Where Do We Go Wrong? Top Ten Errors in Catechesis

Issue: What are the most common problems with some modern catechetical resources?

Discussion: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catechism) is the ultimate standard by which all catechetical resources should be evaluated. We are blessed to have in our day such a comprehensive and useful resource to help us present our faith to others. However, the Catechism is not meant to replace all of the various catechisms that are on the market, but rather to encourage and assist in the updating of old series and the writing of new ones that faithfully present Catholic doctrine.

All catechetical programs must be centered in Christ and His teachings. These divinely revealed truths, known as the “deposit of faith,” are preserved and handed down to each successive generation through Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium (teaching office) of the Church (Catechism, nos. 84-87, 888-92). In teaching the faith, then, a catechetical program must be based on God’s own revealed truth. Scripture and Tradition should not be downplayed for the benefit of “personal reflection.” Unfortunately, it is at this foundational level where many catechetical programs show their first signs of weakness. In some cases, God has been depicted as man’s dialogue partner and, in others, Scripture has become nothing more than a reflection of “shared faith experience.”

It is, of course, very important that every person have a living, personal faith that manifests itself in the way the person lives (cf. Catechesi Tradendae [CT] 22). However, methods that value personal experience over the objective content of the Catholic faith contribute to many of the doctrinal errors we encounter today. Christ and His teachings change us (this process is called conversion); we do not change Christ and His teachings according to our preferences or inclinations.

Many modern catechisms approach God, not through what He has revealed through Scripture and Tradition, but through personal experience. This approach severely limits what can be taught. In an oral report delivered to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) on June 19, 1997, Archbishop Daniel Buechlein pointed out again and again that human action, human initiative, and human experience are commonly overemphasized in some catechetical materials, while the power and divinity of God seem to be undermined. These errors could be more effectively addressed if the approach were corrected. As Pope John Paul II has said:

No one can arrive at the whole truth on the basis solely of some simple private experience, that is to say, without an adequate explanation of the message of Christ, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6) (CT 22).

The Church is not opposed to experience, but she wants us to experience Jesus Christ in all of His truth and power.

All catechisms should strive to present true Christian teaching. Unfortunately, many of these resources fall short in several important areas.

As authentic teachers of the Catholic faith, bishops have a vital role to play in catechesis (cf. Lumen Gentium [LG] 25; Catechism, no. 888). Therefore, in evaluating a particular catechetical resource, it is helpful to refer to the ten problem areas identified by Archbishop Buechlein, the chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism, in his 1997 report. These problem areas are identified below, with each containing a “things to look for” section which lists a few common ways the problems are manifested in current textbooks.

1. The Trinity: Matthew 28:18-20
God has revealed Himself as a community of Persons (Gen. 1:26), as one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of [the] Christian faith” (Catechism, no. 234; 1997 General Directory for Catechesis [GDC] 99). Jesus is God (Jn. 1:14; 8:58), the Father is God (Ex. 4:13-14; 20:2-3), and so is the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:1; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 1:8, 2:1-4). There is a distinction of Persons in the Trinity, though each totally possesses one divine nature (cf. Jn. 17:22-23).

The Sign of the Cross, often the first prayer taught to children, attests to the centrality of this mystery of the faith. Often, unfortunately, this essential mystery is not adequately presented in catechetical texts. God has revealed that He is one God in a Trinity of Persons. Jesus Himself revealed the personal nature of the Trinity when He called upon God as His Father. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has a specific role in our salvation. Therefore, it is often necessary to refer to one or more of the Persons of the Trinity by their proper name. Catechetical resources often downplay the personal character of the Trinity in an effort to be more “inclusive.” Frequently, texts will abandon the vocabulary of Revelation and the Church by avoiding the use of “Father” and “Son” for the First and Second Persons of the Trinity.

Things to look for:  The use of substitute words, such as “Parent God” for God the Father or the over-repetition of “God” when the context calls for “Father” or “God the Father”; also the use of “God” or “Creator/Redeemer/ Sanctifier” instead of the divinely revealed masculine proper names “Father,” “Son,” or “Holy Spirit,” or biblically based pronouns “He” or “Him.”

2. Christ: John 1:14
Jesus Christ “came from God” (Jn. 13:3), “descended from heaven” (Jn. 3:13), and came “in the flesh” (1 Jn. 4:2). He is the Anointed One (Mt. 16:16), the Son of God (Acts 9:20), the incarnate Word of God (Jn 1:1, 14), both fully man and fully divine. As He told the Jews, “before Abraham was, I am” (Jn. 8:58; cf. Ex. 4:11-12).

