Where Are We in Catechesis? Situating the National Directory for Catechesis

1
Where Are We in Catechesis?Situating the
National Directory for Catechesis

• Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair,
• Bishop of Toledo

2
Mission of Catechesis

• The National Directory for Catechesis signals a
  promising new moment for the Church in the United
  States, an invitation to grow in understanding
• Its publication is the latest step in a process
  that dates back to the years following the Second
  Vatican Council

3
Christus Dominus

• The Second Vatican Councils Decree on the
  Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church,
  Christus Dominus (CD) calls for the creation of
  a directory for the catechetical instruction of
  the Christian people in which the fundamental
  principles of this instruction and its
  organization will be dealt with and the
  preparation of books relating to it (CD, no. 44)
• This directive signaled the beginning of a new,
  still unfolding age of catechesis in the Church

4
First Catechetical Directory

• Preparation of a worldwide catechetical directory
  was unprecedented
• Project involved fundamental reflection on the
  nature and purpose of catechesis in the life and
  mission of the Church
• The Roman Catechism, issued in 1569 after the
  Council of Trent, was the only other worldwide
  catechetical document produced prior to 1971. It
  was intended as a doctrinal reference for bishops
  and priests in creating catechetical materials

5
General Catechetical Directory

• International commission established to oversee
  the development of a universal catechetical
  directory. The commission consulted directly with
  worlds bishops
• On the basis of consultation, the commission
  developed a proposed outline reviewed at a
  special plenary session of the Congregation for
  the Clergy, the Roman dicastery responsible for
  catechetical matters
• A draft text was developed and then released to
  all the episcopal conferences for further
  consultation
• General Catechetical Directory was developed and
  published in 1971

6
Why a General Catechetical Directory?

• The purpose of the General Catechetical
  Directory, was to provide the basic principles
  of pastoral theology so that the ministry of the
  word could be more fittingly directed and
  governed
• The text addressed errors frequently encountered
  in catechesis
• Bishops were encouraged to develop national
  and/or regional directories in order to apply the
  principles and directives of the General
  Catechetical Directory to the concrete situations
  of their own people

7
National Catechetical DirectoryHistorical
Development

• April 1972 committee of seven bishops formed to
  oversee the development of a National
  Catechetical Directory
• 1973 full-time project director and assistant
  director named twelve member working committee
  of bishops, priests, religious and laity formed

8
National Catechetical DirectoryHistorical

• Between 1973 and 1975 several national
  consultations held
• 1. Consultation from late 1973 until March of
  1974 focused on a preliminary outline
• 2. First draft text released for consultation
  early 1975. More than 75,000 recommendations
  were submitted from across the nation.
• 3. Second draft developed national consultation
  held in early 1977
• 4. Final draft sent to bishops in summer 1977,
  approved by body of bishops at their November
  1977 meeting
• Sharing the Light of Faith the National
  Catechetical Directory approved by Holy See in
  October of 1978 and published in 1979

9
Other Catechetical Events

• 1971, Pope Paul VI hosts international
  catechetical congress
• 1975 Pope Paul VI issues Apostolic Exhortation
  Evangelii Nuntiandi
• 1975, International Council for Catechesis formed
  as a consultative body to the Congregation for
  the Clergy
• 1977 Synod of Bishops on the theme of catechesis.
  
• 1979, Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae
  (On Catechesis in Our Time) issued by Pope John
  Paul II on the first anniversary of his election
  as Pope. Stress placed on Christ centered
  catechesis, and the need to present an organic
  and systematic instruction in the faith

10
Notable Moments in Modern Catechetics

• Insights about human development lead to
  age-appropriate methodologies and presentations.
  This leads to less focus on the specific content
  of Christian doctrine
• Movement from religious education focused on
  repetition and the memorization of doctrines to
  the kerygmatic approach of Fr. Josef Jungmann,
  SJ, and the stages of development approach
  inspired by the work of Piaget

11
Notable Moments in Modern Catechetics

• Religious educators stress experiencing God in
  everyday life and putting faith into practice.
  Emphasis placed on Christian formation, not
  instruction
• Theology of human works emphasized, gives
  insufficient attention to the primacy of the
  Triune Gods self-revelation in Christ, reflected
  in the truths of faith believed as part of a
  communion of faith
• Orthopraxisright livingcame to be championed
  in contrast to orthodoxyright believingas if
  mutually exclusive, instead of two intertwining
  parts of the one symphony of Christian life

12
More Recent Developments

• 1985, Synod of Bishops propose that a new
  universal catechism be created
• After international consultation Catechism of the
  Catholic Church (CCC), published in French,
  German, Spanish and Italian in 1992, and in
  English in 1994
• Catechism seen as a sure guide for the
  preparation of other national or regional
  catechisms and catechetical materials

13
U.S. BishopsCommittee for the Use of the
Catechism

• A voluntary review process established whereby
  catechetical texts are granted a declaration of
  conformity
• Declaration of Conformity means that a given
  text reflects the teaching of the Catechism in a
  way that is both accurate and complete
• Conformity process has been employed by
  publishing houses
• Process has proven helpful to those who use the
  texts
• Through review process, bishops have become more
  actively involved as teachers of the faith

14
Committee for the Use of the Catechism

• Committee originally identified ten areas of
  doctrinal deficiency seen in most religion texts
  Trinitarian theology, Christology, ecclesiology,
  sacramental theology, moral theology and
  eschatology
• Today, most of these areas have been addressed
• More recent concern is with the use of tentative
  language in catechetical texts that appears to
  compromise a clear proclamation of the truth of
  Catholic Faith
• Catechetical texts share the light of faith from
  the perspective of one who freely and joyfully
  gives full adherence to what the Church believes
  and teaches

15
General Directory for Catechesis

• General Directory for Catechesis published in
  1997
• General Directory for Catechesis focuses mostly
  on methodology, relies on the Catechism of the
  Catholic Church as the touchstone of catechetical
  content. The two volumes are to be used
  hand-in-hand

16
Significant Developments of the GDC

• Focus on divine pedagogy, that is, the pedagogy
  of divine revelation, how and what God teaches
  us. This reminds us that what we believe as
  Catholics has its origin in God
• Both objective truth and subjective
  appropriation, education and formation, orthodoxy
  and orthopraxis--all need to be brought into
  balance in a symphony of faith
• The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
  presented as the paradigm for all catechesis
  i.e., catechesis is a lifelong experience. There
  is never a point in our lives when catechesis is
  complete

17
National Directory for Catechesis

• Process of development began in 2000
• Three consultations held on outline and drafts
• Approved by U.S. bishops in June 2003
• Recognized by Holy See in December 2004
• To be published in May 2005

18
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

• Approved by U.S. bishops in November 2004
• Sent to Vatican in January 2005
• Created as a catechetical text for adults