CHAPTER
I
The ministry of catechesis in the porticular Churches and
its agents
The particular Church
(129)
217. The proclamation,
transmission and lived experience of the Gospel are realized in the particular
Church (130) or Diocese. (131) The particular Church is
constituted by the community of Christ's disciples, (132) who live
incarnated in a definite socio-cultural space. Every particular Church
"makes present the universal Church together with all of its essential
elements". (133) In reality the universal Church, made fruitful by
the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, "brings forth the particular Churches
as children and is expressed in them". (134) The universal Church,
as the Body of Christ, is thus made manifest as "a Body of Churches".
(135)
218. The proclamation of the
Gospel and the Eucharist are the two pillars on which is built and around which
gathers the particular Church. Like the universal Church she also "exists
for evangelization". (136) Catechesis is a basic evangelizing
activity of every particular Church. By means of it the Diocese gives to all
its members, and to all who come with a desire to give themselves to Jesus
Christ, a formative process which permits knowledge, celebration, living and
proclamation within a particular cultural horizon. In this way the confession
of faith—the goal of catechesis—can be proclaimed by the disciples of Christ
"in their own tongues". (137) As at Pentecost, so also today,
the Church of Christ, "present and operative" (138) in the
particular Churches, "speaks all languages", (139) since like
a growing tree she extends her roots into all cultures.
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