synod of
1977 underscored the need for a "comprehensive and structured" (203)
catechesis, since catechesis is principally distinguished from other forms of
presenting the word of God by its comprehensive and vital deepening of the
mystery of Christ;
– this comprehensive formation includes more than instruction: it is an
apprenticeship of the entire Christian life, it is a "complete Christian
initiation", (204) which promotes an authentic following of Christ, focused
on his Person; it implies education in knowledge of the faith and in the life of
faith, in such a manner that the entire person, at his deepest levels, feels
enriched by the word of God; it helps the disciple of Christ to transform the
old man in order to assume his baptismal responsibilities and to profess the
faith from the "heart"; (205)
– a basic and essential formation, (206) centred on what constitutes
the nucleus of Christian experience, the most fundamental certainties of the
faith and the most essential evangelical values; it lays the foundation of the
spiritual edifice of the Christian, nurtures the roots of his faith life and
enables him to receive more solid nourishment in the ordinary life of the
Christian community.
68. In summary, initiatory catechesis, being comprehensive and systematic,
cannot be reduced to the circumstantial or the occasional. (207) As it is
formation for the Christian life it comprises but surpasses mere instruction.
(208) Being essential, it looks to what is "common" for the Christian,
without entering into disputed questions nor transforming itself into a form of
theological investigation. Finally, being initiatory, it incorporates into the
community, which lives, celebrates and bears witness to the faith. It fulfils,
at once, initiatory, educational and instructional functions. (209) This
inherent richness in the Catechumenate of non-baptized adults should serve to
inspire other forms of catechesis.
Catechesis at the service of ongoing formation in the faith
Continuing education in faith within the Christian community
69. Continuing or on-going education in the faith follows upon basic
education and presupposes it. Both fulfil two distinct but complementary
functions of the ministry of the word while serving the process of continuing
conversion. Initiatory catechesis lays the basis for the Christian life of the
followers of Jesus. The process of continuing conversion goes beyond what is
provided by basic catechesis. In order to encourage this process, it is
necessary to have a Christian community which welcomes the initiated, sustains
them and forms them in the faith: "Catechesis runs the risk of becoming
barren if no community of faith and Christian life welcomes the catechumen at a
certain stage of his catechesis". (210) The accompaniment which a community
gives to the initiated is eventually transformed into their being totally
integrated by the same community.
70. In the Christian community the disciples of Jesus Christ are nourished
at a twofold table; "that of the word of God and that of the Body of Christ".
(211) The Gospel and the Eucharist are the constant food for the journey to the
Father's House. The action of the Holy Spirit operates so that the gift of "communion"
and the task of "mission" are deepened and lived in an increasingly
intense way.
Continuing formation in the faith is directed not only to the individual
Christian, to accompany them in their journey towards holiness, but also to the
Christian community as such so that it may mature also in its interior life of
love of God and of the brethren as well as in its openness to the world as a
missionary community. The desire of Jesus and his prayer to the Father are an
unceasing appeal: "May they all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they may also be in us, so that the world may believe that
thou hast sent me". (212) Approaching this ideal, little by little, demands
of the community a great fidelity to the action of the Holy Spirit, the constant
nourishment of the Body and Blood of Christ and continuing education in the
faith, listening all the time to the word.
At this table of the word of God, the homily occupies a privileged position,
since it "takes up again the journey of faith put forward by catechesis and
brings it to its natural fulfilment, at the same time it encourages the Lord's
disciples to begin anew each day their spiritual journey in truth, adoration and
thanksgiving". (213)
Various forms of continuing catechesis
71. For continuing education in the faith, the ministry of the word uses
many forms of catechesis. Among these the following may be highlighted:
– The study and exploration of Sacred Scripture, read not only in the
Church but with the Church and her living faith, which helps to discover divine
truth, which it contains, in such a way as to arouse a response of faith. (214)
The "lectio divina" is an eminent form of this vital study of
Scripture.
