What We Have Lost in the New Catechesis

What we have lost in the New Catechesis since 1969

The following is a true story related by Fr Hugh Thwaites S.J.:

At a Catholic Primary School in England in the 1950s, Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools was examining the class. At the end of the session, he relaxed and said, "Now, children, I have something to tell you. I have been an Inspector for many years, but now I am due to retire. In fact, you are the last class I shall be inspecting. Now all these years, I have been questioning you pupils. Now that I am at the end of my working life, ... would you like to ask me a question? Anything?" There was silence for a moment. The Inspector and the class teacher smiled and waited. At length one young cherub put up his hand. "Yes?" asked the Inspector. The child said, "Why did God make you?" This rocked the Inspector back on his heels. Although perhaps not a very regular chapel-goer, he was a Christian – but he had never actually asked himself that question. He scratched his head and repeated, more to himself than to the class, "Yes! Why did God make me?" And the entire class, in unison, replied, "God made me to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next"! [Westminster Catechism, Q2]. The inspector was so taken aback, and impressed, by this response, that he began a journey that one year later led to his being received into the Catholic Church.

What have we gained by dumping the teaching of the Catechism? And who ordered it? I have never seen a document of Vatican II that said we were to stop teaching the Truths of the Faith in a simple way. The English language Religious Education textbooks, mandated by Diocesan authority, have not been presenting the basic data of the Catholic Faith for decades. Yet bishops in this time have sometimes expressed surprise that the Catechism is no longer being taught in the schools. It is not really true that young college age people are abandoning the Faith: they have never been taught what it is, and neither have their parents.

I have noticed that Pope Benedict has very recently decided to transfer the responsibility for catechesis in seminaries. See

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-transfers-responsibility-for-catechesis-seminaries/

As a school teacher (of science and religion), I have been frustrated most of my professional life by the deficient content of the diocesan-approved Religion courses, in Ireland, England and Australia. I do not know what was behind His Holiness' decision, but if it results in better-informed Catholic youth, then Deo Gratias.

Micheál Ó Fearghail