USCCB - Catechesis in the Catholic Church

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Catechism Update
Winter, 1997

From the Chairman
As the year draws to a close, it seems appropriate to highlight some of the significant events related to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the work of the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism. The promulgation of the editio typica of the Catechism, as well as the International Catechetical Congress marking its release, signal milestones for the catechetical ministry in the United States and the initiatives of the Committee. Several articles in this issue explore the nature of the editio typica and the implications of its release.
In addition, the Catechism Committee has been busy reviewing catechetical materials as to their conformity with the Catechism. The study of the feasibility of a national catechism/catechetical series, in particular the development of the Scope and Sequence Instrument based on the Catechism, has also occupied a significant amount of the members' time and energy. A list of those texts/ series found in conformity with the Catechism as of December 1, and an update of the feasibility study, are provided. Brief summaries of the Committee's dialogs with publishers of catechetical materials and representatives of national catechetical organizations are also presented.
The Catechism Committee anticipates a productive new year. We will continue to keep you informed of our work in the quarterly issues of Catechism Update. We hope you enjoy the newsletter's new format.

Facts about the Editio Typica of the Catechism
On September 8,1997 our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, promulgated the editio typica or the official Latin language version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church with the apostolic letter Laetamur magnopere. "Today's ceremony," he told members of the different commissions that collaborated in the drafting of the Catechism, "constitutes a point of arrival, but at the same time, it marks a new 'point of departure,' since the Catechism, now completed, must be better and more broadly known, embraced, spread, and above all, it must become a precious instrument of daily work in pastoral ministry and evangelization." (Vatican Information Service, September 8, 1997)
Pope John Paul II emphasized that the Catechism represents a valid and sure instrument for presbyters in their permanent formation and in preaching; for catechists, in their distant and near preparation in the service of the Word; for families, on their path of growth toward the full development of the potentialities latent in the sacrament of matrimony. Theologians will find in the Catechism an authorized doctrinal reference for their inexhaustible research." (Vatican Information Service, September 8, 1997)
Some facts about the editio typica might be helpful:

The editio typica is not a new catechism; it is the definitive Latin text of the same Catechism that was published in French in 1992 and translated into over thirty languages.

All translations, including those already published, will have to conform to the official Latin edition.

The official version is presented in Latin because Latin is then official language of the Church. The use of Latin guarantees continuity with Tradition and consolidates the bond of unity which exists between each of the particular churches and the universal Church.

The definitive Latin edition of the Catechism is roughly two hundred pages longer than the original modern language editions. Most of these additional pages contain a greatly expanded and more detailed analytical index.

The analytical index is three times longer than the one included in the original version.

The paragraph numbers which facilitate easy reference to particular points in the Catechism have not been altered.

The editio typica is now definitive and will not be subjected to further changes. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, president of the Interdicasterial Commission that oversaw the development of the editio typica, indicated that, "it was for this reason that it was preferred to first publish the Catechism of the Catholic Church in a modern language, thus keeping the option of making improvements." (Vatican Information Service, September 9,1997)

Modifications Based on the Editio Typica
While the editio typica has incorporated numerous proposals for corrections that have come from different parts of the world over the past five years, it remains fundamentally consistent with the original text. Some facts about the modifications might be helpful:

Eighty-five modifications to the original text have been assimilated into the editio typica.

Twenty-two changes were made in part one, the Profession of Faith; thirty-four in part two, the Celebration of the Christian Mystery; twenty-six in part three, Life in Christ; and three in part four, Christian Prayer.

Some of the modifications are technical or editorial in nature. Others are the result of attentive verification of the sources of the Catechism. But a few are more substantive.

Some examples of the more substantive modifications would be the following:

The Catechism's teaching on the death penalty was refined to incorporate Pope John Paul II's treatment of the topic of his encyclical letter, Evangelium vitae.

The Catechism's teaching on the consecrated life was refined to incorporate Pope John Paul II's treatment of the topic in his apostolic exhortation, Vita consecrata.

Slight changes were made in the articulation or clarification of the official teaching on the precepts of the Church, respect for the animal world, homosexual orientation, terrorism, organ transplants and the right to private property.

To order the complete text of the modifications in booklet form, please call USCC, Office for Publishing and Promotion Services, 1 800 235 USCC. Both English and Spanish versions will be available mid-January.

