The meaning and purpose of Part Three

138. In the school of Jesus the Teacher, the catechist closely joins his action as a responsible person with the mysterious action of the grace of God. Catechesis is thus an exercise in "the original pedagogy of the faith". (⁴⁸⁵)

The transmission of the Gospel through the Church remains before all else and forever the work of the Holy Spirit and has in Revelation a fundamental witness and norm.

This will be found in chapter one. But the Holy Spirit works through people who receive the mission to proclaim the Gospel and whose competence and human experience form part of the pedagogy of the faith.

Hence arises a series of questions which have been fully explored in the history of catechesis. These are concerned with catechetical activity, its sources, its methods, those to whom it is addressed and the process of inculturation.

The second chapter is not intended to be an exhaustive examination of all of these aspects but it will deal with those points which today appear to have particular importance for the whole Church. It is the task of the various directories and other catechetical instruments of the particular Churches to respond to specific problems in an appropriate manner.