Latin-rite bishops of India focus on adult catechesis

(October 06, 2012) The Latin-rite bishops of India will be focusing on adult catechesis during the Catholic Church’s Year of Faith which Pope Benedict XVI will inaugurate on Thursday with a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The Commission for Catechetics of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), which brings together all Latin-rite bishops of the country, made the resolve during CCBI’s annual catechetical conference held at Pilar Animation Centre, Goa, September 26-28. Officials of the commission and 118 participants from 76 dioceses discussed “Adult Catechesis in the Context of the Year of Faith.” Addressing the gathering, Bishop Antony of Tiruchirapalli, chairman of CCBI Commission for Catechetics said that “every Christian faithful must question every superstitious belief with the faith that one has in Christ.” Commission member, Bishop Thomas Macwan of Ahmedabad highlighted the adverse effects of the media and secularism on Christian families. The final statement of the catechetical conference recommended 10 pointers, of which the most striking is a major shift towards adult catechesis, to make faith a visible and lived reality. The conference also made a strong call to fight superstitious practices examining them in the light of faith. The conference also drew attention to a large number of what it called ‘conventional practising’ adult faithful, and the need to accompany them in the faith journey with more effective catechesis to grow into mature, responsible, committed, witnessing disciples of Christ.