International Catechetical Congress
Archbishops Buechlein and Levada and Bishop Wuerl, as well as Fathers Pollard and DeVries, amended the International Catechetical Congress held in Vatican City from October 14-17, 1997. The last International Catechetical Congress was in 1971. The theme of this October's Congress was "The Faith of the Church and her Evangelical Mission."
The scope of the Congress included the following:

The presentation of the editio typica of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the presentation of the General Director for Catechesis;

An overview and synthesis of the s reception of the Catechism;

An initial verification of the publication of national catechisms, in light of Fidel depositum;

A word of clarification about the proliferation of different types of catechetical aids and the Catechism;

The Catechism and the General Directory for Catechesis as valid instruments of and points of reference for a renewed catechesis at the threshold of the Third Millennium.

Two members of the delegation from the United States presented Interventions. Archbishop Francis Schulte spoke on the role and influence of the General Catechetical Directory of 1971 and the catechetical pastoral perspective of the General Directory for Catechesis. Father John Pollard spoke on the reception and dissemination of the Catechism in the United States.
Several major addresses at the Congress focused on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For example, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger presented "The editio typica the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Instrument of Unity in the Truth." In it he made several significant points which are highlighted in the box below.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger at the International Catechetical Congress

We live in a divided world, full of contrasts. The Church exists amid this controversy.
To some the Catechism poses a threat, a contradiction, a discipline or an attack on inculturation. But the Catechism is an instrument of unity - unity in truth. Unity, however, is not uniformity.
The composition of the Catechism literally involved thousands of people from all the continents. The Catechism presents a symphony of faith which emerged from the wealth of the local churches. This reflects the mystery of the Church: unity in diversity.
The Catechism excels in developing the notion of a distinctively Christian anthropology.
Jesus is the truth, not hidden in deep fog, but found in Sacred Scripture
The unity of faith forms an essential dimension of the unity of the Church whose model is the Trinity.
The basic criterion of the truth of the faith is Sacred Scripture.
A single expression of the faith, such as the Catechism, stresses the solidarity of beliefs and builds the unity of the Church. Such unity does not suffocate the pluraformity of the local churches.
The Catechism emphasizes the common tradition, language and the content of the faith through out the Church.
The Catechism is a book for meditation, consultation. It is a guide, an interpretation of the act of baptism.
The internal unity of the Catechism is evident: what we believe, we celebrate, we live, and we pray.
The Catechism is a precious instrument of unity in that it will be the norm for national catechisms, the parent, the model.
The unity of the Christian mystery and the diversity of people's unique needs come together in the Catechism.
The new General Directory for Catechesis says the Catechism is not indifferent to various catechetical methods but presents the same content for all methods.
The definitive edition of the Catechism is in Latin because it is the official language of the Church. It provides unity of expression and continuity throughout the world. Latin is a national, a-political and outside any of us but for all of us. Its use overcomes particular difficulties.
We did not invent the faith, we received it.

Committee Dialogs
Members meet with national organization representatives
During the recent meeting of tile General Assembly of Bishops, the members of the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism met with representatives of the two major national catechetical organizations, the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) and the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). The staff of the catechetical division of the USCC Department of Education was also present. The representatives had requested the meeting with the Committee because the constituencies of the organizations, namely diocesan directors of religious education, frequency feel the effects of the Committee's decisions and yet do not ordinarily have direct access to the Committee. A candid exchange on the following three questions took place:

How does the work of the Catechism Committee affect the constituency/membership of the national associations/organizations?

How does the work of your organization impact the bishop in his mission as chief catechist in his diocese?

How do you see your organization implementing the Catechism of the Catholic Church? The representatives of the national organizations acknowledged the significant role the Catechism should play in the catechetical ministry, but informed the Committee that the publishers of catechetical materials are anxious about episcopal reviews of their materials based on the Catechism. They said they did not favor a national catechetical series. They reminded the Committee of the primacy of adult religious education and the need to balance their examination of the content of catechetical materials with a consideration of methodology. They expressed gratitude to the Committee for making the staff of the Office for the Catechism available for reports and updates at their national meetings.

