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An Ecumenical Catholic Catechism

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An Ecumenical Catholic Catechism 1 Preface For centuries the tradition of a catechism has been a help to Christians. Many religious leaders produced such books – usually in a question and answer format. This format continues on most websites as “Frequently Asked Questions.” This book continues the same “Q and A” format. With the formation of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC), an opportunity arose to publish a catechism that could speak to those who are members of a newly formed Church body. The ECC is progressive, and its policies are more inclusive – such as the ordination of women, married clergy and the inclusion of LGBT people. However, its most central focus is not the policy changes just mentioned, but rather its sense of inclusion of the voices of laity and clergy in the discernment of the Church. While the bishops are still the governors, chief teachers and chief sacramental celebrants of the ECC, the people (laity and clergy) participate in the process of its polity (its canon law) through a synod that includes a House of Laity and House of Pastors. The people elect their bishops, who are affirmed and consecrated by the other bishops of the ECC. And bishops, while permanently retaining holy orders, serve as the head of a diocese, or Presiding Bishop, for a term of office. Together they seek God’s will. Yet the catechism is not simply meant for the people of the ECC. Its description of Catholic faith is shared by many who embrace the vision of the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church (1962-1965). The central change of Vatican II was that of moving from defense to dialogue. Many Christian Churches have been moving in the same direction. This is a dialogue with other Christian Churches, and with other religions. It is also a dialogue with science and society. Dialogues are good because conversation requires both listening and speaking. Christian history is filled with experiences of the hierarchical Church seeming to speak without listening. This was not the manner of the Lord Jesus, who invited his followers to "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) We can rejoice when the followers of Christ open doors, ask for continuing conversation, and seek peace within themselves and with all peoples who pursue wisdom. Long before the ECC, catechisms or Church councils, Jesus proclaimed: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) His declaration reminds us that words and ideas are useful descriptions of faith – required for authentic guidance. But they cannot substitute for the encounter with Christ. He does not simply teach ideas, but dwells in us, as we dwell in him. We are invited to become like his followers in Emmaus, who broke bread with an unknown stranger, only to discover that he was their Risen Master (Luke 24:13-35). The hope is that this catechism might be bread for the mind and heart – so that in breaking open the meaning of faith, the presence of Christ is discovered, and our hearts burn with love and joy, like the astonished disciples of Emmaus. 2 Table of Catechism Questions 1. The Human Experience (total 8 pages) A. A worldwide experience of joy and suffering (2) Why do we need religion? Can’t we all just be good people and try to get along? Do we suffer in order to learn something? B. Evolution and human development (2) What role has religion served in the human experience? C. Notions of sin and liberation in the cultures of the world (4) How is the modern perspective on religion different from earlier perspectives? Do we have to use the word “sin” in explaining our faith? How is Christianity similar to other religions in answering questions about human suffering, human failure and human freedom? Where does love fit into our faith? 2. The Coming of Jesus, the Christ (total 24 pages) A. The experience of ancient Israel (3) How did the experience of the people of ancient Israel contribute to our modern religious approach to faith? B. The evolution of the mystery of God (3) How has our Christian understanding of God changed from that of the people of ancient Israel? Are we still connected to their experience? What is revelation, and does it mean that God is too far above us to encounter as a normal part of life? 3 Do non-Christians know God? If so, how does revelation change anything for them? C. The historical setting of the Life of Jesus (4) Jesus was a Jew. What were the traditions that formed his expression of the Gospel? D. The teaching of Jesus (4) What is the heart of the message of Jesus? Is the message of the Church the same as the message of Jesus? Why is Jesus the center of the Gospel? E. The miracles and healings of Jesus (3) Are the miracles and healings of Jesus meant to show us that he is God? How do the miracles and healings of Jesus relate to his teachings? F. The death and resurrection of Jesus (4) Did the early Church see a special significance in the death and resurrection of Jesus? How does his death and resurrection affect us? Does Jesus save us from sin? G. The revelation of the Trinity, the core of Catholic faith (3) How do the life, death and resurrection of Jesus reveal the Trinity? The Trinity is hard to understand, so is it really important for the Christian faith? What do the gospels and the other New Testament writings reveal about the Father? The Son? The Holy Spirit? The unity of the Trinity? 3. The Early Church and the Gospel (total 18 pages) 4 A. The Acts of the Apostles (4) What does the Acts of the Apostles show us about the early Church? Does Acts of the Apostles define the meaning of Catholic faith? Weren’t some of the doctrines and structure of the Church developed after the time of the Apostles? B. The writings of Paul and other New Testament authors (4) Some people say that Saint Paul is really the one who formed the Christian faith. Is this true? What are the principle contributions of Saint Paul to the structure and teachings of the Church? C. The perspective of early Christian writers on Christ, the faith and the Church (4) What role does the Bible play in Catholic faith and doctrine? Does the New Testament play a special role for Catholic faith and doctrine? What do the early Christian writers contribute to our understanding of Catholic faith? What forms of Christianity were competing with Catholicism? D. The emergence of the creeds and the sacraments (6) Are creeds necessary? Aren’t they legalistic and too old to apply to modern life? When were the first creeds developed and how did the Nicene Creed become such a standard for the Church? Why are the creeds are written in a Trinitarian structure? What is the Catholic understanding of each member of the Trinity – what are their roles and how do they relate to one another? What is the meaning of sacrament? Did the Church develop the sacraments as rituals after the time of Jesus? 5 Can we find evidence of every sacrament in the writings of the New Testament? 4. The Church in Catholic Tradition (total 14 pages) A. The organization of the early Church (3) Was there a confusion about the structure of the early Church and its ministries? What was the structure of the early Church, and how is it a model for synodal polity? When did priests and bishops emerge as leaders and teachers? Aren’t lay people allowed to teach or to lead public worship? B. Ecclesiology and the meaning of the Church (4) What are some models of the Church? Is one of these models better than the others? When is the Church really complete as the Body of Christ and the People of God? Why is Mary called the Mother of the Church, and what is her special relationship with the Church? C. Church and sacraments (4) How is the Church itself a sacrament? How does each sacrament relate to the Church? D. Church leadership and apostolic succession (3) Does the entire Church inherit the Catholic faith, and how does this apply to each person who is a baptized Christian? How are bishops the successors of the apostles, and why is this so important for Catholic faith? 6 What is synodal polity and why is it the basis of the structure of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion? How is synodal polity a reflection of the Holy Trinity? How does the meaning of the Church relate to the role of the bishop? What is the difference between consecration as a bishop and jurisdiction as an ordinary of a diocese, or as the Presiding Bishop? What is the difference between a suffragan bishop and a bishop who is a diocesan ordinary? E. The Ecumenical Catholic Communion in the Catholic tradition How is the Ecumenical Catholic Communion authentically Catholic? 5. The Sacramental Life of the Church (total 12 pages) A. Lex orandi, lex credendi (2) What is the meaning of “lex orandi, lex credendi,” and how does this understanding guide the doctrine and structure of the Church? B. History and theology of the sacraments (8) Are there really only seven sacraments, and aren’t some more important than others? What are the basic teachings regarding each sacrament, and how did each of the sacraments develop over the centuries? What is the meaning of “grace” in the celebration of the sacraments? C.
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