The General Directory for Catechesis (GDC), approved by Pope John Paul II in 1997, teaches that:

 [t]he message centered on the person of Jesus Christ (christocentricity), by its inherent dynamic, introduces the trinitarian dimension of the same message.... Thus what must characterize the message transmitted by catechesis is, above all, its “christocentricity” (GDC 97-98; cf. CT 5-6).

The Sign of the Cross not only attests to the central importance of the Trinity, but also to the salvation which came through Jesus by way of the Cross. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s plan for all of humanity. Saint Paul writes that in the fullness of time, “God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). Scripture further teaches that “there is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). Thus, two essential truths about Christ must be affirmed and highly emphasized in any catechism: His divinity and the centrality of His becoming man in salvation history.

Things to look for:  Overemphasizing Jesus the teacher, model, friend, or brother to the neglect of Jesus the Savior; underemphasizing the divinity of Jesus Christ or equating divinity with being “distant and unreal,” while presenting Jesus Christ in mostly human and naturalistic terms; asserting that Jesus, despite being God, was ignorant about anything or many things, including His own identity and mission; and downplaying the importance of the Incarnation as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

3. The Church: Matthew 16:18
The Church was founded by Jesus Christ (Mt. 16:16-19) and built on the foundation of the apostles to continue Christ’s mission in the world (LG 5, 8). The Church, which is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), has sought the conversion of the world since apostolic times. This has been accomplished through the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:13), the proclamation of God’s Word (Is. 55:10-11), the celebration of the sacraments, and the teaching office of the apostles. The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic (Nicene Creed; Catechism, nos. 820, 867-68; Rev. 21:14), animated by the Spirit, with “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6).

The teaching authority known as the Magisterium is constituted by the successors of Peter and the apostles: the Pope and the bishops in union with him (Catechism, nos. 84-87; cf. Lk. 10:16; Mt. 18:18; Eph. 4:11). The Magisterium has the authority to teach and govern the faithful in the name of Jesus Christ (Catechism, nos. 888-96). Thus, Catholic beliefs and magisterial teachings are to be understood as coming from the Church that Christ founded. What we believe is what Christ teaches.

Things to look for:  Not clearly presenting the Church as founded by Christ, with His continuing guidance and mission in the world (Mt. 28:18-20); de-emphasis of the Church’s teaching function, its apostolic nature, the role of the hierarchy, and the leadership role of bishops and priests as teachers of the Word of God; playing the Church’s universality and diversity against its essential unity; asserting incorrectly that teachings on sexual morality such as the indissolubility of marriage, contraception, abortion, etc., are not infallible; questioning the whole concept of infallibility and asserting that the consensus of Catholics or theologians determines the status of any teaching.  In reality, the sensus fidelium (the sense of the faithful) always implies that the faithful are just that, faithful to the Magisterium (LG 12).

4.  Christian Anthropology: Genesis 1:26-28
As we are led by the Spirit of God, we are given the right to be called sons and daughters of God (Rom. 8:14-17).

The human person is by nature religious (Rom. 2:14-16). God has made us, redeemed us, and called us to communion with Him (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). This truth, at the very minimum, obliges man in justice to give to God what is due Him. Furthermore, the soul of man is spiritual by nature. As Saint Augustine so beautifully wrote, “Our heart is restless until it rests in [God].”[1] Thus, any study of the nature and end of man must begin and end with his vocation to sanctity and his relationship to his Creator and Lord (cf. Catechism, nos. 1716-29).

Things to look for:  Reducing the human person to the merely material;the common omission that it was in Christ that we were created in the image and likeness of God, And that Christ has restored to us the divine image and likeness which has been defiled by sin; and the implication that the human person is the first principle and final end of his or her own existence.

5. God’s Initiative: John 15:16 
God created the world (Gen. 1-2) and has redeemed man through the Paschal Mystery of His Son, that is, Jesus’ death and Resurrection (see problem area no. 2, above). The Book of Proverbs affirms God’s omnipotence: “Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established” (Prov. 19:21).

God not only created the world, He also cares for it as a good father cares for his family. God is actively involved in the lives of all persons, giving them grace upon grace to enable them to do good (Jn. 1:16) and avoid evil. Yet these days, many catechetical series overemphasize the action of man to the point that it appears to the reader that human initiative is the prerequisite for divine assistance. This could not be further from the truth. The truth is that human action is intended to follow upon God’s action and initiative in the world. We can do nothing without God, who created us out of nothing and holds us in existence (Catechism, no. 320).

Things to look for: God’s initiative appears subordinate to human experience and human action.

6. Grace: Romans 8:14-17
By definition, grace is “the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become... partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life” (Catechism, no. 1996; cf. 2 Pet. 1:4).

You did not receive the spirit of slavery ... but ... the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him (Rom. 8:15-17).