– A Christian reading of events, which is required of the missionary
vocation of the Christian community. In this respect the study of the social
teaching of the Church is indispensable, since "its main aim is to
interpret these realities, determining their conformity with or divergence from
the lines of the Gospel teaching". (215)
– Liturgical catechesis, prepares for the sacraments by promoting a
deeper understanding and experience of the liturgy. This explains the contents
of the prayers, the meaning of the signs and gestures, educates to active
paricipation, contemplation and silence. It must be regarded as an "eminent
kind of catechesis". (216)
– Occasional catechesis which seeks to interpret determined
circumstances of personal, family, ecclesial or social life and to help live
them in the prospect offaith.(217)
– Initiatives of spiritual formation which seek to reinforce
conviction, open new prospectives and encourage perseverance in prayer and in
the duties of following Christ.
– A systematic deepening of the Christian message by means of
theological instruction, so as truly to educate in the faith, encourage growth
in understanding of it and to equip the Christian for giving the reason for his
hope in the present world. (218) In a certain sense, it is appropriate to call
such instruction "perfective catechesis".
72. It is fundamentally important that initiatory catechesis for adults,
whether baptized or not, initiatory catechesis for children and young people and
continuing catechesis are closely linked with the catechetical endeavour of the
Christian community, so that the particular Church may grow harmoniously and
that its evangelizing activity may spring from authentic sources. "It is
important also that the catechesis of children and young people, permanent
catechesis and the catechesis of adults should not be separate watertight
compartments... it is important that their perfect complementarity be fostered".
(219)
Catechesis and religious instruction in schools
The proper character of religious instruction in schools
73. Within the ministry of the word, the character proper to religious
instruction in schools and its relationship with the catechesis of children and
of young people merit special consideration.
The relationship between religious instruction in schools and catechesis is
one of distinction and complementarity: "there is an absolute necessity to
distinguish clearly between religious instruction and catechesis". (220)
What confers on religious instruction in schools its proper evangelizing
character is the fact that it is called to penetrate a particular area of
culture and to relate with other areas of knowledge. As an original form of the
ministry of the word, it makes present the Gospel in a personal process of
cultural, systematic and critical assimilation. (221)
In the cultural universe, which is assimilated by students and which is
defined by knowledge and values offered by other scholastic disciplines,
religious instruction in schools sows the dynamic seed of the Gospel and seeks
to "keep in touch with the other elements of the student's knowledge and
education; thus the Gospel will impregnate the mentality of the students in the
field of their learning, and the harmonization of their culture will be achieved
in the light of faith". (222)
It is necessary, therefore, that religious instruction in schools appear as
a scholastic discipline with the same systematic demands and the same rigour as
other disciplines. It must present the Christian message and the Christian event
with the same seriousness and the same depth with which other disciplines
present their knowledge. It should not be an accessory alongside of these
disciplines, but rather it should engage in a necessary inter-disciplinary
dialogue. This dialogue should take place above all at that level at which every
discipline forms the personality of students. In this way the presentation of
the Christian message influences the way in which the origins of the world, the
sense of history, the basis of ethical values, the function of religion in
culture, the destiny of man and his relationship with nature, are understood.
Through inter-disciplinary dialogue religious instruction in schools underpins,
activates, develops and completes the educational activity of the school. (223)
The school context and those to whom religious instruction in schools is
directed
74. Religious instruction in schools is developed in diverse scholastic
contexts, while always maintaining its proper character, to acquire different
emphases. These depend on legal and organizational circumstances, educational
theories, personal outlook of individual teachers and students as well as the
relationship between religious instruction in the schools and family or parish
catechesis.
