Forming catechists for a sound moral catechesis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to situate moral catechesis as a central aspect of the catechist’s ministry that calls for a specific formation. The General Directory for Catechesis (1997) and the Directory for Catechesis (2020) both stipulate that moral life is one of the tasks of catechesis, and that without imparting a moral formation, catechesis would be lacking a very basic component. However, if the catechist seeks to be credible with the interlocutors, s/he must be thoroughly and comprehensively formed for imparting moral formation and moral catechesis in our contemporary world. We are all aware that actions speak louder than words. In this respect, the catechist is not only a teacher, but s/he is also a person who accompanies the interlocutor on a journey towards Christ in the form of an apprenticeship, in which both the catechist and the interlocutor are learners and teachers at the same time. However, the catechist, being a person who the interlocutor looks at for advice and for learning, is in a more central position of being a moral exemplar to the interlocutor. To achieve and live the status of a moral exemplar, the catechist requires special training in the form of both initial and ongoing formation. [excerpt]