We have produced a guide to Pope Saint John Paul II's landmark document on Catechesis - the 1979 Apostolic Exhortation 'Catechesi Tradendae'.
Catechesis in Our Time
This resource is designed as a formation tool – not purely an academic study guide – and is aimed at supporting the vocation of catechists in their work for the Church. The resource works best for small groups but individuals can just as easily gain something from the experience.
There are five downloads – a general introduction and four modules.
The general information download explains the content of each module, as well as some tips and suggestions for using it successfully. Please take the time to read through this information before you begin.
Each module is designed to take about a week to complete, but for busy people this can certainly be spread over a longer period of time.
The modules are available here for downloaded and are A4 PDFs for easy printing. They contain everything you need, including the relevant section of Catechesi Tradendae, complete with the original footnotes.
The modules appear on separate pages in this section. But first, please dedicate the required time to reading the ‘General Information’ download:
Please remember that this guidance offers suggestions to complement your ministry. We hope that you’ll use this resource in a way that you find fruitful and helpful.
If you’d prefer to listen to the text in podcast form, we’ve recorded a full read through by the Church’s Bishop for Catechesis – Archbishop John Wilson, Archbishop of Southwark.
This too is broken into four modules and preceded by a brief meditation.
This first module of our Catechesi Tradendae study guide demonstrates how catechesis is a practice, a demonstration, and an experience of the unity of the Church in Jesus Christ.
Module Two of the Catechesi Tridendae study guide looks at the next section of the text of Saint Pope John Paul II's landmark document on Catechesis.
Part Three of our Catechesi Tradendae Study Guide stresses that everybody needs to be catechised and the ways and means of forming Catholics in the faith.
In the final section of Catechesi Tradendae Pope Saint John Paul II continues to develop the contrast between the indifference and anxiety of the world with the joy and hope of the Gospel.
