Criteria for the presentation of the message

97. The criteria for presenting the Gospel message in catechesis are closely inter-connected with each other as they spring from the same source.

– The message centred on the person of Jesus Christ (christocentricity), by its inherent dynamic, introduces the trinitarian dimension of the same message.

– The proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom of God, centred on the gift of Salvation, implies a message of liberation.

– The ecclesial character of the message reflects its historic nature because catechesis—as with all evangelization—is realized within "the time of the Church".

– The Gospel message seeks inculturation because the Good News is destined for all peoples. This can only be accomplished when the Gospel message is presented in its integrity and purity.

– The Gospel message is a comprehensive message, with its own hierarchy of truth. It is this harmonious vision of the Gospel which converts it into a profoundly meaningful event for the human person.

Although these criteria are valid for the entire ministry of the word, here they are developed in relation to catechesis.