The Committee addressed several questions to the representatives. One of the members of the Committee asked if the representatives' constituents thought the catechetical materials that were being used in their dioceses were adequate. Another asked the reaction of diocesan catechetical leaders to the ten deficiencies which Archbishop Buechlein articulated at the General Assembly of Bishops last June. One of the Committee members asked how diocesan catechetical leaders were accepting the procedures being used by the Committee in reviewing catechetical materials. Another asked about the reaction of the representatives and their constituents to the development of a scope and sequence instrument based on the Catechism.
In addition to the Committee members and staff, those present for the conversation were Thomas Walters, President and Neil Parent, Executive Director, NCCL; Leonard DiFiore, President and Robert Colbert, Director, Religious Education Dept., NCEA; Sisters Elaine McCarron and Maureen Shaughnessy, USCC Dept. of Education.
On August 28, 1997, the members of the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism met in Chicago with representatives of the publishers of catechetical materials in the United States. Twenty-five representatives from 14 publishing firms attended the meeting. This marked the second time the publishers had been invited to meet and discuss the work of the Committee and its impact on the publication of catechetical materials. The first meeting with publishers took place in August, 1996.
The discussion centered on three areas: 1) the nature and process of the conformity review; 2) the implications of the conformity review for dioceses; and 3) the status of the Scope and Sequence Instrument based on the Catechism, a component of the feasibility study for a national catechism/catechetical series.
Regarding the nature and process of the conformity review, the publishers urged the Committee:

to expedite the process as quickly as possible and give publishers a better forecast of how long it would take to bring a review to conclusion;

to consider establishing guidelines regarding what materials should or should not be submitted for the conformity review, since some components of secondary religious education programs deal with topics not specifically related to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

In reference to the implications of the conformity review for dioceses, the publishers expressed the following concerns:

effective elimination of the voluntary nature of the conformity review if local Ordinaries begin, as some already have done, to mandate only those materials which have been reviewed and found in conformity;

confusion regarding the relationship of the conformity review to the imprimatur and diocesan guidelines for catechetical texts.

The publishers voiced support for the Committee to communicate to the bishops that requiring the conformity statement at this time would be premature since not all the materials presently available have been reviewed nor adequate time given for new materials to be developed. They also asked for some degree of reciprocity and coordination among the conformity review, the imprimatur and diocesan guidelines.
Regarding the development of the Scope and Sequence Instrument, the publishers were cautiously optimistic about how the instrument could be helpful as they undertake the writing of new catechetical series and materials, but they remained opposed to a national catechetical series. The Committee indicated that the publishers would have the opportunity to review a draft of the Scope and Sequence Instrument and offer their critique.
Both Committee members and publishers expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet, and a desire to continue the dialog.
Feasibility Study Report:
Scope and Sequence Instrument
Having initiated the study of the feasibility of a national catechetical series/catechism for the United States, the Committee has explored many issues, including the content of such a series or catechism. To assist the Committee with this particular issue, a special task force was assembled to determine whether or not the content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be distributed, in an age appropriate manner, over the course of eight grade levels. The small task force of experts and professionals in the field of catechesis developed a draft Scope and Sequence Instrument based on the Catechism.
In August, the Committee accepted a consultation plan submitted by the task force. This plan includes the distribution of the Instrument for critique to a group of experts from the fields of theology, catechetics, publishing, education and psychology, a meeting of the task force to consider the evaluations of the experts, and a revision of the Instrument. In October, the Committee sent the draft Instrument to sixty-two experts. The responses will be collated by staff and evaluated by the task force. A preliminary report will be presented to the Committee in February, 1998.
The consultation plan will extend through March 1998 at which time the Committee will pursue a more informed judgment concerning a national catechism/catechetical series and advise the Administrative Committee and General Assembly

Extension Approved
The U.S. Bishops approved a five-year extension of the Office for the Catechism at their November General Meeting. The Bishops agreed unanimously by voice vote to fund the extension of the Office which they established in June, 1995 to assist the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism.
According to Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, Chairman of Committee, "The members of the Ad Hoc Committee determined that their work would not be completed by the end of 1998 when funding for the Office for the Catechism was to end." Of the objectives given the Committee, the extensive review of catechetical materials as to their conformity with the Catechism and the continuing study of the feasibility of a national catechism/catechetical series were cited as requiring more time for completion.
The proposal by the Committee for the extension of the Office for the Catechism was made in light of a $500,000 grant announced by Our Sunday Visitor Institute in March, 1997. The grant is to be given to the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism in $100,000 installments over five years.

General Info Ad Hoc Committee Cat Update Q & A Articles Editions Documents

From the Chairman

Facts about the Editio Typica of the Catechism

Committee Dialogs

Feasibility Study Report:

Extension Approved