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The literary genre of the local catechism
132. Three principal traits
characterize every catechism adopted by a local Church: its official character,
its organic and fundamental synthesis of the faith, and the fact that, along
with Sacred Scripture, it is offered as a reference point for catechesis.
– The local catechism is an official text of
the Church. In a certain sense, it makes visible the "handing on of the
Creed" and the "handing on of the Our Father" to catechumens and
those to be baptized. For this reason, it is an act of tradition. The
official character of local catechisms establishes a qualitative difference
from other instruments which may be useful for catechetical pedagogy (didactic
texts, non-official catechisms, catechetical guides etc.)
– Moreover, every catechism is a synthetic
and basic text, in which the events and fundamental truths of the Christian
mystery are presented in an organic way and with regard to the "hierarchy
of truths". The local catechism presents, in its organic structure,
"an ensemble of the documents of Revelation and Christian Tradition",
(454) made available in the rich diversity of "languages" in
which the word of God is expressed.
– The local catechism, finally, is given as
a reference point to inform catechesis. The Sacred Scriptures and the catechism
are the two basic doctrinal texts for the process of catechesis and must always
be to hand. While both of these texts are of the greatest importance, they are
not the only texts available. Indeed, other more immediate aids are necessary.
(455) It is, therefore, a valid question to ask if an official
catechism should contain pedagogical elements or, on the contrary, should be
limited to giving a doctrinal synthesis and a presentation of sources.
In any case, the catechism, being an
instrument of catechetical activity, which is an act of communication, always
reflects a certain pedagogical inspiration and must always make apparent, in
its own way, the divine pedagogy.
More purely methodological questions are
obviously more appropriate to other instruments.
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