CATECHETICS. – The science of catechesis; that is, the science which teaches that particular didactic method which, adapted to the spiritual mentality of the hearers, leads them to the knowledge and understanding of religious truths. Strictly speaking, it is therefore an art of teaching; yet the Church from the earliest times did not adhere to this so limited concept, but justly broadened its meaning to include also education, the formation, that is, of the will and character of the catechumen and the Christian. The catechumen, in fact, as he progressed in religious instruction, also underwent a process of purification and justification; and since it became customary to baptize children, catechetical instruction aimed at making supernatural life, received in germ in Baptism, conscious and freely willed. Precisely for this reason catechetics becomes an ecclesiastical, theological discipline, a branch of pastoral theology and not merely of current pedagogical science, although it appropriates from the latter useful methods and true advances. And if at times, as, for example, in the age of Enlightenment, the educational and formative aim receded into the background and was almost obscured, the Church reacted and always sought by every means to restore catechetics to its primitive concept and practice.
THE LAWS OF CATECHETICS. – Passing over here the norms offered by general methodology for teaching, we shall limit ourselves to indicating those which in particular must be followed to fulfill the dignity and demands proper to the transmission of religious teaching.
1. The method in its characteristics
a) Naturalness. The method must be naturally suited to the nature of the hearers. Now, in children, intellectual life is more closely tied to the use of the senses, which are therefore called the gate of knowledge. It will therefore be necessary to employ all those means (similitudes, parables, examples, narratives, images) which serve to render sensible the ideas and abstract formulas with which religious truths are expressed in the catechism. With young people, on the other hand, in whom intelligence is becoming more refined, and with adults, reasoning will be better employed and thus those means which show the logical coherence of doctrine.b) Unity. The topics must be well-defined and logically coordinated so as to form a harmonious whole; c) clarity, for an exact understanding which does not generate doubts or false ideas.
2. The method with regard to the division of material
It can be: a) cyclical, if one seeks to develop the entire subject matter within a set period, then taking it up again several times, but with ever greater extension and depth; b) linear, if, dividing the material according to a logical order, it is treated thoroughly once, without repetition or return.3. The method with regard to presentation
It can be: a) analytical, when it examines all the details of a truth; b) synthetic, when it recalls, in its principles, what has been developed in the details; c) inductive, if it proceeds from a fact to its cause; d) deductive, if it seeks the principle realized and alive in individual facts and phenomena; e) historical, if it deduces truth from the presentation of ordered and connected facts; f) logical, if it rationally connects two or more ideas or successive facts; g) abstract, if it expresses concepts and ideas without supporting them with facts; h) concrete, if it presents facts and things to demonstrate and support the ideas it wishes to clarify.All these methods have their importance and usefulness; but rather than rigidly adhering to one or the other, it is more beneficial to know how to alternate or harmoniously combine them according to circumstances.
Much is spoken or written about the "active method," about "activism," which, as it is applied to other subjects, is equally well-suited to religious instruction. It is an ancient method, yet ever new, indeed constantly renewed according to the ingenuity, zeal, and activity of the teacher. It consists in applying the principle: the pupil does not merely want to listen; the pupil must be encouraged to take an interest in the subject matter and, so to speak, to live II. Hence the many devices to which one usually resorts to arouse interest and participation. The principal ones, proven to be highly effective, include: gathering observations from the environment or from current events that unfold before the eyes around a truth or precept; graphic representations and drawings; collecting poetry or clippings related to what has been discussed in the lesson; competitions; written questionnaires to which the pupil must respond; and "life notebooks," where the pupil records his impressions and resolutions regarding the truths he has heard.
The effectiveness, in terms of results, will depend on always keeping in mind the ultimate goal, which is the formation of the will and character, and on not confusing means with ends.
4. **Teaching aids.** — These are collateral means that, while sharpening interest, also help to fix the truth more firmly in the mind, facilitate memory, and encourage practice: artistic and religious illustrations (churches, cathedrals, paintings, statues, shrines, famous works of art), geographical maps, still projections, films, attendance at liturgical functions accompanied by clear explanations that make participation in the rite more intimate and conscious (cf. L. Vigna, *L’introduzione nella istruzione religiosa*, Turin 1924; id., *Ai maestri. Linee e indirizzi pratici di didattica catechistica*, Milan 1931; both include extensive catalogues of aids, as do the appropriate catalogues published by *La Scuola* of Brescia).
5. **The catechism and pedagogy.** — The qualities of a good teaching method must also be reflected in the text of the catechism, which forms the first and most indispensable aid for religious instruction. Therefore, the text should provide: a) sound doctrine expressed in simple and clear forms, easy to retain; b) appropriate, well-chosen, and attractive illustrations. The same applies to other "religious texts," which should avoid digressions, superfluities, and rhetorical flourishes, so that the pupil may clearly grasp what he is to study and retain (under the illustrative aspect, one might cite the publications of *Cultura religiosa popolare* from Viterbo, which cover catechetical topics and also Sacred History and Church History; and, as examples, the elementary texts: *Il re dei libri*, by the Salesians of Turin; and the texts of Catholic Action for various types of religious schools).
6. **Memorization.** — The tendency to eliminate memorization is not healthy. Without resorting to deplorable parroting, one must admit that it is also necessary to memorize the principal prayers for use in life, as well as the main formulas to avoid vague, unstable knowledge that easily degenerates into arbitrary interpretations and error. Memorization is moreover consonant with the nature of the child and traditional, especially since the 16th century, when Cardinal Bellarmine titled his small catechism *Dottrina cristiana breve*, so that it might be learned by heart. It is further enjoined by Pius X in the letter of 18 October 1912, *Fin dai primordi*, prefacing his catechism: "In the first five elementary grades, the entire text in its catechetical part must be learned word for word, so that the fundamental truths of the Faith may remain firmly impressed upon the mind. It is nonetheless of the utmost importance that the pupil understand, in a manner befitting his age, what he learns; hence a twofold explanation is necessary: one of the words that may prove more obscure (as far as possible), and the other of the content of the formulas to be studied. It is, however, always beneficial to require pupils to express in their own words the answers they have memorized."
7. **Catechetical centers.** — Of great utility for the pedagogical orientation of religious instruction has been the institution of international, national, and diocesan catechetical centers, to which one may turn for assistance in all tasks of catechesis. Worthy of note is the *Centre international d’études de la formation religieuse*, established in Louvain (now transferred to Brussels) in 1934 by the Jesuits, which since 1947 has published a quarterly journal, *Lumen vitae*, containing formative articles, discussions, expositions of teaching methods, religious texts, *Les dossiers «formation religieuse»*, synoptic tables, and pamphlets; it also organizes exhibitions, lectures, hearings, and projections, and provides a wide range of information services. In Italy, the Salesian Catechetical Center was founded by Fr. Pietro Ricaldone, the fourth successor of St. John Bosco, with the aim of promoting the Catechetical Crusade among all classes; it consists of a Catechetical Office (1939) and the publishing house *La Dottrina cristiana* (1941). Twenty-two Salesians are engaged in its direction and organization, disseminating catechetical ideas through congresses, exhibitions, projections, diocesan outreach, and the compilation and distribution of texts and aids. The following journals are associated with it: *Catechesi* (since 1931), now in two editions: one for middle schools and one for parishes and oratories; *Teatro dei giovani* (for youth religious drama); *Voci bianche* (for sacred and recreational music); various periodical columns: *Lux* (catechism in examples for all); *Fidens fulgens, veritas* (for educated readers).