Listening, enthusiasm and creativity, these are the characteristics that Pope Francis pointed out when he received the heads of the Catechism Committee of Bishops’ Conferences across Europe. The Pope stated that “catholic teaching is inheritance”, but it needs to “live out” rather than “historical relics”.
(Vatican News Network) On September 17, Pope Francis received those attending the conference “Promoting New Evangelism Lectures and Catechism Teachers”. This meeting was initiated by the Holy See Committee for the Promotion of New Evangelization to commemorate the launch of a new version of the “Guide to Catechism” one year ago. The participants were all heads of the Catechism Committee of Bishops’ Conferences in Europe. The Pope mentioned to them the Budapest Eucharist Congress, emphasizing that it was within the Eucharist mystery that the power and motivation to preach the gospel was found.
The Pope’s speech focused on meeting others, listening to their lives and real situations, and at the same time urging categorical teachers to remember that the love of Christ will never leave us, and we must not look for pre-packaged answers in “handbags”. The Pope said that when providing answers, one should also be careful not to have a “prepackaged state of mind, attitude and face.” On the contrary, we should “really listen to and communicate with those cultures and languages, including and especially unspoken and unexpressed thoughts, with the gospel of the life of Jesus Christ in the word of God.”
The Pope pointed out that this is “the most urgent task of the Church among the European nations.” “The inheritance of the Christian faith in Europe should not become a historical relic, otherwise it will no longer be a’inheritance’! If an inheritance is not alive, it is not an inheritance. Catechism is an inheritance, a transmission, a caring, thought exchange, and practical Living traditions of life. Therefore, enthusiasm and innovation driven by the Holy Spirit are required.”
Jesus said to his disciples: “You go into the city.” (Mt. 26:18) The pope took inspiration from this sentence and reminded Christians that they must contact “people who are busy in daily affairs”, because as described in the “Guide to Teaching Catechism” In other words, Catechism is not an abstract dissemination of theological knowledge, it needs to be memorized, just like mathematics or chemical formulas.
The Pope explained that the teaching of the catechism is first to preach the love of Christ, “this will never tire us, nor will it be repeated in all stages of the course of the teaching of the catechism.” on the contrary,”This is the experience of those who explain the mystery. They learn to meet their brothers and sisters in the environment in which they live and work because they have met Christ themselves and are called to become missionaries.”
The Pope emphasized that the establishment of the Catechism teacher’s position was because “the Christian community feels an urgent need to arouse this mission” and to inspire “the enthusiasm of evangelists to spread the faith”. “The male and female catechism teachers are witnesses who are in the service of the Christian community and help people deepen their faith in the specific situations of daily life. They are people who tirelessly preach the gospel of mercy; they are people who can establish the necessary relationships of acceptance and care. These relationships enable people to better appreciate the word of God and celebrate the mystery of the Eucharist, and provide the fruits of good deeds.”
However, “evangelization is not simply repeating the past.” In this regard, the saint is our role model. The Pope mentioned St. Cyril and St. Midorius, as well as St. Bonifacio, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to be innovative. “They have opened a new path, invented new languages and new’letters’ for spreading the gospel and localizing faith. This requires knowing how to listen to the people and the objects of the preaching: listening to their culture and history, not just listening to the skin, thinking that we The pre-packaged answer is already in his handbag. No way!”
The Pope concluded by saying that listening leads people to the gospel, inspires people to find new paths, and renews traditions. In his greetings, the Pope thanked the thousands of male and female Catechism teachers in Europe for their work, who helped children and adolescents complete the process of receiving the Sacrament of Initiation.
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The Pope received those attending the conference “Promoting New Evangelism Lectures and Catechism Teachers”