The Catechism: not only the mind, but the heart also…

By Mark Reidy
The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” is not a topic that usually inspires excitement in either social or Church circles, yet it has, in its various adaptations, formed a continuous and vital chain that links our faith today with those of our spiritual ancestors.

The word “catechism” finds its origin in the Ancient Greek kata (down) and echein (to sound); literally, “to sound down” (into the ears) ie to indoctrinate. It has been a vital part of passing on the faith and teachings of Jesus through His Church, from the time of the first Apostles, through each generation, until the present day.
Initially, the teachings and sayings of Christ were passed along orally as Christianity, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and, under the tutelage of the Apostles, developed and gained momentum.
In ensuing generations, the Scriptures were recorded in writing and promulgated by Church leaders both to the faithful and those who were not, as yet, evangelised. The following centuries saw an accumulation of inspired insights and wisdom from Church Fathers as they battled and discerned their way through numerous controversies and schisms. In 325, some of their conclusions were formally accepted as expressing the faith of the Church at the First Council of Nicea, an official gathering of Bishops and Church leaders.
Over the following 950 years there were a further 13 of these major Councils in which Church leaders sought Divine guidance on issues relating to their times, as instructed by Jesus, “… the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn 14:18).
Through these gatherings the Church consolidated and developed Her teachings but, because the printing press had yet to be invented, and with high illiteracy rates, the handwritten conclusions of each were usually orally disseminated to the faithful through the established network of Bishops and priests.
In 1265, St Thomas Aquinas was inspired to systematically organise the clearest way of “setting forth the Sacred Doctrine” and over the next nine years produced his influential, Summa Theologica which was written as an instruction for new Christians. He never finished the work and, in fact, died on the way to the Council of Lyons in 1274. Aquinas’ desire was to use his multi-volume work to assemble and address Christianity’s most significant questions, which he divided into three parts. It was to form the basis for future Catechisms. 
In the first part, he addressed the existence and nature of God and the creation and nature of man. In part two, he examined morality and law before addressing the incarnation and the Sacraments in part three. 
Aquinas’ work was followed by a further three Councils: Vienne (1311-12), Constance (1414-18) and Florence (1431-45), which addressed issues pertinent to the times and further developed Church Doctrine. A number of instructional works were also produced over this period, such as that written by John Gerson, the Chancellor of Paris University, who produced a book in the late 14th century designed to train priests in areas such as the Creed, the Commandments, Confession and the art of dying well.
In 1470, a catechism written by Dederich Coelde, a German Friar, gained popularity. However, by the time the Fifth Lateran Council began in 1512, the Protestant reformation was gathering momentum and those behind it were more effective in their use of the newly invented printing press.
By 1529, Martin Luther had produced his own instruction manual, as had John Calvin in 1536.
These developments proved a challenge for the Church’s hierarchy as it potentially undermined its authority and opened the doors for the faithful to be exposed to unorthodox or even heretical teachings.
This literary evolution, combined with the growing rebellion, greatly influenced the Council of Trent which began in 1545 and spanned 18 years and five Popes. One of the fruits of this gathering was the Catechism of Trent which sought to establish an authoritative and reliable framework of legitimate Catholic teaching. In the introduction to the work, Pope Pius V wrote that such a work was a necessity, clearly concerned by, “those who intend to corrupt the minds of the faithful … pour into their ears their poisoned doctrines … by which they sought the subversion of the Catholic faith …
“But the Fathers”, he continued, “deemed it of the first importance that a work should appear, sanctioned by the authority of the Council, from which pastors and all others on whom the duty of imparting instruction devolves, may be able to seek and find reliable matter for the edification of the faithful; that, as there is one Lord, one faith, there may also be one standard and prescribed form of propounding the dogmas of faith, and instructing Christians in all the duties of piety”.
Pius also acknowledged that the final product was not intended to provide a complete volume of all Christian doctrine in minute detail: “Such a task would be one of almost endless labour, and manifestly ill suited to attain the proposed end” – but would rather provide a comprehensive summary of Religious Instruction.
The Catechism of Trent was first published in 1566 as a general reference book for priests and Bishops, but was also designed to assist followers to attain a better understanding of their faith. In it, Pope Pius V specified that when teaching the Catechism priests were to always consider the spiritual and intellectual capacity of each hearer and to instruct accordingly.
The final product, which focused on the doctrines of salvation in four segments: The Apostles’ Creed, the Sacraments, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, was to become the blueprint for future Catechisms.
During the 18 or so years of Trent, Dutch Jesuit Peter Canisius produced a two-volume catechism (1555–1558) in both long and shorter forms, which had such great influence throughout Europe that his name became synonymous with the word “catechism”. He was writing in response to the Protestant Catechism, which had already been in print for around 30 years. In 1567, the first catechism in English was published under the title A Catechism or Christian Doctrine Necessary for Children and Ignorant People, compiled by Englishman Laurence Vaux.
Throughout the next three centuries there were a number of countries, and even Dioceses, that produced their own shorter concise version of catechisms but uniformity was, at times, a problem.
They were usually formatted in a question and answer style, designed for improved memory capacity. Such versions included the Maynooth or “Green” Catechism (1882), the Baltimore Catechism (1885) and the Catechism of Pope Pius X (1908). These were used well into the 20th century.
However, the most comprehensive makeover since Trent was to come as a result of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) which set the wheels in motion for the universal Catechism that we use today. The seeds were planted by Pope John XXIII who, at the beginning of the Council, expressed his greatest desire, “… that the Sacred Deposit of Christian Doctrine should be more effectively guarded and taught”. He died soon after but the momentum was sustained by Pope Paul VI (1963-78) who continued the process of establishing the modern Catechism. The efforts of his predecessors were enthusiastically taken up by Pope John Paul II who indicated that it was one of his priorities by publishing his Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae in 1979, in the second year of his pontificate.
“Authentic catechesis”, he wrote, “is always an orderly and systematic initiation in the revelation that God has given of Himself to humanity in Christ Jesus, a revelation stored in the depths of the Church’s memory and in Sacred Scripture, and constantly communicated from one generation to the next by a living, active tradition.”
Catechesis, he also stated, must lead to a growth in faith and a maturing of the Christian life to its fullness and is a work that only the Holy Spirit can initiate and sustain in the Church. With this in mind, on 25 January 1985, the 20th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John Paul II convoked an Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of the Bishops.
From this gathering it was established that there was a need for a modified Catechism that expressed all Catholic doctrine regarding both faith and morals, which would not only serve as a reference point for the numerous catechisms that existed in various regions around the world but would also be suited to the present day life of Christians.  
As a result, 12 Cardinals and Bishops, chaired by the-then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI – formed a Commission to work on the project. After numerous drafts, in November 1989, a draft catechism was sent to all Bishops throughout the world asking for their responses. More than 24,000 suggested amendments were returned which were then considered for the final edition of the text.
After two further years of drafting, the final text was approved by Pope John Paul II on 25 June1992. An English version was launched in Australia on 22 June 1994 at the National Press Club in Canberra by Perth’s own Archbishop Barry Hickey.
This current catechism, unlike