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Elements and criteria proper to adult
catechesis
(55)
173. Adult catechesis
concerns persons who have a right and a duty to bring to maturity the seed of
faith sown in them by God.(56) It is addressed to individuals who are
charged to fulfill social responsibilities of various types and to those who
are also prey to all kinds of changes and crises, sometimes profound. The faith
of adults, therefore, must be continually enlightened, developed and protected,
so that it may acquire that Christian wisdom which gives sense, unity, and hope
to the many experiences of personal, social, and spiritual life. Adult
catechesis requires the accurate identification of the typical characteristics
of Christian adults. It must translate them into objectives and content, and
determine certain constants of presentation. It must establish the most
effective methodological approaches and choose formats and models. The role and
identity of the catechists who work with adults and their formation—the people
who are responsible for the catechesis of adults in the community—are vitally
important.(57)
174. Among the criteria which
assure an authentic and effective adult catechesis, mention must be made of the
following: (58)
– attention to those to whom it is
addressed, to their condition as adult men and women, requires taking account
of their problems and experiences, their spiritual and cultural resources, with
full respect for their differences;
– attention to the lay condition of adults,
on whom Baptism confers the task of "seeking the Kingdom of God by
engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's
Will",(59) and whom it calls to holiness; (60)
– attention to the involvement of the
community so that it may be a welcoming and supportive environment;
– attention to ensure systematic pastoral
care of adults, with which liturgical formation and the service of charity have
been integrated.
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