PREFACE The course of catechesis in recent decades has been marked by the apostolic exhortation Catechesi Tradendae. This text not only represents the journey accomplished starting from the renewal of the Second Vatican Council, it distils the contributions of numerous bishops from around the world gathered at the Synod of 1977. To use the words of that document, catechesis “has the twofold objective of maturing the initial faith and of educating the true disciple of Christ by means of a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the person and the message of our Lord Jesus Christ.”1. This is an arduous task that does not allow for rigid distinctions between the various phases involved in the catechetical process. In any case the goal, although it is a demanding one, remains unchanged especially in the cultural context of recent decades. Catechesis, again with reference to the text from St John Paul II, is intended “to develop, with God’s help, an as yet initial faith, and to advance in fulness and to nourish day by day the Christian life of the faithful, young and old. It is in fact a matter of giving growth, at the level of knowledge and in life, to the seed of faith sown by the Holy Spirit with the initial proclamation and effectively transmitted by Baptism”2. In this way, catechesis remains rooted in the solid tradition that has characterised the history of Christianity since its origins. It endures as a unique formative activity of the Church that out of respect for the different age groups of believers strives to keep the Gospel of Jesus Christ relevant so that it may provide support for a coherent witness. This Directory for Catechesis is situated in dynamic continuity with the two that preceded it. On 18th March 1971, St Paul VI approved the General Catechetical Directory prepared by the Congregation for the Clergy. That Directory distinguished itself as the first systematic presentation of the teaching that emerged from the Second Vatican Council (cf CD 44). It should not be forgotten that St Paul VI considered all of conciliar teaching 1
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