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Ramiro Pellitero Iglesias, Professor of Theology, University of Navarra, Spain School

Theological and pastoral aspects of the new directory for the catechesis

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:25:00 +0000 Posted in Word

Three preliminary notes

First of all, it must be recognized that the idea about the catechesis that many have had for decades refers to instruction about religion directed primarily to children.

Without neglecting the training of children and young people, current circumstances have led to the rediscovery of the catechesis of adults, which, taking the model of the first centuries, is proposed as a "paradigm" for the other catechesis.

In any case, the catechesis is a necessity for all Christians, of whatever age and circumstances. No one should consider himself "already formed". And for all, the new directory for catechesis offers a general framework and some important orientations.

In the second place, it is important to distinguish catechesis from other forms of Education of the faith, complementary among themselves within the broad process of the Church's evangelizing mission statement ; above all, it is important to distinguish it from teaching religious school, as reflective information on the contents of the Christian faith. This subject can be addressed to believers or non-believers. It is situated in the framework of the cultural training , proper to the school or higher academic institutions, so that it "makes the Gospel present in the process staff of systematic and critical assimilation of culture" (n. 313). To this end, this discipline must have the same academic rigor as the others on curriculum. In this way it will be able to shed light on the multidisciplinarity proper to a humanizing training , so important today for life staff, family and social life.

On the other hand, catechesis is not part of a school system. Its goal is the initiation and then the progressive training of the already Christian: to increase in him the adhesion staff to Christ and the maturity in his following.

In his presentation, the directory points out the double goal of the catechesis with these words: "to mature the initial faith and to educate the true disciple by means of a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the person and message of Our Lord Jesus Christ" (exhort. ap. Catechesi tradendae, 19).

It is interesting to note how all this financial aid helps to clear two possible misunderstandings at the time of the catechesis: that of a teaching limited to the cognitive aspects and that of a training limited to a merely human wisdom. On the other hand, catechesis is Education for life, specifically for the Christian life. It aspires to form disciples of Christ.

Centrality of the advertisement of faith and missionary conversion

Today's complex context, characterized by profound cultural changes, withdrawal of the ecclesial faith in countries with a long Christian tradition, together with difficulties and demands for spiritual, moral and pastoral renewal within the Church itself, challenge us for a new evangelization (cf. nn. 38-39).

Gospel means good news. To evangelize is to announce the good news of God's love brought by Christ-the Son of God made man, who died and rose for us-following the Master's command (cf. Mt 28:19).  

The advertisement of faith in Christ, dead and risen, is called, in the New Testament, kerygma. Pope Francis has renewed the call for a missionary conversion of the whole Church and of every Christian. This makes the catechesis necessary today a kerygmaticcatechesis , which means emphasizing this first advertisement of faith. Now, this advertisement is not an abstract principle, a phrase, a mere information or a speech articulated to convince the interlocutor, but the testimony of meeting staff with Jesus Christ.

From this central point, faith unfolds its "contents": it is proclaimed and confessed in the Church (Creed), it is celebrated in the liturgy (sacraments), it is lived in its own style (Christian morality) and it is manifested and nourished in dialogue with God (prayer).

Although the first advertisement (kerygma) is not identified with the catechesis, but precedes it, today this advertisement cannot be left behind, because many have not yet experienced the meeting staff with Jesus (cf. n. 56).

To say that today a kerygmatic catechesis is needed is equivalent to saying that catechesis "is called to be, in the first place, a advertisement of faith and should not delegate to other ecclesial actions the task of helping to discover the beauty of the Gospel" (n. 57). It is a matter of allowing each person, through the catechesis "to discover that it is worthwhile to believe" (Ibid.).

It should be kept in mind that in the advertisement of faith Christ himself acts through the witness who announces it (cf. n. 58). This requires that the heralds of this news (educators of the faith, catechists and in general every Christian) "incarnate" this advertisement in their own lives, making their message credible: "Jesus Christ loves you, he gave his life to save you, and now he is alive at your side every day, to enlighten you, to strengthen you, to free you"(Evangelii Gaudium, 164. The main elements of a contemporary kerygmatic catechesis are presented in nn. 57-60 of directory).

At final, and along the lines indicated by St. Paul VI(Evangelii nuntiandi) and the following pontificates, especially the current one of Francis(Evangelii gaudium), a "kerygmaticcatechesis " is necessary today. In this way it will be possible to make the Christian faithful "missionary disciples", along the lines of the Aparecida Document (fruit of the V CELAM lecture , 2007), inspired in turn by the universal call to holiness and apostolate proclaimed by the Second Vatican Council.

Digital culture and globalization of culture

Taking into account the current context - in which directory highlights the digital culture and the globalization of culture (cf. presentation)-it is worth exemplifying the content of the document by gleaning various elements, both positive and negative, that together constitute the challenges that catechesis must face today.

Without being exhaustive: the need to link truth and love; the centrality of witness, mercy and dialogue; spiritual transformation, promoted by catechesis, as a service to the inculturation of the faith; attention to the contributions of the human sciences (psychology, pedagogy, sociology, etc.) to improve in faith; the relationship between and popular piety; the change of sensibility with a rejection of the mentality of moral and religious "obligation" and, therefore, with a more personalistic vision of the faith.) to improve the Education in the faith; the relationship between catechesis and popular piety; the change of sensibility with a rejection of the mentality of moral and religious "obligation" and, therefore, with a more personalistic vision of the moral Education ; doctrinal relativism; the need to better explain the freedom of the Christian; the priority of the unity or coherence of Christian life that the Education should foster; the understanding and internship of the catechesis in the framework of the Christian community; the importance of the liturgical Education or "mystagogy" through the catechumenate; the elements of the "digital culture" that can help or need financial aid on the part of the Education in the faith; the "languages" of the catechesis, the "way of beauty" and the role of the report; the horizon of service to society and the transformation of the world; the learning of discernment at the educational and catechetical level; the articulation of local cultural elements with the universal outreach; the catechesis of the poorest, of the migrants, of the imprisoned; the ecumenical dimension of the catechesis and its role in the dialogue with religions, with the indifferent and unbelievers; the catechesis and the perspective of "gender" and other questions related to the culture of life and bioethics; forms and ways of the catechesis family; catechesis and ecology, etc.

Of particular interest are the analyses of the digital culture, the orientations on ways to follow in the catechetical process- as part of the broader process of evangelization in search of the fullness of human life - and all that refers to the training catechists: a great need and an ecclesial challenge at all levels.