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The role of religious in catechesis
228. In a special way the
Church calls those in consecrated life to catechetical activity and wishes that
"religious communities dedicate as much as possible of what ability and
means that they have to the specific work of catechesis". (175)
The particular contribution to catechesis of religious and of members of
societies of apostolic life derives from their specific condition. The
profession of the evangelical counsels, which characterizes the religious life,
constitutes a gift to the whole Christian community. In diocesan catechetical
activity their original and particular contribution can never be substituted
for by priests or by laity. This original contribution is born of public
witness to their consecration, which makes them a living sign of the reality of
the Kingdom: "it is the profession of these counsels, within a permanent
state of life recognized by the Church, that characterizes the life consecrated
to God". (176) Although evangelical values must be lived by every
Christian, those in consecrated life "incarnate the Church in her desire
to abandon herself to the radicalism of the beatitudes". (177) The
witness of religious united to the witness of the laity shows forth the one face
of the Church which is a sign of the Kingdom of God. (178)
229. "Many religious
institutes for men and women came into being for the purpose of giving
Christian education to children and young people, especially the most
abandoned". (179) That same charism of the founders is such that
many religious collaborate today in diocesan adult catechesis. Throughout
history many men and women religious "have been committed to the Church's
catechetical activity". (180) The founding charisms (181)
are not a marginal consideration when religious assume catechetical tasks.
While maintaining intact the proper character of catechesis, the charisms of
the various religious communities express this common task but with their own
proper emphases, often of great religious, social and pedagogical depth. The
history of catechesis demonstrates the vitality which these charisms have
brought to the Church's educational activity.
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