How many catholic doctrines are there

Whether all these editions were printed in America, or some of the earlier ones in Europe , cannot be ascertained. In that year Bishop England published his catechism for his own diocese, and in appeared the "Catechism of the Diocese of Bardstown", recommended as a class-book by Bishop Flaget of Bardstown, Kentucky.

Still more defective and inexact in language was the catechism of Bishop Conwell of Philadelphia, and, at the request of the archbishop , the author suppressed the book. Whereas this edition preserved the quaint old language of the original, another edition of the same book appeared in Philadelphia, as "revised by the Right Rev.

James Doyle and prescribed by him for the united dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin " Ireland. But the catechisms which were used most exclusively during several decades were Butler's "Larger Catechism" and "Abridged Catechism". This seems to be the first American edition of Butler's Catechism; for Dr. Troy, Bishop of Ossory , wrote, soon after Butler's Catechism had appeared: "It has been printed here under the title: 'A Catechism for the Instruction of Children', without any mention of Dr.

Far more extensively used than these was the English translation of Deharbe. From numerous editions of the small, medium, and large catechisms, with various modifications, were published in the United States.

An entirely new and much improved edition was issued in New York in Repeated efforts have been made in the United States towards an arrangement by which a uniform textbook of Christian Doctrine might be used by all Catholics. As early as , the bishops assembled in the First Provincial Council of Baltimore decreed: "A catechism shall be written which is better adapted to the circumstances of this Province; it shall give the Christian Doctrine as explained in Cardinal Bellarmine's Catechism, and when approved by the Holy See , it shall be published for the common use of Catholics " Decr.

The clause recommending Bellarmine's Catechism as a model was added at the special request of the Congregation of Propaganda.

It may be mentioned here that Bellarmine's "Small Catechism", Italian text with English translation, was published at Boston , in The wish of the bishops was not carried out, and the First and Second Plenary Council of Baltimore and repeated the decree of In the Third Plenary Council many bishops were in favour of a "revised" edition of Butler's Catechism, but finally the matter was given into the hands of a committee of six bishops.

Although the council had desired a catechism "perfect in every respect" Acta et Decr. Soon various editions came forth with additions of word-meanings, explanatory notes, some even with different arrangements, so that there is now a considerable diversity in the books that go by the name of Catechism of the Council of Baltimore. Besides, in recent years several new catechisms have been published, "one or two a decided improvement over the Council Catechism" Messmer, "Spirago's Method", p.

Among the recent catechisms are the two of Father Faerber, the large and small catechisms of Father Groenings, S. Butler, of the Diocese of Boston The three graded catechisms of this series give on the left page the questions and answers, on the right a "Reading Lesson ", dealing in fuller, and connected, form with the matter contained in the questions and answers. Some very practical features reading part, followed by questions and answers, appropriate hymns , and pictorial illustrations mark the "Text-books of Religion for Parochial and Sunday Schools", edited since by Father Yorke.

These last two series to some extent depart from the traditional method and indicate a new movement in catechetical teaching. A more radical change in the style of the catechism, namely the complete abandonment of the question-and-answer method, has recently been proposed see below, under II and III of this article, and "Am. The First Plenary Council of Baltimore appointed Bishop Neumann to write, or revise, a German catechism the use of which, after its approbation by the archbishop and all the German-speaking bishops , should be obligatory.

This decree shared the fate of the council's demand for a uniform English catechism. The Third Plenary Council decreed that the catechism to be issued by its order should be translated into the languages of those parishes in which religious instruction is given in any other than the English tongue. But the translation of the council catechism met with little favour. Another regulation, however, contained in the same decree of the council ccxix , was gradually carried into effect.

The bishops assembled expressed an earnest desire that in schools where English was not used the Christian Doctrine should be taught not only in the foreign tongue there used, but also in English.

Undoubtedly this was a wise provision. For the young people of the second or third generation find it difficult to understand the native language of their parents ; hearing discussions or attacks on their religion, they are hardly able to answer if they have not learnt the catechism in English.

Moreover, after leaving school many young people have to live among English-speaking people, in places where there is no congregation of their own nationality; if they have not been taught religion in English they are tempted not to attend sermons, they feel embarrassed in going to confession, and thus may gradually drift away from the Church.

In order to obviate these dangers, various catechisms Deharbe , Faerber, Groenings, etc. Similarly, there are Polish-English, Bohemian-English, and other editions with double text. In most Italian schools catechism is taught chiefly in English, and only the prayers in Italian. Unwise as it would be to force a change of languages in catechetical teaching, it would be equally injudicious to artificially retard the natural development.

The slow but steady tendency is towards the gradual adoption of the English language in preaching and teaching catechism, and it seems but reasonable to think that some day there will be among the Catholics in the United States not only unity in faith in the substance of the catechism, but also in its external form and language.

