When Catholic Catechetical Works Don't Teach the Faith

TCR News ^ | December 24, 2003

[NYer]

Time to get back to basics. Nothing compares to this all time best seller - still #1 for teaching doctrine.

The Baltimore Catechism

[Domestic Church]

Why the heck aren't they using the Catechism of the Catholic Church itself in the highschools? They don't need no stinkin' textbooks!!!

I start using it in our homeschool in 3rd grade.

[polemikos]

Although high school texts are generally strong in their emphasis on the social mission of the Church and the moral responsibilities of Catholics in this area, the social teaching is not always grounded in the divine initiative of the Holy Spirit or related to personal moral teaching and to eschatological realities.

Code words for the "peace and social justice" crowd?

[johnb2004]

This is the crux of the problem the Church faces today. All scandals can be traced back to failures in catechesis. After Catholic grade school, high school and college I can say I never received any authentic catechesis. Plenty of felt banners and gushy talk, but no truth.

If more Catholics new their faith it would not eliminate scandal, but I believe more folks would be intolerant of the shenanigans that pass as Catholic beliefs today.

[Domestic Church]

And the Baltimore Catechism is not approve by the USCCB for catechesis!(but that is what we use up through 3rd grade.)

[A.A. Cunningham]

I've still got mine from 35 years ago.

[GirlShortstop]

Archbishop Hughes: Unfortunately, the widespread use of these books perpetuates a religious illiteracy that is all too prevalent in the Church today. It is very important that young people are given an opportunity, first of all, to learn the truths of the faith, and secondly, to grow in understanding of them.

It isn't just "today".    The bishop's response caught my eye because just the other day I told my sister how lucky she was to have been taught so much about our religion; it gave her the foundation for understanding.  Twelve years of Catholic school through to the eighties, and I was never taught how to say the rosary, much less all the prayers she (and many of y'all I'm sure) still recites.
Where did all the good nuns go?
FReegards.

[onyx]

Good post. Very fitting for the last day of this year. Thanks for the link. I've bookmarked it.

[johnb2004]

Hi Heretic,

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the Truth? Christ founded a Church, not a book. Your primitive theology keeps you far from Christ. Open yourself to the Truth.

I wonder why you accept the bible as inspired? The Catholic Church defined the canon and defines how it is to be interpreted. Your way leads to error.

[conservonator]

Two things:

1) Bible only Christianity is unscriptural.

2) Your highly fallible interpretation of Scripture holds no weight.

Repent your apostasy and return to His Church.

[Jeff Chandler]

Catholic Childrens Company carries the Baltimore Catechism, along with a huge selection of Tan and other publications. They don't have them listed on their website, which is devoted to First Holy Communion, Baptism, and Confirmation items, but their store does carry them, and you could call or e-mail them for information.

[GrandMoM]

bump

[NYer]

Where did all the good nuns go?

Ignorance is bliss ... don't ask!

I can tell you that some of these religious orders border on the heretical. Others, like Mother Angelica's order - The Carmelites - are beginning to pick up steam and grow again. It's all cyclical. Keep in mind that most catholics no longer produce large families. Factor in the messages driven home to young women by the feminists and the government schools, that they are 'equal' to men and should compete on a level plane. /sigh/

We're on a rocky portion of the road right now but up ahead, the surface has been repaved. ;-D

[ninenot]

The "religion" coursework changed, heading south, in the 1960's; by 1975 it was widespread, and (now) is 2/3rds of the available literature.

What the good Bishop carefully avoids, of course, is that it is the responsibility of the Diocesan Bishop to make CERTAIN that texts conform to orthodoxy.

In other words, the flaccid and/or ignorant Bishops simply abandoned their duty to the Faithful in catechesis. It's clear that some were pre-occupied moving priests around to keep the prosecutors at bay; what were the REST of them doing?

[ninenot]

Hey, troll. I don't recall anyone on this thread asking for your YOPIOS thoughts on Catholic teachings; so, since your post was gratuitously aggressive, so is mine.

Drop dead.

[Desdemona]

Why the heck aren't they using the Catechism of the Catholic Church itself in the highschools?

I've wondered that myself. The kids are on a steady diet of social justice, though. I got a look at the curriculum from one of the private schools here and asked why there wasn't Catechisis, Appologetics or a course on the doctors of the church.

I wonder sometimes how much of this is due to the orders, what's left of them, doing the teaching.

[Desdemona]

Twelve years of Catholic school through to the eighties, and I was never taught how to say the rosary, much less all the prayers she (and many of y'all I'm sure) still recites.

Ditto.

We were taught some sketchy things, but most of what I've learned has been what I've discovered on my own.