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A catechism ( /ˈkætəˌkɪzəm/; from Ancient Greek: κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult converts.[1] Catechisms are doctrinal manuals – often in the form of questions followed by answers to be memorised – a format that has been used in non-religious or secular contexts as well. According to Norman DeWitt, the early Christians appropriated this practice from the Epicureans, a school whose founder Epicurus had instructed to keep summaries of the teachings for easy learning.[2] The term catechumen refers to the designated recipient of the catechetical work or instruction. In the Catholic Church, catechumens are those who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Traditionally, they would be placed separately during Holy Mass from those who had been baptized, and would be dismissed from the liturgical assembly before the Profession of Faith (Nicene Creed) and General Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful).[citation needed]
Catechisms are characteristic of Western Christianity but are also present in Eastern Christianity.[3] In 1973, The Common Catechism, the first joint catechism of Catholics and Protestants, was published by theologians of the major Western Christian traditions, as a result of extensive ecumenical dialogue.[4]
Format
Before the Protestant Reformation, Christian catechesis took the form of instruction in and memorization of the Apostles' Creed and Lord's Prayer, and basic knowledge of the sacraments. However, there were also more comprehensive documents that outlined the Christian faith, such as the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem,[5] "The Morals"[6] of St. Basil of Caesarea, and the Enchiridion on Faith, Hope and Love by St. Augustine of Hippo. The earliest known catechism is the Didache, which was written between 60 and 85 AD.[7]
The word "catechism" for a manual for this instruction appeared in the Late Middle Ages.[8] The use of a question and answer format was popularized[clarification needed] by Martin Luther in his 1529 Small Catechism. He wanted the catechumen to understand what he was learning, so the Decalogue, Lord's Prayer, and Apostles' Creed were broken up into small sections, with the question "What does this mean?" following each portion.[9] The format calls upon two parties to participate, a master and a student (traditionally termed a "scholar"), or a parent and a child. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) is an example:
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever!
Q. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?
A. The word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.[10]
Catholic catechisms
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (see below) is the catechism that is in most widespread use among Catholics today. It is the official catechism of the Church.
For Catholics, all the canonical books of the Bible (including the Deuterocanonical books), the tradition of the Church and the interpretation of these by the Magisterium (which may be outlined in a catechism, a compendium or a declaration) constitute the complete and best resource for fully attaining to God's revelation to mankind. Catholics believe that sacred scripture and sacred tradition preserved and interpreted by the Magisterium are both necessary for attaining to the fullest understanding of all of God's revelation.
The term catechist is most frequently used in Catholicism, often to describe a lay catechist or layperson with catechetical training who engages in such teaching and evangelization. This can be in both parish church and mission contexts.
Notable catechisms
| Name | First published |
Author | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'ABC des simples gens | c.1401 | Jean Gerson | "ABC for simple folk": the common prayers, creed, commandments, etc. to be memorized as part of catechesis |
| Explanation of the Apostles' Creed | 1530 | Erasmus | A Catholic response to Luther's catechisms of the previous year. English version 1533 A Playne and Godly Exposition or Declaration of the Commune Crede |
| Summa Doctrinae Christianae | 1555 | Peter Canisius | For clergy, children, and adolescents respectively |
| Catechismus minimus | 1556 | ||
| Parvus Catechismus catholicorum | 1559 | ||
| An Honest Godlye Instruction | 1556 | Edmund Bonner | Reprinted in 2020 within Tradivox, Vol. I. |
| The Roman Catechism (or the Catechism of the Council of Trent) |
1566 | Various[note 1] | Commissioned by the Council of Trent and was not intended for common use by the laity, but as a general use reference book for priests and bishops. There are two English translations. One by Theodore Buckley and the other by Rev. J Donovan. |
| A Catechisme of Christian Doctrine | 1567 | Laurence Vaux | First published in Louvain, six further editions in rapid succession, emanating from Antwerp and Liège, testified to its widespread popularity and effectiveness. The 1583 Liège issue was reprinted with biographical introduction for the Chetham Society by Thomas Graves Law in 1885.[12] This edition contains also Vaux's paper "The Use and Meaning of Ceremonies," and a few further pages of instruction added by the Liège publisher. The catechism is practically formed on the same lines as its successor of today, explaining in sequence the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer and Hail Mary (excluding the second half beginning at "Holy Mary…"), the Ten Commandments (at considerable length), the Sacraments and the offices of Christian justice. The treatise on the ceremonies discusses the use of holy water, candles, incense, vestments and so forth.