A number of German immigrants entered Pennsylvania about , a considerable portion of them being Catholics. In the German Catholics in Philadelphia outnumbered those of the English tongue, and in they opened the church of the Holy Trinity , the first, exclusively national church in the United States. Since German Jesuits have ministered to the spiritual needs of their countrymen, and Catholic schools have been established in the Pennsylvania settlements. It was natural that the German Jesuits should introduce the Catechism of Canisius , which for centuries had been universally used throughout Germany.

The Redemptorists came to this country in and soon had charge of flourishing German parishes in nearly all the more important cities. The Venerable John N. Neumann, afterwards Bishop of Philadelphia, wrote, while rector of the Redemptorist house at Pittsburg , about the year , a small and a large catechism. These texts, also known as the "Redemptorist Catechisms", had a wide circulation, whereas those written later by Father Weninger, S. The second half of the nineteenth century may be called the era of Deharbe's Catechism.

In the "Katholischer Katechismus der Lehrbegriffe" was issued in Cincinnati , which by this time had become a centre of German Catholic population with flourishing parochial schools. Bishop Purcell declares in the approbation that the German catechisms previously published were not to be reprinted, but that this "Regensburg [ Ratisbon ] Catechism, long in use in Germany", was to be the only one in his diocese. Although the name of the author was not given, it was in reality Father Deharbe's "Large Catechism".

Since that time numerous editions of the different catechisms of Deharbe appeared with various adaptations and modifications, and for nearly fifty years Deharbe reigned supreme. This supremacy has been challenged within the last two decades. Father Faerber, who devoted forty years to catechetical instruction, produced in a textbook which commends itself by its simplicity and clearness, although the critics, who charged it with incompleteness and a certain lack of accuracy, were not altogether wrong.

Almost simultaneously with Father Faerber's book appeared an excellent, thoroughly revised, edition of Deharbe's texts, from which many defects had been expunged.

Finally, in , Father Groenings, S. Development of Catechizing after the Council of Trent -- Mindful that the work of catechizing was more important than the issue of catechisms, the Council of Trent decreed that "the bishops shall take care that at least on the Lord's day and other festivals the children in every parish be carefully taught the rudiments of the faith and obedience to God and their parents " Sess.

IV, De Ref. Pius V in Charles Borromeo in his provincial synods laid down excellent rules on catechizing; every Christian was to know the Lord's Prayer , the Hail Mary , the Creed, and the Ten Commandments ; confessors were ordered to examine their penitents as to their knowledge of these formularies V Prov. He also established schools in the villages, in addition to increasing the number in the towns.

Besides the renewed activity of the older orders, the Jesuits , the Barnabites , and the Clerks Regular of Pious Schools Piarists , who devoted themselves to the education of the young, took special care of the religious instruction of those entrusted to them. In this connection three names are especially worthy of mention: St. Vincent de Paul , St. Francis de Sales , and M. One of St. Francis's first acts as a bishop was to organize catechetical instruction throughout his diocese , and he himself took his turn with his canons in this holy work.

Vincent founded his congregation of Priests of the Mission for the purpose of instructing the poor , especially in the villages. The missionaries were to teach the catechism twice a day during each mission. So, too, the Sisters of Charity not only took care of the sick and the poor but also taught the children.

Olier , both in the seminary and in the parish of Saint-Sulpice, laid special stress on the work of catechizing. The method which he introduced will be described in the second part of this article. The Brothers of the Christian Schools , founded by St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle , devoted themselves especially to religious as well as secular instruction.

Finding that the very poor were unable to attend school on weekdays, the saintly founder introduced secular lessons on Sundays. This was in , nearly a century before such teaching was given in Protestant England. Practical catechetics Catechizing catechesis , as we have seen, is instruction which is at once religious, elementary, and oral. Catechizing is a religious work not simply because it treats of religious subjects, but because its end or object is religious.

The teacher should endeavour to influence the child's heart and will, and not be content with putting a certain amount of religious knowledge into its head; for, as Aristotle would say, the end of catechizing is not knowledge , but practice. Knowledge, indeed, there must be, and the more of it the better in this age of widespread secular education ; but the knowledge must lead to action.

Both teacher and child must realize that they are engaged in a religious work, and not in one of the ordinary lessons of the day. It is the neglect to realize this that is responsible for the little effect produced by long and elaborate teaching. Religious knowledge comes to be looked upon by the child merely as a branch of other knowledge , and having as little to do with conduct as the study of vulgar fractions.

The work of a teacher in the Church will be directed chiefly to this, that the faithful earnestly desire 'to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified', and that they be firmly convinced and with the innermost piety and devotion of heart believe, that 'there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved ', for 'He is the propitiation for our sins '.

