USCCB - Catechesis in the Catholic Church

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Catechism Update
Fall 2001

New Time Line for the National Adult Catechism
This past June, the bishops who serve on the Editorial Oversight Board for the national adult catechism - Bishop Donald Wuerl (chair), Archbishop Daniel Buechlein, Archbishop William Levada, Bishop William Lori, Bishop Richard Malone and Bishop Gabino Zavala - met with the writer of the draft text. Together, the members of the editorial board and the writer reviewed responses received as a result of the consultation on the proposed outline. The meeting resulted in an approved framework for a first draft. Actual writing of a draft text has sinced commenced.

The author has projected that the first draft will be completed by the end of March, 2002. The editorial board plans to conduct another consultation focused on this draft text. This consultation is presently scheduled to commence in May of 2002 and last until the end of October of that same year. Following completion of that second consultation, the Editorial Oversight Board will meet to review the responses and determine what revisions, if any, might need to be made to the national adult catechism. The editorial board then plans to forward the text to the Catechism Committee for their review and approval. That review process should be completed by June of 2003.

In September of 2003, the Catechism Committee will seek the permission of the Administrative Committee to present to the General Assembly in November of 2003 a text of a national adult catechism for the bishops' review and approval. Once approved, the national adult catechism will then need to be forwarded to the Congregation for the Clergy for a recognitio.

Publishers' Use of the Conformity Statement in Marketing
Early in September, members of the Catechism Committee held their annual meeting with publishers of catechetical materials. One of the points the bishops on the Committee addressed with the publishers concerned the way in which the declaration of conformity has sometimes been presented in marketing. The publishers were told that over the past year, several instances had been brought to the Committee's attention in which the Catechism Committee's declaration of conformity appeared in a way that was, to some extent, misleading. Publishers have created ads or web sites which describe a program or series which includes video tapes, audio tapes, CD-ROMs, and other ancillary print material. In these ads or on these web sites a general statement appears to the effect that the Catechism Committee has found the program or series to be in conformity to the Catechism. The statement does not clarify that only the student materials and teacher manuals or catechist guides have been reviewed, which is normally the case. To avoid misunderstandings or misinformation, the bishops on the Catechism Committee asked the publishers to make sure that in the future, ads or web sites clearly identify which parts of a series or program actually carry the declaration of conformity.

Notice to Vicars or Secretaries for Education,
Superintendents of Schools, and
Diocesan Directors of Religious Education
Occasionally, staff at the Office for the Catechism receive requests to duplicate all or part of a Catechism Update issue.

Please be advised that if you wish to do so, you are always free to duplicate and circulate the current "Conformity Listing" from an issue. No permission is needed to do this.

However, written permission is necessary for duplicating and circulating any other part of Catechism Update. Please feel free to contact staff at the Office for the Catechism with any questions or for further clarification.