Grace is a supernatural gift, meaning it comes solely from God and depends entirely on God’s initiative (Catechism, no. 1998). The U.S. bishops have noted that many popular catechisms define grace simply as God’s love for us, and thus these texts generally fail to treat grace as an unmerited gift from God that enables us to identify ourselves as His adopted sons and daughters and to share more fully in His life. Many catechisms are also weak on their treatment of the sacramental graces.

Things to look for:  Grace defined simply as God’s love; overemphasis on human effort in obtaining grace.

7. Sacraments: Ephesians 3:9-10

The sacraments were instituted by Christ as necessary for salvation (cf. Catechism, nos. 1114, 1129). Christ directs the Church in dispensing these mysteries (Eph. 3:9-10). Through His Paschal Mystery, Christ became the “source of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:5-10). At the Mass, in which Christ exercises His role as priest, His one paschal sacrifice is re-presented sacramentally. It is also because of His one death and Resurrection, Archbishop Buechlein notes, that all the other sacraments are made possible (cf. 1 Cor. 15:12-23). Given God’s freely chosen eternal plan of salvation, Christ cannot forgive sins, enable us to partake of His Body and Blood and divine nature, and empower priests to celebrate the sacraments without first conquering sin and death Himself (Rom. 5:12-21; 11:25-27).

The sacraments are the usual means by which God communicates His grace to us. Thus, we say that God communicates His divine life to us through what we call the “sacramental economy.” The sacramental economy, consisting principally of the sacred liturgy and the seven sacraments of the Catholic faith, is the means by which God establishes, maintains, supports, nourishes, and loves His family, the Church. Each sacrament draws its power from the timeless event of the Paschal Mystery, for Christ’s redemptive sacrifice transcends history. The new life of the Resurrection is then shared by the faithful through the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the grace of the sacraments is truly communicated through the very signs that signify the supernatural realities.

Archbishop Buechlein reported that in some catechetical texts, “the sacraments are often presented as important events in human life of which God becomes a part, rather than as effective signs of divine life in which humans participate.” The power of the sacraments is obscured when catechetical texts manifest a deficient understanding of the divine action and overlook the graced transformation at the heart of the sacraments.

Things to look for:  Sacraments presented as being representative of events in human life of which God becomes a part; deficient treatment of the importance of the Paschal Mystery in the sacramental economy; downplaying or deficient presentation of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the priesthood in general; inadequate explanation of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist; Baptism treated as a rite that merely symbolizes our entry into the community.

8. Original Sin: Romans 3:23
Just as we are by nature religious, we are also by nature sinful. Saint Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans, “Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned” (5:12). This writing is echoed in the teachings of the Council of Trent, which taught that original sin is transmitted by human nature and is present in each person. Pope Paul VI explained:

 [O]n account of the original offense committed by him... fallen human nature is deprived of the economy of grace which it formerly enjoyed. It is wounded in its natural powers and subjected to the dominion of death which is transmitted to all men.[2]

But Christ has conquered sin: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).

Unfortunately, many catechism series do not deal appropriately with these teachings on original sin. Part of this is the result of the experience-based methodology, which admits the goodness -- but not the fallenness -- of mankind. Many lack basic explanations fundamental to our understanding of the nature of sin and its effects on our life. The Catechism states that by tampering with the revelation of original sin, we undermine the mystery of Christ (no. 389). In addition to this difficulty, some texts frequently do not note that the dogma of original sin informs other doctrines, like grace, Baptism, and redemption.

Things to look for: De-emphasis of the sinful nature of all mankind; downplaying Christ’s role as necessary for our salvation; and a view that stresses sincerity and knowledge without supernatural grace and divine assistance.

9. Christian Moral Life: Matthew 19:16
In living the life of Christ, we are called to partake of His nature (2 Pet. 1:4) and imitate Him in all things, taking up our cross daily (Mt. 16:24-26) and laying down our lives for Him (Jn. 15:13). Impoverished catechisms present the moral life as so many rules and regulations, or opt for an experience-based treatment that encourages students to decide for themselves what is right or wrong based on their own feelings and experiences.

For decades now, our society has opted for the wide and easy path (Mt. 7:13-14) and exalted the self as the primary judge of morality (cf. Rom. 1:18-32). The fruit of this social experiment is all too evident. Some catechisms used today reject or downplay the reality of mortal sin. In contrast, Scripture teaches that unrepented mortal sins bring eternal death (1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Jn. 5:16-19). The Catholic Church proclaims that the source of morality is found in God’s revealed law, as taught by the Church, and is grounded in natural law (Rom. 1:18-25; 2:14-16). This deficiency in understanding is directly related to poor teaching on original sin. The Catechism provides the critically important insight that “ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in the areas of education, politics, social action, and morals” (no. 407). One would hope that as some of the other problematic areas are remedied, this area would be naturally corrected.