According to the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, Laurence Vaux's Catechism was the first Reformation era Catholic Catechism in English when it was published in 1567. Reprints followed in 1574, 1583, 1599 and 1605.[13] |
| The Christian Doctrine | 1573 | Fr. Diego de Ledesma | Reprinted in 2020 within Tradivox, Vol. I. |
| A Shorte Catechisme | 1614 | Robert Bellarmine | Reprinted in 2020 within Tradivox, Vol. II. |
| Douay Catechism | 1649 | Rev Henry Tuberville, DD | Written at the English College of Douay in Flanders & is based on the Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent. It was similarly written with the purpose of teaching Christian doctrine during the tumultuous English Reformation. It is a testament to Rev. Tuberville and his colleagues at Douay that it remains one of the clearest and most direct compendiums of Catholic teaching in the English language.[14] |
| A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion | 1847 | Joseph Deharbe | A popular German catechism, written by the Theologian Joseph Deharbe, which "possesses theological correctness, brevity of sentences, preciseness of expression, clearness, and good order... It is to Deharbe's credit that in his catechism he preserved catechetical tradition, but abandoned the Canisian division, arranging the text-matter under chapters on Faith, Commandments, and Means of Grace."[15] |
| Baltimore Catechism | 1885 | Fr. Januarius De Concilio | Various editions of the Baltimore Catechism were the de facto standard Catholic school text in America from 1885 to the late 1960s. It was often taught by rote. The most common edition has a series of questions with their answers, which are followed by explanations in more depth. These are often accompanied by biblical quotes. There is a test at the end of every chapter.[16] |
| Catechism of Saint Pius X | 1908 | Pope Pius X | It was issued by Pope Pius X at the beginning of the 20th century in Italian, with the intention that all Catholics could easily understand their faith.[17] |
| Dutch Catechism | 1966 | Edward Schillebeeckx & Piet Schoonenberg, S.J. | The first comprehensive post-Vatican II Catholic catechism. It was commissioned and authorised by the Catholic hierarchy of the Netherlands, and in its foreword declares as its intention: "to make the message of Jesus Christ sound as new as it is."
The catechism, a bestseller, contained a number of problematic formulations. These were reviewed by a commission of cardinals, who detailed several significant shortcomings in the new catechism's presentation of Catholic doctrine. They were able, nonetheless, to "leave untouched by far the greatest part of the New Catechism," while offering their support for "the laudable purpose of the authors of the Catechism, namely, to present the eternal good tidings of Christ in a way adapted to the understanding and the thinking of the present day man."[18] |
| Catechism of the Catholic Church | 1992 | Various | The first complete systematic synthesis of faith issued since the Council of Trent in 1566. It contains articles on the classical topics of the official teaching of the Catholic Church on all matters of faith and morals. Since the official language of the Catholic Church is Latin, official teaching documents distributed in Latin are unlikely to change in perceived meaning over time. The Latin language version of the catechism, published 8 September 1997, is the editio typica—the normative and definitive text. The principal source materials for this work are the Sacred Scriptures, the Church Fathers, the liturgy, and the Magisterium. This catechism is intended to serve "as a point of reference for the catechisms or compendia that are composed in the various countries." – Extraordinary Synod of Bishops 1985, Final Report II B a, 4.
Fidei depositum is an Apostolic Constitution which states that the catechism of the Catholic Church is for the laity in its address to all the people of God. |
| Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church | 2005 | USCCB | It originated with a request of Pope John Paul II in February 2003 and was issued by his successor Pope Benedict XVI 28 June 2005. The English version was printed at Libreria Editrice Vaticana in 2006. Unlike the larger catechism, the Compendium is similar in format to the Baltimore Catechism with 598 questions and answers, providing an easier format with only the "essential" contents of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as the title suggests. |
| United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | 2006 | USCCB | The 1992 Vatican catechism had several aims, among them to be an "authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms". American bishops responded with the 2006 United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCB, 2006) – similar in format to a college textbook, targeting adults, contain seven elements that bring more depth to the material than the 'Compendium', providing more flexibility for diverse groups of people to study its contents. Each section or chapter contains the following: story or lesson of faith, foundation and application, sidebars, relationship to culture, discussion questions, doctrinal statements, and meditation and prayer. The lessons of faith stories are about individuals from the United States and allow the American reader to better relate to these individuals. This version of the catechism is available on audio CD-ROM as well. |
| Youcat | 2011 | Christoph Schönborn | Youcat, short for Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, is a publication that aims to be an aid for youth to better understand the Catechism of the Catholic Church. |
| Christ – Our Pascha | 2012 | Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church[19] | An Eastern Catholic catechism, created by the Ukrainian Greek Church & used by some[which?] of the other Eastern Catholic churches as well[citation needed], as it provides a more Eastern perspective on the universal doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church, as well as delving into Eastern Christian practices and beliefs typically not emphasized in Western Catholicism. An English translation appeared in 2016.[19] |
Other catechisms
Ignorantia sacerdotum
Ignorantia Sacerdotum are the first words and the better-known title of De Informatione Simplicium, a catechetical manual drafted by Archbishop Pecham's provincial Council of Lambeth in 1281.[20] It called for the memorisation of the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the two-fold injunction to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart... and thy neighbour as thyself.".
