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The United
States Catholic Catechism for Adults
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
How well is the average Catholic catechized? The Catechism of the
Catholic Church describes catechesis as “the teaching of Christian
doctrine in an organic and systematic way” to make children, young
people and adults “disciples of Jesus Christ.” Those who have devoted
their lives and energy to catechesis like to think that those who seize
opportunities to learn about their religion are well founded in that
faith. Yet, the understanding many have of Catholicism is confused, if
not superficial.
Several years ago I conducted a number of listening sessions with young
adults. These were people ages 18 through 34, some married and others
single. Their corporate voice was loud and clear. Tell us what the
Church teaches, they said, we don’t know. We will decide whether to
accept it or not, but we want to know what the Catholic Church teaches.
Since the bells, whistles and warm fuzzies of the 1970s, ’80s and early
’90s in catechetical instruction, inroads have been made. As diocesan
bishop I expect those who serve as catechists to have diocesan
certification to act as catechists. High on my list of priorities, also,
is the Ecclesial Lay Ministry Certification Program. People in parish
leadership roles are expected to have that certification.
Material for anyone willing to invest energy in learning about their
Catholicism is readily available. Pope John Paul II promulgated the
Catechism of the Catholic Church. The second edition of that catechism
is now in possession and dates to October 1992. Since that time, the
Vatican has issued a compendium to that catechism (2005). The Catechism
of the Catholic Church itself is a book of 904 pages. It is not an easy
read. The compendium presents a summary of 204 pages in
question-and-answer form. Now an adult catechism for the United States
is available. Copies may be obtained from the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops Publishing by calling 800-235-8722 or may be ordered
online at www.usccbpublishing.org; they also are available in a variety
of book stores.
The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults contains 36 chapters. It
was developed in response to a Vatican request that bishops’ conferences
produce national texts to complement the universal catechism. Like the
universal catechism, the adult catechism is organized under four themes:
the Creed, the sacraments, Christian morality, and prayer.
Each of the 36 chapters begins with a biographical story about a
Catholic from the annals of history. Most often this is recent U.S.
history. The individuals selected for these stories are Catholics whose
lives or actions illustrate a particular Church teaching.
For example:
• St. Frances Cabrini “lived deeply the mission of the Church to bring
Christ’s compassion and care to all people. She responded generously to
the grace of the sacrament of confirmation that binds Christians to such
a deeper identification with the Church and her mission.”
• St. John Neumann and Blessed Francis Seelos “exemplified what the
sacrament of holy orders calls priests to do. They were outstanding
shepherds of God’s people … and (witnessed) in their own lives the
holiness that drew their people to follow Christ more deeply.”
• St. Thomas More’s story is included not only because of his martyrdom,
but because he was married. The stories of other married people also are
included, such as Elizabeth Seton, Pierre Toussaint, Rose Hawthorne
Lathrop, Orestes Brownson, Cesar Chavez, John Boyle O’Reilly, and Luigi
and Maria Quatrocchi. The book says of these people: “God’s grace
blessed them with the faith and virtues that flourished in the marital
state. In turn, married people have enriched the life of the Church by
their faith and love, and by the children whom they have raised and
formed in the Christian tradition. Marriage is a sacrament at the
service of communion.”
• Dorothy Day — who once “had an abortion for which she later deeply
repented” — “was dedicated to seeking holiness, defending life and
promoting social justice and peace. In valuing human life, she came to
reject the violence of abortion and to abhor war and crushing poverty.
Her story seems most suitable for our reflection on the Fifth
Commandment” (“You shall not kill”).
• The story of Sister Thea Bowman, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual
Adoration who died in 1990, is told at the start of a chapter on the
saving death and resurrection of Christ. She bore the cross of the bone
cancer that took her life “courageously and still could sing alleluias
from her wheelchair — living the paschal mystery every day,” the
catechism says. It recalls her 1989 speech to the U.S. bishops in which
she said: “We don’t want to change the theology of the Church. We just
want to express theology within the roots of our black spiritual
culture.” She was an African-American woman.
The biographical sketches are followed in each chapter by a discussion
of the foundation and application of the teaching under consideration;
an exploration of how the teaching relates to contemporary culture;
questions for discussion; a summary of doctrinal statements; and
finally, the section for meditation and prayer.
Chapters also include sidebars, for example, the meaning of
canonization, what the four Gospels are and how they came about,
questions about baptismal sponsors, the steps involved in the Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults, the meaning of lectio divina, and
the Christological teachings of the early Councils.
Here are a couple of quotes:
On life issues confronting us today: “God’s creative action is present
to every human life and is thus the source of its sacred value. Each
human life remains in a relationship with God, who is the final goal of
every man and woman,” says the catechism’s Chapter 29. “Life issues that
confront us” include murder, abortion, in vitro fertilization,
human embryonic stem-cell research and cloning, euthanasia and
physician-assisted suicide, the death penalty, war, terrorism, scandal
and the right of the dying to live. The Fifth Commandment also forbids
“bigotry and hatred, physical or emotional abuse, violence of any kind
against another person, inattention to one’s health or the abuse of
alcohol or drugs.”
On “mystery” as the term applies to the liturgy: “A mystery is a reality
that is both visible and hidden. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection
become present to us and effective for us in the liturgical life of the
Church. His death and resurrection are hidden now in the eternity of
God, but as risen Lord and head of the Church Jesus Christ calls us to
share in them through the liturgy of the Church, that is, by the visible
gathering of the community for worship and remembrance of what God has
done for us.”
Some, it seems, do not want to delve into their faith. When
opportunities are offered at the parish level, the degree of interest
normally is somewhat frustrating. “Don’t confuse me with the facts,” a
woman once told me when I tried to interest her in adult study. Many,
however, thirst for a deeper understanding. If you are such an
individual, the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults is a source worthy of
exploration. |