It is not possible to reduce the various forms of religious instruction in
schools, which have developed as a result of accords between individual states
and Episcopal Conferences. It is, however, necessary that efforts be made so
that religious instruction in schools respond to its objectives and its own
characteristics. (224)
Students "have the right to learn with truth and certainty the religion
to which they belong. This right to know Christ, and the salvific message
proclaimed by Him cannot be neglected. The confessional character of religious
instruction in schools, in its various focuses, given by the Church in different
countries is an indispensible guarantee offered to families and students who
choose such education". (225)
When given in the context of the Catholic school, religious instruction is
part of and completed by other forms of the ministry of the word (catechesis,
homilies, liturgical celebration, etc.). It is indispinsible to their
pedagogical function and the basis for their existence. (226)
In the context of state schools or non-confessional schools where the civil
authorities or other circumstances impose the teaching of religion common to
both Catholics and non Catholics (227) it will have a more ecumenical character
and have a more inter-religious awareness.
In other circumstances religious instruction will have an extensively
cultural character and teach a knowledge of religions including the Catholic
religion. In this case too and expecially if presented by teachers with a
sincere respect for the Christian religion, religious instruction maintains a
true dimension of "evangelic preparation".(228)
75. The life and faith of students who receive religious instruction in
school are characterized by continuous change. Religious instruction should be
cognizant of that fact if it is to accomplish its own ends. In the case of
students who are believers, religious instruction assists them to understand
better the Christian message, by relating it to the great existential concerns
common to all religions and to every human being, to the various visions of life
particularly evident in culture and to those major moral questions which
confront humanity today.
Those students who are searching, or who have religious doubts, can also
find in religious instruction the possibility of discovering what exactly faith
in Jesus Christ is, what response the Church makes to their questions, and gives
them the opportunity to examine their own choice more deeply.
In the case of students who are non-believers, religious instruction assumes
the character of a missionary proclamation of the Gospel and is ordered to a
decision of faith, which catechesis, in its turn, will nurture and mature.
Education in the Christian family, catechesis and religious instruction at
the service of education in the faith
76. Christian education in the family, catechesis and religious instruction
in schools are, each in its own way, closely interrelated with the service of
Christian education of children, adolescents, and young people. In practice,
however, different factors must be taken into consideration in order to proceed
realistically and with pastoral prudence in the application of general
guidelines.
It is for each diocese or pastoral region to discern the diverse
circumstances which arise with regard to the existence or not of Christian
initiation of children in the context of the family, and with regard to the
formative duties which are traditionally exercised by the parish, the school
etc. Consequently the particular Church and the Episcopal Conference shall
establish proper guidelines for various situations and foster distinct but
complementary activities.
CHAPTER III
The nature, object
and the duties of catechesis
"And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father" (Phil 2:11).
77. Having outlined the place of catechesis in the Church's mission of
evangelization, its relationship with the various elements of evangelization,
and with other forms of the ministry of the word, this chapter examines
catechesis particularly in relation to:
– the ecclesial nature of catechesis, that is to say, the agent of
catechesis, the Church animated by the Holy Spirit;
– the fundamental object of catechesis;
– the tasks whereby this objective is achieved and which constitute its
more immediate objectives;
– the gradual nature of the catechetical process and its catechumenal
inspiration.
Moreover, in this chapter, the proper character of catechesis—already
described in the preceding chapter—is examined through the analysis of its
relationship with other ecclesial activities.
Catechesis: activity of an ecclesial nature
78. Catechesis is an essentially ecclesial act. (229) The true subject of
catechesis is the Church which, continuing the mission of Jesus the
Master and, therefore animated by the Holy Spirit, is sent to be the teacher of
the faith. The Church imitates the Mother of the Lord in treasuring the Gospel
in her heart. (230) She proclaims it, celebrates it, lives it, and she transmits
it in catechesis to all those who have decided to follow Jesus Christ. This
transmission of the Gospel is a living act of ecclesial tradition: (231)
– The Church transmits the faith which she herself lives: her
understanding of the mystery of God and his salvific plan, her vision of man's
highest vocation, the style of evangelic life which communicates the joy of the
Kingdom, the hope which pervades her and the love which she has for mankind and
all God's creatures.