But as in this we do know that we have known Him, if 'we keep His commandments', the next consideration and one intimately connected with the foregoing, is to show that life is not to be spent in ease and sloth , but that we 'ought to walk even as He walked', and with all earnestness 'pursue justice , godliness, faith , charity, mildness'; for He 'gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people acceptable, pursuing good works'; which things the Apostle commands pastors to 'speak and exhort'.

But as our Lord and Saviour has not only declared, but has also shown by His own example, that the Law and the Prophets depend on love , and as also, according to the confirmation of the Apostle, 'the end of the commandments and the fulfilment of the Law is charity, no one can doubt that this, as a paramount duty , should be attended to with the utmost assiduity, that the faithful people be excited to a love of the infinite goodness of God towards us; that, inflamed with a sort of divine ardour, they may be powerfully attracted to the supreme and all-perfect good, to adhere to which is solid happiness " Catechism of the Council of Trent, Pref.

The persons concerned in catechizing teachers and taught and the times and places for catechizing can hardly be treated apart. But it will be best to begin with the persons. The duty of providing suitable religious instruction for children is primarily incumbent on their parents.

This they may fulfil either by teaching them themselves or by entrusting them to others. Next to the natural parents the godparents have this duty.

The parish priest should remind both the parents and godparents of their obligation ; and he, too, as the spiritual father of those entrusted to his care, is bound to instruct them.

As is well known, for the sake of this privilege the faithful have contributed enormous sums of money to build and support schools. Where this is the case the difficulty is only a financial one. Nevertheless, the First Provincial Council of Westminster warns the pastor not to make over this duty of catechizing "so far to others, however good or religious they may be, as not to visit the schools frequently and instill into the tender minds of youth the principles of true faith and piety ".

We see, then, that the work of giving religious instruction belongs to the parents , to priests with the care of souls , to the teachers in Catholic schools , and to other lay helpers. Turning now to those who are to be taught, we may consider first the young and then those who are grown up.

The young may be divided into those who are receiving elementary education primary scholars and those who are more advanced secondary scholars. Although in many dioceses the scholars are arranged in classes corresponding to the secular classes, we may consider them for our present purpose as divided into three groups: those who have not been to confession; those who have been to confession but have not made their first Communion; and those who have made their first Communion.

In the case of the first group the instruction must be of the most rudimentary kind; but, as already pointed out, this does not mean that the little ones should be taught nothing except the first part of some catechism; they should have the Creed and the Commandments, the Our Father and the Hail Mary , explained to them, together with the forgiveness of sin by the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance.

The principal events in the life of Christ will be found to be an ever-interesting subject for them. How far it is wise to talk to them about Creation and the Fall, the Deluge and the stories of the early patriarchs , may be a matter of discussion among teachers. In any case great care should be taken not to give them any notions which they may afterwards have to discard. If is of importance at this stage to tell the children in the simplest language something about the services of the Church , for they are now beginning to be present at these.

Any one who has charge of them there, or, better still, who will recall his own early memories, will understand what a hardship it is to a child to have to sit through a high Mass with a sermon.

The second group those preparing for first Communion will of course be able to receive more advanced instruction in each of the four branches mentioned above, with special reference to the Holy Eucharist.

In instructing both groups the subjects should be taught dogmatically, that is, authoritatively, appealing rather to the children's faith than to their reasoning powers.

The after-Communion instruction of elementary scholars will be almost similar to the instruction given to younger secondary scholars, and will consist in imparting wider and deeper knowledge and insisting more upon proofs. When they grow up their difficulty will be not only the observance of the law , but the reason of it.

They will ask not only, What must I believe and do? Hence the importance of thorough instruction in the authority of the Church , Scripture texts, and also appeals to right reason. This brings us to the subject of catechizing grown-up persons. Pius X goes on to speak of this matter, after laying down the regulations for the young: "In these days adults not less than the young stand in need of religious instruction.

All perish priests , and others having the care of souls , in addition to the homily on the Gospel delivered at the parochial Mass on all days of obligation , shall explain the catechism for the faithful in an easy style, suited to the intelligence of their hearers, at such time of the day as they may deem most convenient for the people, but not during the hour in which the children are taught.

In this instruction they shall make use of the Catechism of the Council of Trent ; and they shall so order if that the whole matter of the Creed, the Sacraments, the Decalogue , the Lord's Prayer , and the Precepts of the Church shall be treated in the space of four or five years.

In the doctrine of the Creed are contained all things which are to be held according to the discipline of the Christian Faith , whether they regard the knowledge of God , or the creation and government of the world, or the redemption of the human race , or the rewards of the good and the punishments of the wicked.

The doctrine of the Seven Sacraments comprehends the signs and as it were the instruments for obtaining divine grace.

