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Priests, pastors and educators of the
Christian community
224. The function proper to
the presbyterate in the catechetical task arises from the sacrament of Holy
Orders which they have received. "Through that sacrament priests, by the
anointing of the Holy Spirit, are signed with a special character and so are
configured to Christ the priest, in such a way that they are able to act in the
person of Christ the head". (158) In virtue of this ontological
configuration to Christ, the ministry of the priest is a service which forms
the Christian community and co-ordinates and strengthens other charisms and
services. In catechesis the sacrament of Holy Orders constitutes priests as
"educators of the faith". (159) They work, therefore, to see
that the faithful are properly formed and reach true Christian maturity.
(160) Conscious, on the other hand, that their "ministerial
Priesthood" (161) is at the service of "the common Priesthood
of the faithful", (162) priests foster the vocation and work of
catechists and assist them in carrying out a function which springs from
Baptism and is exercised in virtue of a mission entrusted to them by the
Church. Thus priests put into effect the request which the Second Vatican
Council made of them: "to recognize and promote the dignity of the laity
and their specific role in the Church's mission". (163)
225. The catechetical tasks
proper to the presbyterate and particularly to parish priests are:
(164)
– to foster a sense of common
responsibility for catechesis in the Christian community, a task which
involves all, and a recognition and appreciation for catechists and their
mission;
– to care for the basic orientation of
catechesis and its planning by giving emphasis to active participation of
catechists and by insisting that catechesis be "well structured and
oriented"; (165)
– to promote and to discern vocations to
the service of catechesis and, as catechist of catechists, attend to their
formation by giving the greatest attention to this duty;
– to integrate catechetical activity into
his programme of community evangelization; and foster the link between
catechesis sacramets and the liturgy;
– to secure the bonds between the catechesis
of his community and the diocesan pastoral programme by helping
catechists become active co-operators in a common diocesan programme.
Experience bears out that the quality of
catechesis in a community depends very largely on the presence and activity of
the priest.
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