– The Church transmits the faith in an active way; she sows it in the
hearts of catechumens and those to be catechized so as to nourish their
profoundest experience of life. (232) The profession of faith received by the
Church (traditio), which germinates and grows during the catechetical
process, is given back (redditio), enriched by the values of different
cultures. (233) The catechumenate is thus transformed into a centre of deepening
catholicity and a ferment of ecclesial renewal.
79. In transmitting faith and new life, the Church acts as a mother for
mankind who begets children conceived by the power of the Spirit and born of
God. (234) Precisely "because she is a mother, she is also the educator of
our faith"; (235) she is at the same time mother and teacher. Through
catechesis she feeds her children with her own faith and incorporates them as
members into the ecclesial family. As a good mother she gives them the Gospel in
all its authenticity and purity as apposite food, culturally enriched and a
response to the deepest aspirations of the human heart.
The object of catechesis: communion with Jesus Christ
80. "The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in
touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ". (236) All
evangelizing activity is understood as promoting communion with Jesus Christ.
Starting with the "initial" (237) conversion of a person to the Lord,
moved by the Holy Spirit through the primary proclamation of the Gospel,
catechesis seeks to solidify and mature this first adherence. It proposes to
help those who have just converted "to know better this Jesus to whom he
has entrusted himself: to know his 'mystery', the kingdom of God proclaimed by
him, the requirements and comments contained in his Gospel message, and the
paths that he has laid down for anyone who wishes to follow him". (238)
Baptism, the sacrament by which "we are configured to Christ", (239)
sustains this work of catechesis with the help of its grace.
81. Communion with Jesus Christ, by its own dynamic, leads the disciple to
unite himself with everything with which Jesus Christ himself was profoundly
united: with God his Father, who sent him into the world, and with the Holy
Spirit, who impelled his mission; with the Church, his body, for which he gave
himself up, with mankind and with his brothers whose lot he wished to share.
The object of catechesis is expressed in profession of faith in the one
God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
82. Catechesis is that particular form of the ministry of the word which
matures initial conversion to make it into a living, explicit and fruitful
confession of faith: "Catechesis has its origin in the confession of
faith and leads to confession of faith." (240)
The profession of faith inherent in Baptism (241) is eminently Trinitarian.
The Church baptizes "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28,19) (242) the triune God to whom the
Christian entrusts his life. Initiatory catechesis—both before and after
the reception of Baptism—prepares for this decisive undertaking. Continuing
catechesis helps to mature this profession of faith, to proclaim it in the
Eucharist and to renew the commitments which it entails. It is important that
catechesis should unite well the confession of christological faith, "Jesus
is Lord", with the trinitarian confession, "I believe in the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit", in such a way that there are not
two modes of expressing the Christian faith. He who is converted to Jesus Christ
and recognizes him as Lord through the primary proclamation of the Gospel begins
a process which, aided by catechesis, necessarily leads to explicit confession
of the Trinity.
In the confession of faith in the one God, the Christian rejects all service
of any human absolute; "power, pleasure, race, ancestors, state, wealth...",
(243) and is thus liberated from the enslavement of any idol. It is the
proclamation of his will to serve God and man without any ties. In proclaiming
faith in the Trinity, which is a communion of Persons, the disciple of Jesus
Christ shows at once that the love of God and neighbour is the principle which
informs his being and his action.
83. The confession of faith is complete only in reference to the Church. All
the baptized individually proclaim the Credo, for no action can be more
personal than this. However, they recite it in the Church and through the
Church, because they do so as members of the Church. 'Credo' and 'Credimus'
necessarily imply each other. (244) In fusing his confession of faith with that
of the Church, the Christian is incorporated into her mission: to be the "universal
sacrament of salvation" for the life of the world. He who makes the
profession of faith takes on responsibilities that not infrequently provoke
persecution. In Christian history the martyrs are proclaimers and witnesses par
excellence. (245)