Many catechisms do not present the binding force of the Church’s moral teaching. In addition, there is a lack of explanation as far as conscience formation is concerned. The Church clearly teaches that a properly formed conscience must reject the temptation to prefer one’s private inclinations over the authoritative teaching of the Church (cf. Catechism, nos. 1783, 2039). “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey.... For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God” (GS 16). The authority of the Church in areas of morals must be stressed as well as the importance of our submission to this authority.

Things to look for:  Treatment of the self as the primary and/or definitive source of morality; de-emphasis of the authority of the Church.

10. Last Things: Matthew 16:26 
Jesus speaks of a final judgment in which the sheep will be separated from the goats, the good from the evil, His disciples from those who reject His kingdom (Mt. 25:31-46). There is death, the first of the last things, after which comes judgment, the second (Heb. 9:27). Each person who is judged will have everlasting joy in heaven or everlasting anguish in hell (Mt. 25:46). Those who are unclean (Rev. 21:27) must be prepared for eternal communion with the Trinity through the fiery purification of God’s love (1 Cor. 3:15) in purgatory (Catechism, nos. 1030-32).

The whole of the Christian life can be characterized as a preparation for a holy death. At death, if one’s soul is in a state of sanctifying grace, it will be assured a heavenly reward for all eternity upon the completion of any needed purification and perfection. However, those who die in a state of mortal sin will suffer eternal punishment. Therefore, the truth about death and what happens to each person after death is extremely important. This truth, which is known as the doctrine of the “last things” or eschatology, concerns death, judgment, heaven, hell, and purgatory.

Things to look for: A naive assumption that all souls are “in a better place” upon death; certitude of the departed soul’s heavenly residence; the omission of any discussion of either the particular or general judgment or the reality of hell; the de-emphasis of the beatific vision of heaven; the emphasis on the ability to realize the kingdom of God in this world; the neglect of the transcendent, trans-temporal and trans-historical nature of the kingdom; poor treatment of the relationship of morality and the sacraments to our eternal destiny.

As faithful Catholics, we should rejoice in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church has been given to us so that we may experience the abundant life Christ offers (Jn. 10:10). All of the Church’s teachings are to be accepted if we desire to live a life of faith in Jesus (Catechism, no. 1814).

[1] The Confessions of St. Augustine (Garden City, NY: Image Books, 1960) trans. by J.K. Ryan, 43.
[2] Pope Paul VI, The Creed of the People of God (1968), no. 16, as reprinted in Austin Flannery, O.P., ed., Vatican Council II: More Post Conciliar Documents (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1982), 391; cf. Catechism, no. 418.

Questions for Reflection and Group Discussion:

1.      Read Catechism, no. 24 and, if available, section 3 of Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution Fidei Depositum (Deposit of Faith), which appears at the beginning of most versions of the Catechism. Why does the Church encourage the publication of various catechetical programs in addition to the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

2.      (For parents) What practical steps can I take when my child’s catechetical program doesn’t teach the Catholic faith in its fullness? What other catechetical materials can I use to supplement my child’s religious education?

3.      A personal relationship with Jesus Christ lived out in the heart of the Church is the goal of every catechist. What is the problem with placing too much emphasis on personal experience? What is the problem with de-emphasizing the role of experience?

Recommended Reading
Holy Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Précis of Official Catholic Teaching on Catholic Education
Pope John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae
Kimberly Hahn & Mary Hasson, Catholic Education: Homeward Bound
Rev. Alfred McBride, Essential of the Faith
Rev. Peter Stravinskas, A Tour of the Catechism

To order, call Benedictus Books toll-free: (888) 316-2640. CUF members receive a 10% discount.

Suprenant and Gray, eds., Faith Facts: Answers to Catholic Questions
Hahn and Suprenant, eds., Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God
Stacy Mitch, Courageous Love: A Bible Study on Holiness for Women
Timothy Gray, Mission of the Messiah: On the Gospel of Luke
Leon Suprenant, ed., Servants of the Gospel

To order, call Emmaus Road Publishing toll-free: (800) 398-5470.

Available Faith Facts
We Have But One Teacher, Jesus Christ: Catechesis in Our Time
Separation of Church and Home: The Right to Prepare Children for the Sacraments
Pure Biology: Effective Chastity Education
Going God’s Way: The Church’s Teaching on Moral Conscience
This Is My Body: Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist
The Human Knowledge of Christ

© 1999 Catholics United for the Faith, Inc.

Date created: 4/20/2004
Date edited: 10/10/2007

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