In the Decalogue is laid down whatever has reference to the Law, 'the end' whereof 'is charity'. Finally, in the Lord's Prayer is contained whatever can be desired, hoped, or salutarily prayed for by men. It follows that these four commonplaces, as it were, of Sacred Scripture being explained, there can scarcely be wanting anything to be learned by a Christian man" ib. It must be borne in mind that catechetical instruction should be elementary; but this of course is a relative term, according as the pupil is an adult or a child.

This difference has been dealt with above in speaking of the persons concerned in catechizing. It may be pointed out here, however, that elementary knowledge is not the same as partial knowledge. Even young children should he taught something of each of the four divisions mentioned above, viz. Further instruction will consist in developing each of these heads. Besides what is ordinarily understood by Christian doctrine, catechizing should treat of Christian history and Christian worship.

Christian worship will include the Church's calendar the feasts and fasts and her services and devotions. For example, the second article of the Creed should be taught in such a way as to bring out the doctrine of the Incarnation, the beautiful story of Christ's birth and childhood, and the meaning and the services of Advent and Christmas.

The Bible history and the history of the Church will afford countless instances bearing on the various doctrines and heresies of the doctrinal part of the catechism, and the virtues and contrary vices of the practical part.

The question of catechetical methods is difficult and has given rise to much controversy. Father Furniss long ago, in his "Sunday School or Catechism? Those methods seem to be antiquated, injudicious, wasteful, sometimes positively injurious to the cause" Bp.

Bellord, op. Part of the blame is laid upon catechizing, and part upon the catechisms. Of the latter we shall speak presently. Again, the blame is twofold and is not altogether consistent.

The children are declared not to know their religion, or, knowing it quite well, not to put it into practice. In either case they are of course lost to the Church when they grow up. Both the bishop and the Redemptorist complain that religious instruction is made a task, and so fails either to be learnt at all, or, if it is learnt, it is learnt in such a way as to become hateful to the child and to have no bearing on his conduct in after-life.

Both are especially severe on the attempt to make the children learn by heart. The bishop quotes a number of experienced missionary priests who share his views. It seems to us that, in considering the methods of catechizing, we have to bear in mind two very different sets of conditions. In some countries religious instruction forms part of the daily curriculum, and is mainly given on weekdays by trained teachers. Where this is the case it is not difficult to secure that the children shall learn by heart some official textbook.

With this as a foundation the priest who will by no means restrict his labours to Sunday work will be able to explain and illustrate and enforce what they have learnt by heart.

The teachers' business will be chiefly to put the catechism into the child's head; the priest must get it into his heart. Very different are the conditions which Father Furniss and Bishop Bellord are dealing with. Where the priest has to get together on a Sunday, or one day in the week, a number of children of all ages, who are not obliged to be present; and when he has to depend upon the assistance of lay persons who have no training in teaching; it is obvious that he should do his best to make the instruction as simple, as interesting, and as devotional as possible.

As in other branches of instruction we may follow either the analytical or the synthetical method. In the former we take a textbook, a catechism, and explain it word for word to the scholar and make him commit it to memory. The book is of prime importance; the teacher occupies quite a secondary place. Other teachings involve the divinity of Jesus, immortality and eternal life of the soul of each human being, being accountable for your decisions and actions, existence of heaven and hell, and resurrection of the dead.

Worship is practiced, once a week every Sabbath day in accordance to the third commandment through the holy mass. There are different types of mass, although they are all celebrated to praise and worship God.

During the mass, the priest will perform the holy Eucharist through bread and wine. Through transubstantiation, the bread and wine will miraculously turn into the substance of Christ himself. By taking communion, followers receive union with Jesus.

The doctrine concerning persons not Catholic is that since God affords each human being light sufficient to attain salvation, all will be saved who persevere in what they believe to be good, regardless of ignorance. Only those will be damned who persist in what they know to be wrong; among these are persons who resist the church when they know it to be the one, true church.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. All rights reserved. Enter your search terms:. Catholics believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. From the beginning of Christianity, the Catholic Church defined the canon of Scripture — the books you find in every Christian Bible — and defined what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

In the early Church, the Gospel was preached by those who had known Christ, or who had known his Apostles. The Apostles handed on their preaching and writing to all generations through bishops, who continue to preach the truth revealed in the Gospel.

This living transmission of the Word of God is called tradition, which is distinct from Scripture, but closely tied to it. Tradition infuses the entire life of the Church, and along with Scripture, comprises the deposit of the Word of God.

We call this the Eucharist — a name that comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving. The idea of confessing our sins to another person is also in the Bible. Mary is honored as first among the saints because she is the mother of God and the mother of the Church. As with the saints, we ask Mary to pray for us to her son and to the Father and the Holy Spirit.