The tasks of catechesis accomplish its objective
84. The object of catechesis is realized by diverse, interrelated tasks.
(246) To carry them out, catechesis is certainly inspired by the manner in which
Jesus formed his disciples. He made known to them the different dimensions of
the Kingdom of God: "to you it has been given to know the secrets of the
Kingdom of heaven" (Mt 13,11). (247) He taught them to pray ("When
you pray, say Father... Lk 11,2). (248) He impressed upon them evangelic
attitudes ("learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart" Mt
11,29) He prepared them for mission ("He sent them on ahead of him
two by two..." Lk 10,1) (249)
The duties of catechesis correspond to education of the different dimensions
of faith, for catechesis is integral Christian formation, "open to all
the other factors of Christian life". (250) In virtue of its own
internal dynamic, the faith demands to be known, celebrated, lived and
translated into prayer. Catechesis must cultivate each of these dimensions. The
faith, however, is lived out by the Christian community and proclaimed in
mission: it is a shared and proclaimed faith. These dimensions must also be
encouraged by catechesis. The Second Vatican Council expresses these duties as
follows: "...catechetical instruction, which illumines and strengthens the
faith develops a life in harmony with the Spirit of Christ, stimulates a
conscious and fervent participation in the liturgical mystery and encourages men
to take an active part in the apostolate". (251)
Fundamental tasks of catechesis: helping to know, to celebrate and to
contemplate the mystery of Christ
85. The fundamental tasks of catechesis are:
– Promoting knowledge of the faith
Who has encountered Christ desires to know him as much as possible, as well
as to know the plan of the Father which he revealed. Knowledge of the faith (fides
quae) is required by adherence to the faith (fides qua). (252) Even
in the human order the love which one person has for another causes that person
to wish to know the other all the more. Catechesis, must, therefore, lead to "the
gradual grasping of the whole truth about the divine plan", (253) by
introducing the disciples of Jesus to a knowledge of Tradition and of Scripture,
which is "thesublime science of Christ". (254) By deepening
knowledge of the faith, catechesis nourishes not only the life of faith but
equips it to explain itself to the world. The meaning of the Creed, which is a
compendium of Scripture and of the faith of the Church, is the realization of
this task.
– Liturgical education
Christ is always present in his Church, especially in "liturgical
celebrations". (255) Communion with Jesus Christ leads to the celebration
of his salvific presence in the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. The
Church ardently desires that all the Christian faithful be brought to that full,
conscious and active participation which is required by the very nature of the
liturgy (256) and the dignity of the baptismal priesthood. For this reason,
catechesis, along with promoting a knowledge of the meaning of the liturgy and
the sacraments, must also educate the disciples of Jesus Christ "for
prayer, for thanksgiving, for repentance, for praying with confidence, for
community spirit, for understanding correctly the meaning of the creeds...",
(257) as all of this is necessary for a true liturgical life
– Moral formation
Conversion to Jesus Christ implies walking in his footsteps. Catechesis
must, therefore, transmit to the disciples the attitudes of the Master himself.
The disciples thus undertake a journey of interior transformation, in which, by
participating in the paschal mystery of the Lord, "they pass from the old
man to the new man who has been made perfect in Christ". (258) The Sermon
on the Mount, in which Jesus takes up the Decalogue, and impresses upon it the
spirit of the beatitudes, (259) is an indispensable point of reference for the
moral formation which is most necessary today. Evangelization which "involves
the proclamation and presentation of morality", (260) displays all the
force of its appeal where it offers not only the proclaimed word but the lived
word too. This moral testimony, which is prepared for by catechesis, must always
demonstrate the social consequences of the demands of the Gospel. (261)
– Teaching to pray
Communion with Jesus Christ leads the disciples to assume the attitude of
prayer and contemplation which the Master himself had. To learn to pray with
Jesus is to pray with the same sentiments with which he turned to the Father:
adoration, praise, thanksgiving, filial confidence, supplication and awe for his
glory. All of these sentiments are reflected in the Our Father, the
prayer which Jesus taught his disciples and which is the model of all Christian
prayer. The "handing on of the Our Father" (262) is a summary
of the entire Gospel (263) and is therefore a true act of catechesis. When
catechesis is permeated by a climate of prayer, the assimilation of the entire
Christian life reaches its summit. This climate is especially necessary when the
catechumen and those to be catechized are confronted with the more demanding
aspects of the Gospel and when they feel weak or when they discover the
mysterious action of God in their lives.
