5. Prospects for development in the near future. The tendency in general, and one which the CEP approves of and encourages, is for the figure of the catechist as such to be affirmed and developed, independently of the tasks he or she performs. The value of catechists and their influence on the apostolate are always decisive for the Church's mission.

Basing itself on its own worldwide experience, the CEP offers the following suggestions to help promote reflection on this subject:

- Absolute precedence must be given to quality. A common problem is certainly the scarcity of properly trained candidates. The character of the catechist is of prime importance, and this must influence the criteria for selection and the program for training and guidance. The words of the Holy Father are illuminating: "For such a fundamental evangelical service a great number of workers are necessary. But, while striving for numbers, we must aim above all today at securing the quality of the catechist".

- In view of the present impetus towards a renewed mission ad gentes, the future of the catechist in the young Churches will certainly be marked by missionary zeal. Catechists, therefore, should be ever more fully qualified as lay pioneers of the apostolate. In the future, as in the past, they should be distinguished by their indispensable contribution to missionary activity ad gentes.

- It is not enough to fix an objective, but suitable means must be chosen for attaining the goal, and this holds true also for the training of catechists. Concrete programs should be drawn up, adequate structures and financial support provided, and qualified formators secured, so as to provide the catechists with a solid formation. Obviously the scale of the facilities and the level of study will vary according to the real possibilities of each Church, but certain standards should be attained by all, without giving in to difficulties.

- The cadres in charge to be strengthened. Everywhere there should be at least a few professional catechists who have been trained in suitable centres and who, placed in key posts of the catechetical organization under the direction of their Pastors, see to the preparation of new candidates, introduce them to their functions and guide them in their work. These cadres should be found at all levels - parish, diocesan and national - and will be a guarantee of the good functioning of such an important sector of the Church's life.

- The CEP expects that in the near future the work of catechists will be still further developed, and we should try to see from now how tomorrow's protagonists will act.

Special encouragement will be given to catechists with a marked missionary spirit, who "will themselves become missionary animators in their ecclesial communities and would be willing, if the Spirit so calls them and their Pastors commission them, to go outside their own territory to preach the gospel, prepare catechumens for baptism and build new ecclesial communities".

Catechists who are involved in the catechesis will have a developing future, because, the young Churches are multiplying the services of the lay apostolate, which are distinct from those of the catechists. Hence it will be of great use to have specialized catechists, for instance, those who promote christian life where the majority of the people are already baptized but where the level of religious instruction and of the life of faith is not high. Catechists should also be trained for challenges which already face us today and will become even greater in future: urbanization, increasing numbers going on to third-level education, the world of youngsters, migrants and refugees, growing secularization, political changes, the influence of the mass media, etc.

The CEP draws attention to these future prospects and the need to face up to them, while realizing that it is up to the local Pastors to see how best to go about it. Episcopal Conferences and individual Bishops should draw up a program for the preparation of catechists for the future, giving special attention to the missionary dimension in both their training and activity. These programs should not be vague, but specific and adapted to local conditions, so that each Church will have both the catechists it needs today and those that will be necessary in the near future.