Catechetics – time for a reimagination

Q: Archbishop J, how does catechetics relate to evangelisation?

Catechetics and evangelisation are like a seamless robe. Where one begins and the other ends is a mystery. The act of evangelising is catechetical, and the act of catechetics is evangelical. The two are inseparable. They create a unity vital for the health and life of the Church.

Before Jesus left Earth, He told His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt 28:19–20).

Jesus envisions evangelisation leading to catechetical formation. “To make disciples” is the evangelisation mandate: “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded” is the catechetical mandate. Both are necessary for discipleship.

The Directory For Catechesis (new edition) says some interesting things about the integral connection. It states: “Catechesis is an essential part of the broader process of renewal that the Church is called to bring about in order to be faithful to the command of Jesus Christ to proclaim always and everywhere his Gospel” #1 (cf Mt 28:19).

Integral Model

The Directory continues: “Catechesis participates according to its own nature in the effort of evangelization, in order that the faith may be supported by an ongoing maturation and express itself in a way of life that must characterize the very being of the disciple of Christ. Because of this, catechesis is related to the liturgy and to charity in making evident the essential unity of the new life which springs forth from Baptism” (#1).

From this, it is clear that catechetics is related not only to evangelisation but also to liturgy, social justice, and charity. Catechesis aims to form mature disciples. This is vital! Mature discipleship should be the end result of the catechetical process. Acts 2:42 sets out the model: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

As you can see, the four devotions are integral to the formation process. It consists of the teaching of the Apostles, which includes Scripture and Tradition, fellowship (the quality of relationship within the community and the capacity of the disciple to love as Jesus loved), the Eucharist and the whole liturgical life of the Church, i.e., the Sacraments (seven portals of grace) by which the disciple encounters the living Christ.

Prayer is the essential lifeline between God and the disciple. The regular practice of these four devotions leads the soul to union with Christ and the renewal of the community.

Acts 2:47 says, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” The community became a witnessing community, a formative community, a liturgical community, a studying community, and a praying community. The “Lord added to their number” through these dimensions of community living. The community became an evangelising community.

Commenting on this model of community and faith formation, The Directory says: “The faith, in fact, demands to be known, celebrated, lived, and turned into prayer. In order to form believers for an integral Christian life, catechesis therefore pursues the following tasks: leading to knowledge of the faith; initiating into the celebration of the mystery; forming for life in Christ; teaching to pray; and introducing to community life” (#79).

As we move to a synodal Church we see the deepening of the call for an integral model of catechesis:

In a synodal Church, formation must be integral. Indeed, it not only aims at acquiring various ideas, beliefs or skills but also at promoting the capacity for encounter, sharing, cooperation, and discernment in common. Formation must, therefore, engage all the dimensions of the human person: intellectual, affective, and spiritual. It cannot remain a purely theoretical formation but must include concrete experiences and meaningful accompaniment. It is equally important to foster knowledge of the cultures in which local Churches live and work, including the digital culture, which has become widespread, especially among young people. (#56, Instrumentum Laboris for the Second Session, 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2024).

The synodal Church consists in an integral model of human formation that touches the core dimensions of the human person—the intellectual, affective, and spiritual. It involves the capacity to work together in a synodal style—encompassing the digital world—in dialogue about the needs and the approaches to the formation process.

This formation is grounded on encounter and affects all dimensions of the human person and the community. A recurring theme of the Synod on Synodality has been the need for an integral formation for all Catholics at every stage of their journey. This cry has been echoed in all continents. It was heard at our first synodal gathering in Chaguanas in November 2022.

The ultimate end of catechesis is the transformation of the world. Highlighting the intimate connection between evangelisation and integral human development, the Church reiterates that faith must not be lived as an individual reality devoid of concrete consequences for social life. The Directory states: “An authentic faith—which is never comfortable or completely personal—always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it” (#389).

Revisioning Catechetics

Catechetics is a central ministry in the Church; its role must now be reimagined.

In our Archdiocese, we see the catechist as the teacher of First Communion and Confirmation programmes. I guess most of our catechists are engaged in this way. We need to see formation as an integral process from birth to natural death. Further, we need to see that each developmental stage of our lives needs a different content and approach to formation.

We have to imagine catechists prepared to form every age and stage of the journey of Catholic life, from 0 to 99+. And we need to imagine the end result of catechetics as discipleship.

Children who participate in one of our programmes for two years must have a prayer life and a real connection with Jesus Christ. They should understand and be devoted to the Eucharist. They should understand the teachings of the Church and be formed for love and relationship.

To move catechetics forward we need to recognise that the catechist also needs formation. Chapter four of The Directory is dedicated to the ongoing formation of the catechist. Here, the model is based on encounter.

Transformation comes from renewing the mind—through the encounter with Jesus Christ. That encounter leads to conversion, discipleship, communion, and mission. This is the wisdom of Aparecida.

Instrumentum Laboris sees every Catholic as having responsibility for his or her own formation:

Each baptised person is called to take care of their own formation as a response to the gifts of the Lord, making use of the talents they have received in order that they bear fruit and put them at the service of all …Therefore, responding to the question of “How to be a synodal Church in mission?” requires prioritising effective formation pathways, with particular attention to ongoing formation for everyone. (#51)

Key Message:

Catechesis is an integral ecology encompassing evangelisation, liturgy, social justice, family, etc. Its aim is for all age groups to be disciples.

Action Step:

Take responsibility for your discipleship formation. Go to formed.org or the Catholic Religious Education Development Institute (CREDI) or Bible School and participate in a course.

Scripture Reading:

Mt 28:19–20

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