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The object of catechesis is expressed in
profession of faith in the one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
82. Catechesis is that
particular form of the ministry of the word which matures initial conversion to
make it into a living, explicit and fruitful confession of faith: "Catechesis
has its origin in the confession of faith and leads to confession of
faith." (240)
The profession of faith inherent in Baptism
(241) is eminently Trinitarian. The Church baptizes "in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28,19)
(242) the triune God to whom the Christian entrusts his life.
Initiatory catechesis—both before and after the reception of Baptism—prepares
for this decisive undertaking. Continuing catechesis helps to mature this
profession of faith, to proclaim it in the Eucharist and to renew the
commitments which it entails. It is important that catechesis should unite well
the confession of christological faith, "Jesus is Lord", with
the trinitarian confession, "I believe in the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit", in such a way that there are not two modes of expressing
the Christian faith. He who is converted to Jesus Christ and recognizes him as
Lord through the primary proclamation of the Gospel begins a process which,
aided by catechesis, necessarily leads to explicit confession of the Trinity.
In the confession of faith in the one God,
the Christian rejects all service of any human absolute; "power, pleasure,
race, ancestors, state, wealth...", (243) and is thus liberated
from the enslavement of any idol. It is the proclamation of his will to serve
God and man without any ties. In proclaiming faith in the Trinity, which is a
communion of Persons, the disciple of Jesus Christ shows at once that the love
of God and neighbour is the principle which informs his being and his action.
83. The confession of faith
is complete only in reference to the Church. All the baptized individually
proclaim the Credo, for no action can be more personal than this.
However, they recite it in the Church and through the Church, because they do
so as members of the Church. 'Credo' and 'Credimus' necessarily
imply each other. (244) In fusing his confession of faith with that of
the Church, the Christian is incorporated into her mission: to be the
"universal sacrament of salvation" for the life of the world. He who
makes the profession of faith takes on responsibilities that not infrequently
provoke persecution. In Christian history the martyrs are proclaimers and
witnesses par excellence. (245)
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