It also emphasised the Seven Virtues, the Seven Deadly Sins, the Seven Sacraments, and the Seven Works of Mercy.
A 1357 translation into English is often called the Lay-Folk's Catechism.[21]
The Catechetical Instructions of St. Thomas Aquinas
The catechetical instructions of Saint Thomas Aquinas were used generally throughout the 13th and 14th centuries as manuals and textbooks for priests and teachers of religion. "The Explanations of St. Thomas," wrote Spirago, "are remarkable for their conciseness and their simplicity of language; they are especially noteworthy because the main parts of the catechetical course of instruction are brought into connection with one another so that they appear as one harmonious whole." The influence of these works is especially prominent in the "Roman Catechism" which the Council of Trent ordered written for parish priests and for all teachers of religion. Many of the explanatory passages in both works are almost identical.
Catechism of Christian Doctrine (or "Penny Catechism")
A question-and-answer format catechism that was the standard catechetical text in Great Britain in the earlier part of the 20th century. Popularly called the Penny Catechism, as the original version only cost one penny. Various editions of the Penny Catechism were issued through the century and changes were made to the text.[22]
Catechism for Filipino Catholics
The Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC) is a contextualised and inculturated Filipino Catholic catechism prepared by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and approved by the Holy See. The draft was produced by the Conference's "Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education," and is an update of the late 16th century Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Espanola Y Tagala, which was a Hispano-Tagalog version of the earlier Hispano-Chinese Doctrina that was the First book of the Spanish Philippines|first book printed in the Philippines using moveable type.
The Doctrina Cristiana[23] was written in Tagalog (both in a hispanised Latin script and the then-common indigenous Baybayin script), as well as Spanish. Amongst the contents of the Doctrina are the Spanish alphabet and phonics, basic prayers shown in both languages – in the case of the Tagalog, using archaic words and both scripts – and a brief catechism in question-and-answer format.
Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum
The Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum, also known as Enchiridion or Denzinger, is a compendium of all basic texts of Catholic dogma and morality since the apostles. Commissioned by Pope Pius IX, it has been in use since 1854, and has been updated periodically. It is a compendium of faith, like a catechism. By including all relevant teachings throughout history, it is at the same time, more than a catechism. It is a search instrument for theologians, historians and anybody interested in Christian religion. The latest updates of the Enchiridion extend to the teachings of Pope John Paul II.
The Archbishop of Baltimore Cardinal James Gibbons is quoted in earlier versions of the Enchiridion, that every theologian should have always two books at hand, the Holy Bible and this Enchiridion.
Tradivox series
Tradivox (or the Catholic Catechism Index) is a multi-volume book series by Sophia Institute Press, which restores and reprints Catholic catechisms.[24] Ongoing, it will consist of twenty cross-indexed hardcover volumes upon the series' completion.[25] The project received several endorsements from prominent members of the Catholic clergy & public, including Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Müller, Cardinal Pell, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Schneider, & theologian Peter Kwasniewski.[26] Schneider also provided a foreword in the hardcover edition of Vol. 1.[27]
Contents
| Volume | Content | Publication Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
September 2020 | ISBN 978-1-64413-350-7 |
| 2 |
|
December 2020 | ISBN 978-1-64413-352-1 |
| 3 |
|
April 2021 | ISBN 978-1-64413-354-5 |
| 4 |
|
July 2021 | ISBN 978-1-64413-356-9 |
| 5 |
|
October 2021 | ISBN 978-1-64413-358-3 |
| 6 |
|
January 2022 | ISBN 978-1-64413-360-6 |
| 7 | April 2022 | ISBN 978-1-64413-362-0 | |
| 8 |
|
July 2022 | ISBN 978-1-64413-364-4 |
| 9 |
|
October 2022 | ISBN 978-1-64413-366-8 |
| 10 |
|
January 2023 | ISBN 978-1-64413-368-2 |
| 11 |
|
April 2023 | ISBN 978-1-64413-370-5 |
| 12 |
|
July 2023 | ISBN 978-1-64413-372-9 |
| 13 |
|
October 2023 | ISBN 978-1-64413-374-3 |
| 14 | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Catechisms