PART SIX

PASTORAL ACTIVITY IN THE

MINISTRY 0F THE WORD

PASTORAL ACTION

98 Those things which have been explained about the catecheticai act and the content of catechesis provide the basis for a plan of pastoral action, the main points of which are treated in this part.

This pastoral action requires appropriate organs on the national level, to be set up by the Conferences of Bishops, for the purpose of planning or research and for administration. Generally these organs include: (a) an Episcopal commission for catechesis on which work selected ex officio members and experts; and (b) a permanent executive structure (office, center, and so on).

So that with the aid of these organs the pastoral action in the ministry of the word can be carried out in an efficient and co-ordinated way, it is necessary that

1) a report be prepared about the actual state of affairs and the place, and about what it is possible to achieve through the ministry of the word under those conditions;

2) a program of the action to be carried out be published;

3) attention be given to the formation and instruction of those who have responsibility in this matter;

4) appropriate aids for the work be rightly planned and made available;

5) organisation structures suitable for catechesis be promoted;

6) pastoral action in catechesis be co-ordinated with the other fields of pastoral work;

7) provision be made for research; and

8) international co-operation be encouraged.

The guides and suggestions presented in this part cannot be implemented always and ail at the same time in ail parts of the Church. in the case of countries or regions where catechetical action is not yet sufficiently advanced, the purpose of these suggestions and guides is to point out goals which are to be accomplished gradually.