In his apostolic letter Antiguum Ministerium of May 11,2021 Pope Francis officially established the lay ecclesial office of catechist. He clearly intends this as an institutional ministry, of the non-ordained, with an official rite of initiation. I (in my little world) am unaware of any developments since then.
This interests me! I have always aspired...as my vocational identity and mission...beyond and within my own family...to be above all a catechist. Additionally, I am myself largely the fruit of a litany of marvelous lay catechists.
"Catechist" comes from the Greek word meaning "echo" or "sound down." It refers to the handing down of tradition. It is builds upon initial evangelization as it applies the Gospel to all dimensions of human life. It is close to theology but more practical and inspirational, less abstract, It is the echoing of the voice of Christ, the Word of God, in the catechists own words. And yet, it is more than words and concepts: it is the life-changing proclamation conveyed as well in personality, works, style, demeanor, and attitude. So catechesis is always a drama, an event, an engagement of those involved with God's own presence and manifestation. One might say it is para-liturgical: adjacent to our worship as engagement with the Word as it infuses our lives. It expresses some reality of the eternal, infinite Word to the concrete world, time, circumstances of the catechesis. It is a particular embodiment and articulation of the Person of Christ to these listeners, at this time, in this place.
Catechesis is a highly personal witness: the vernacular of witness is particular as the catechist draws from his specific life experience, prayer life, worship community and personal study.
It is an art rather than a science. It draws deeply from personal intuitions, passions, sufferings, loves. It is organic rather than technical. It is more mystical than theoretical. It is not standard, but specific. It is physical/emotional as it is spiritual/intellectual. It is not individualistic but comes from deep communion in the praying, serving, suffering Church. The heart, intellect, will, and body of the catechist is receptive of and then expressive of the specific love of Christ for his bridal Church at this time and place.
The catechist is "lay" as both non-ordained and non-certified academically. Holy Orders changes the recipient ontologically by imprinting an indelible seal, a sacred empowerment, a specific configuration to Christ. The catechist lacks ordination; he witnesses as a brother/sister-in-Christ by virtue of baptism/confirmation. To echo the voice of Christ is the privilege of every Catholic. The catechist does not speak with hierarchical authority, but more humbly as an ordinary witness.
The catechist is not a credentialed academic, with a doctorate in some field. Many of the best catechists listed below are erudite, intelligent and even brilliant, in broad, creative, organic, random manners, unrestrained by the concepts and protocols of some specific discipline. In today's complex society, to communicate with the educated a catechist might be fluent in history, scripture, psychology, political science, cultural criticism, ethics and other fields of study. This allows for freedom, creativity, breath and depth of thought.
Given the nature of the catechist, it might not be a good idea to institutionalize it. The ministry is organic, fluid, creative, personal. It cannot be standardized, bureaucratized. It is like prophesy, sanctity, wisdom, virtue, and art. It is the serendipitous fruit of the interplay of a believer with God within his specific world and Church.
To institutionalize it as an "official ministry" is to restrain and direct it by an alliance of the hierarchy and the academy. This would be like having a hockey coach and a ballet instructor train a sumo wrestler! The catechist as "lay" has his own form, integrity, style, flow. Direction by hierarchy or academy would only be intrusive and destructive.
My own favorite lay catechists.
- The Yucatan Catechist. At the age of 21, summer of 1968, I accompanied Maryknoll missioner, warm, jovial, holy Fr. Winchell, as he visited native communities in the Yucatan. Many were approachable only on foot, without water and electricity, virtually the same as they had been for centuries. One Sunday mass, he delivered a 3-minute homily in Spanish as he did not speak the native tongue. The catechist, fluent in both languages, stood up to translate. He went on for perhaps 30 minutes with the most dramatic, passionate presentation I had ever experienced. The listeners were entirely attentive. I didn't understand a single word. But I felt the power, the movement of the Holy Spirit. He is my favorite catechist.
- Kiko Arguello, of the Neocatechumenal Way, is surely the greatest lay catechist of our time. Neither priest nor academic, he is a world class musician, composer, iconographer, and spiritual genius. With his partner, Carmen Hernandez, he developed an extended catechesis, and itinerary of formation, a veritable new Catholic culture that is orthodox, contemporary and radically countercultural. My own best friend John Rapinich and his wife Mary were catechists within this renewal and personally impacted me and my family.
- Pat Williams, my mentor in college, engaged me in catechesis in his own parish. He directed me to the study of a range of contemporary cultural studies and deeply influenced me.
- Ralph Martin, Steve Clark and other leaders of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the 1970s, under the influence (I believe) of the Holy Spirit, married the best of Pentecostal/Evangelical thought and practice to classic Catholicism. They had immense influence on myself, the Church across the globe.
- An extraordinary litany of lay women have combined sanctity of life, care for the poor, intellectual brilliance into a radiant catechesis: Heather King, Dorothy Day, Catherine Dougherty, Carol Houselander, Ida Gorres, Adrienne von Speyr, Madaleine del Brell, Sigrid Undset; not to mention the classics St. Mother Theresa, Elizabeth Leseur, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Therese of Lisieux.
- Baron Friedrich von Hugel: early 20th century, unschooled, self-taughte, Anglo-German aristocrat, sometime-modernist, mystic, student of spirituality and most erudite of his generation.
- Frank Sheed and Maise Ward, a married couple, in street preaching, writing and especially their Sheed and Ward publishing company greatly influenced the mid-20th-century English-speaking Church.
- Gil Baile, trained as a lawyer, discovered Rene Girard and has wed that groundbreaking thought to that of John Paul and Balthasar into a dizzyingly splendid catechesis that is again novel and traditional.
- Sister Joan Noreen, founder of Our Lady's Missionaries of the Eucharist, of happy memory, was a strong influence on the prayer life of our marriage.
- Rookie-catechist-of-the-year: my friend Stephen Adubatto who echoes the voice of Christ...with playfulness, humor and irony...into the niche world of youthful, edgy, avant-guard NYC... with his substack Cracks-in-Modernity and many random-providential connections.
- The greatest catechist of our time must be acknowledged. He is the least "lay" imaginable. He was pope, the highest hierarch, and a clerical (in the best sense of course) one at that. He was one of the greatest academic theologians of his time. That is of course Joseph Ratzinger/ Pope Benedict. His work along with that of John Paul and Balthasar defines the Church of the present and the future. He is less creative that John Paul with his theology of the body and Balthasar with his aesthetics and dramatics. He is less encyclopedic in erudition than Balthasar. Less charismatic, influential and dramatic than John Paul. But he exceeds them both as catechist. More clearly, simply, directly he echoes the voice of Christ...out of holiness and immense erudition...in a way understandable to the simple, the childlike, the innocent.
- Lastly, the many, many consecrated, teaching brothers and sisters who have served us over the years. These are religious but not ordained, educated and erudite, but not credentialed academics. In schools an elsewhere, so many have inspired us in the faith...in their words, works and persons.
Each of the above is a distinctive, unique masterpiece of wisdom, personality, energy and sanctity. Such cannot be institutionalized.
So I would not recommend that dioceses develop a new institution, training program and bureaucracy.
Perhaps we could honor, late in life, individuals who have witnessed over the years wisely, steadfastly, inspiringly and loyally. This might be similar to the title of "monsignor" which carries no sacramental or bureaucratic weight but does recognize admirable priestly service.
We do well to honor and emulate the lay catechists considered above and so many others. As we strive ourselves to echo the voice of Christ.
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