Other fundamental tasks of catechesis: initiation and education in
community life and to mission
86. Catechesis prepares the Christian to live in community and to
participate actively in the life and mission of the Church. The Second Vatican
Council indicates the necessity for pastors "to form genuine Christian
communities" (264) and for catechumens "[to] learn to co-operate
actively in building up the Church and its work of evangelization". (265)
– Education for Community Life
a) Christian community life is not realized spontaneously. It is
necessary to educate it carefully. In this apprenticeship, the teaching of
Christ on community life, recounted in the Gospel of St Matthew, calls for
attitudes which it is for catechesis to inculcate: the spirit of simplicity and
humility ("unless you turn and become like little children..." Mt
18,3); solicitude for the least among the brethren ("but whoever
causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin..." Mt 18,6);
particular care for those who are alienated ("Go and search of the one
that went astray..." Mt 18,12); fraternal correction ("Go and
tell him his fault..." Mt 18,15); common prayer ("if two of
you agree on earth to ask about anything..." Mt 18,19); mutual
forgiveness ("but seventy times seven..." Mt 18,22). Fraternal
love embraces all these attitudes ("love one another; even as I have
loved you..." Jn 13,34).
b) In developing this community sense, catechesis takes special note
of the ecumenical dimension and encourages fraternal attitudes toward members of
other Christian churches and ecclesial communities. Thus catechesis in pursuing
this objective should give a clear exposition of all the Church's doctrine and
avoid formulations or expressions that might give rise to error. It also implies
"a suitable knowledge of other confessions", (266) with which there
are shared elements of faith: "the written word of God, the life of grace,
faith, hope and charity, and the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit".
(267) Catechesis will possess an ecumenical dimension in the measure in which it
arouses and nourishes "a true desire for unity", (268) not easy
irenicism, but perfect unity, when the Lord himself wills it and by those means
by which he wishes that it should be brought about.
– Missionary initiation
a) Catechesis is also open to the missionary dimension. (269) This
seeks to equip the disciples of Jesus to be present as Christians in society
through their professional, cultural and social lives. It also prepares them to
lend their cooperation to the different ecclesial services, according to their
proper vocation. This task of evangelization originates, for the lay faithful,
in the sacraments of Christian initiation and in the secular character of their
vocation. (270) It is also important that every means should be used to
encourage vocations to the Priesthood, and to the different forms of
consecration to God in religious and apostolic life and to awaken special
missionary vocations. The evangelical attitudes which Jesus taught his disciples
when he sent them on mission are precisely those which catechesis must nourish:
to seek out the lost sheep, proclaim and heal at the same time, to be poor,
without money or knapsack; to know how to accept rejection and persecution; to
place one's trust in the Father and in the support of the Holy Spirit; to expect
no other reward than the joy of working for the Kingdom. (271)
b) In educating for this missionary sense, catechesis is also
necessary for interreligious dialogue, if it renders the faithful capable of
meaningful communication with men and women of other religions. (272) Catechesis
shows that the link between the Church and non-Christian religions is, in the
first place, the common origin and end of the human race, as well as the "many
seeds of the word which God has sown in these religions". Catechesis too
helps to reconcile and, at the same time, to distinguish between "the
proclamation of Christ" and "inter-religious dialogue". These two
elements, while closely connected, must not be confused or identified. (273)
Indeed, "dialogue does not dispencse form evangelization".(274)
Observations on the totality of these tasks
87. The tasks of catechesis, consequently, constitute a totality, rich and
varied in aspect. On this point it is opportune to make some observations.
– "All of these tasks are necessary. As the vitality of the human
body depends on the proper function of all of its organs, so a