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A Review of the Contents of the National Directory for Catechesis

Opening Remarks. This is a new moment in the Church in terms of the renewal of catechesisThe Directory brings its own vision for this Church-wide enterprise in the United States Catechesis introduces people into a higher level of life and a new way of living . NEW MOMENT/FRESH VISION. Recent inst

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A Review of the Contents of the National Directory for Catechesis

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    1. A Review of the Contents of the National Directory for Catechesis Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, Bishop of Pittsburgh

    2. Opening Remarks This is a new moment in the Church in terms of the renewal of catechesis The Directory brings its own vision for this Church-wide enterprise in the United States Catechesis introduces people into a higher level of life and a new way of living

    3. NEW MOMENT/FRESH VISION Recent instruments of significant magisterial guidance in catechesis -- Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 1993, -- United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, 2004 -- General Directory for Catechesis (GDC), 1997 -- National Directory for Catechesis, 2004 CCC, GDC, and NDC provide a new frame of reference for catechesis

    4. Vision and Tone of NDC NDC presents the Gospel vision of the faith as the doorway into the realm of the Spirit recognizes that God breaks into this world by the power of the Spirit and continues to be manifest in the Church and in her actions, the sacraments Notes that entre into this new world of life begins with an act of faith in Gods Word as the Church proclaims it echoes the tone and spirit of Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory and John Chrysostom by recognizing that the essential thrust of the proclamation, evangelization, and catechesis is to bring the transforming message of Gods Word into our world

    5. A. New Evangelization New setting: catechesis as part of evangelization NDC highlights the renewal of catechesis its relationship to evangelization -- Evangelization in the Modern World (Evangelii Nuntiandi): catechesis described as a work of evangelization. -- Catechesis in Our Time (Catechesi Tradendae): catechesis named a remarkable moment in the process of evangelization NDC envisions catechesis as the presentation of an invitation to a whole new order of life and away of being and thinking Both the GDC and NDC place catechetics in the context of the new evangelization

    6. New Evangelization The new evangelization is the clear and unequivocal proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ It involves the active participation of every Christian in the proclamation that the Christian faith is the only full and valid response to the problems and hopes that life poses to every person and society The Gospel is intended for every people and nation; it finds a home in every culture Those who proclaim the Christian message must know the culture and love the people to whom they bring the message in order for it to be able to transform the culture and the people and make them new in Christ

    7. New Evangelization New evangelization demands both the inculturation of the Gospel and the transformation of the culture by the Gospel The purpose of this evangelization is to bring about faith and conversion to Christ Faith involves a profound change of mind and heart, a change of life, a mentanoia There is a hunger for God and the things of the Spirit but it needs to be encouraged, informed and directed

    8. B. CONTEXT OF FAITH PROCLAMATION TODAY Modern media culture offer a moral framework and set of values inimical to the understanding of life and the Gospel NDC recognizes the disintegration of the community and social structures that once supported religious faith and encouraged family life NDC recognizes that the emphasis on individual rights has eroded the concept of the common good and impacted our capacity to accept revealed teaching and absolute moral imperatives

    9. Context NDC names current challenges to catechesis Foundational level of understanding and adhesion to the faith cannot be presumed Must act as if introducing Christ for the first time Catechesis tries to integrate faith and life with moral choices Catechists show all of life as a lived response to Gods call Catechesis presents Christian life as a response to Christs invitation to follow him

    10. C. INCULTURATION NDC recognizes cultural and ethnic diversity Each group brings its own language, history, customs, rituals, and traditions for building up the body of Christ Since persons can only achieve their full humanity by means of culture, the Church embraces the rich cultural pluralism of all the faithful, encourages the distinctive identity of each cultural group, and urges mutual enrichment Unity of faith exists within cultural diversity

    11. Inculturation People of all cultures are capable of receiving the Gospel, and through the Gospel People of all cultures can experience conversion to Jesus Christ and commit to following his way Catechesis must keep in mind the social and cultural context Catechists carefully considers the integrity of the Christian message The Gospel encounters challenges in every age and culture

    12. D. Comparing National Directories Many significant areas of similarity and parallels between Sharing the Light of Faith (SLF) and the NDC NDC reflects a stronger perspective of evangelization Disparity between secular values and Christian values greater today than when SLF written NDC complements CCC and GDC Concept of inculturation more developed in NDC NDC gives more attention to the needs of people from differing ethnic backgrounds and for the people who live with disabilities

    13. E. Knowledge of the Faith Chapters three, five and six of NDC are devoted to a reflection on and presentation of the breadth of Catholic teaching, following structure in CCC NDC calls for a full and complete presentation of the faith The tone of these chapters is one of confidence in the profound truth of the Churchs teaching

    14. F. Authentic Faith Authentic Catholic faith is never partial or selective We say yes to the whole mystery of the faith to each of Gods teaching in and through the Church Every Christian shares in the mission of spreading the truth and bearing witness to the Gospel The apostles (and their successors, the bishops), have a prime responsibility of guarding, proclaiming, and verifying the Gospel message

    15. G. ECCLESIAL DIMENSION OF CATECHESIS Chapters 8 and 9 discuss responsibilities of those who catechize and the organization of catechetical ministry The starting point is the Church, faith is lived and passed on within the context of the Church The bishop is to teach actively and directly, and to oversee all of the teaching ministry carried on in the diocesan Church, especially in parishes The bishop is principal catechist He charges others, both ordained and lay, to participate with him in catechesis

    16. H. Catechizing Community The NDC highlights many different roles in the ongoing teaching mission of the Church Bishop, as chief catechist, is to be directly engaged in encouraging, overseeing, and supervising catechesis Pastors have the responsibility both to proclaim the faith and oversee catechesis in the parish Religious education takes place in a variety of ways Religious education is a lifelong process

    17. I. SPIRITUAL COMMUNION / SACRAMENTAL REALITY NDC places emphasis on who we are as Gods people Catechesis involves both living the faith and inviting people into the mystery The sacraments, as privileged moments of encounter with the living Christ, are central to catechesis Special attention is given to the Eucharist The sacramental life of the Church shows people the reality of God among us The Church has a unique role in the mission and ministry of Jesus

    18. J. METHODOLOGY AND RESOURCES FOR CATECHESIS NDC emphasizes proper methodology One chapter is devoted to divine and human methodology and the elements of human methodology NDC recognizes the need for proper resources for catechesis NDC recognizes that -- the people of God are catechized in diverse settings -- there are differing roles of those who catechize; -- preparation and ongoing formation of catechists essential -- proper organizing of the catechetical ministry required

    19. CONCLUSION This is a new moment to engage future generations in the lived experience of Jesus Christ Message is a simple, consistent, persistent and insistent one. God loves us, Christ has come among us to lead us to the Father We must preach the Gospel. Ours is a ministry of proclamation: We are called to teach, exhort, convince, and persuade We must do our best to teach in word, in deed, and in witness We are called to model the faith, proclaim the good news of Christ and our encounter with him, and invite others to join us

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