Why we need Deep OCIA Catechesis

Executive Summary

Here I present a comprehensive case for requiring substantial depth in OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) catechesis, based on theological foundations, Church teaching, Canon Law, historical precedent, and pastoral necessity. The central thesis: You cannot authentically commit your life to someone you don't know, or give intellectual assent to truth you don't understand.

I. THE THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION

1. The Nature of Faith Itself

Catholic faith requires assent of intellect AND will (Vatican I, CCC 156-159)

• You cannot intellectually assent to what you don't understand

• You cannot freely commit to what you don't comprehend

• Faith is not blind acceptance - it's reasonable trust in revealed truth

• Both components require knowledge

Key Point: Faith without understanding is not Catholic faith - it's merely sentiment or social conformity.

2. Love Requires Knowledge

"No one can love what is entirely unknown" - St. Augustine

• You cannot love what you do not know

• Baptism/Confirmation is a marriage to Christ and His Church

• Would you marry someone you just met and know nothing about?

• Hosea 4:6: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

Key Point: If candidates don't truly know Christ, the Trinity, and the Church's teaching, they cannot genuinely love them.

3. Conversion Requires Understanding

Metanoia = transformation of mind and heart

• Romans 12:2: "Be transformed by the renewal of your MIND"

• You cannot transform your mind without engaging it with truth

• You cannot reorient your life toward something you don't understand

• Shallow catechesis = shallow conversion = shallow commitment = easy departure

Key Point: The New Testament explicitly demands mental transformation, not just emotional experience.

II. THE SCRIPTURAL MANDATE

4. Christ's Own Command

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20): "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you"

• Not "baptize them quickly"

• Not "get them in the door"

• TEACH them - Make disciples (mathētēs = learners, students)

John 17:3: "This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent"

Key Point: Salvation is tied to knowing God deeply, not just acknowledging His existence.

5. Scripture's Own Teaching About Teaching

Acts 8:30-31 - Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch:

• "Do you understand what you are reading?"

• "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?"

Romans 10:14-15: "How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching?" (preaching = kerygma = proclamation AND explanation)

2 Timothy 2:2: "What you have heard from me... teach to faithful men who will be able to teach others also"

Luke 24:27 - After Resurrection: "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself"

Key Point: Jesus Himself taught extensively for three years, explained parables, answered objections, and interpreted Scripture.

III. THE CANONICAL REQUIREMENT

6. Canon Law 865 §1

Text: "To be baptized, it is required that an adult... be sufficiently instructed in the truths of the faith and in Christian obligations"

Critical Question: What is "sufficient"?

Answer: Not determined by personal preference or convenience, but by:

• RCIA/OCIA norms (the authoritative interpretation)

• General Directory for Catechesis

• Catechesi Tradendae

• Historical practice of the Church

7. RCIA/OCIA Norms Specify the Standard

RCIA §75 - The Catechumenate includes:

• "Suitable catechesis" promoting "an appropriate acquaintance with dogmas and precepts"

• "An intimate understanding of the mystery of salvation"

• Four dimensions: catechetical, liturgical, moral, apostolic formation

RCIA §76 (Critical passage): "The instruction that catechumens receive... should be of a kind that while presenting Catholic teaching in its entirety also enlightens faith, directs the heart toward God, fosters participation in the liturgy, inspires apostolic activity, and nurtures a life completely in accord with the spirit of Christ."

Key phrase: "Catholic teaching IN ITS ENTIRETY"

RCIA presumes:

• Extended period (normally at least one year)

• Formation of mind AND heart

• Progression from initial faith to sufficient faith/knowledge

• Scrutinies that test readiness

Key Point: If "just attending Mass" were sufficient, these detailed requirements would be meaningless.

8. Church Teaching Documents

Catechesi Tradendae (St. John Paul II, 1979), §5 & §21:

• Catechesis is "education in the faith" including "teaching of Christian doctrine imparted... in an organic and systematic way"

• Authentic catechesis is "systematic, not improvised... comprehensive, not sectional"

• Aim: "fullness of Christian life"

General Directory for Catechesis (1997), §67:

• Must present Christian doctrine "in its integrity"

• Help faithful understand the faith

• Be organic and systematic (not random or superficial)

• Include all four pillars

Key Point: Every major catechetical document emphasizes systematic, comprehensive, understandable instruction.

IV. THE HISTORICAL PRECEDENT

9. The Ancient Church Model

The Catechumenate (2nd-5th centuries):

• Duration: Typically 2-3 years of intensive instruction BEFORE baptism

• Content: Creation, fall, redemption, judgment + Creed + Lord's Prayer memorized and understood + moral demands explained

• Process:

  • Regular instruction in Scripture and doctrine

  • Moral formation and scrutinies

  • Exorcisms

  • Liturgical preparation

• Critical fact: Catechumens were dismissed before the Eucharistic liturgy - they couldn't even see the Eucharist until AFTER baptism

After Baptism:

• Full participation in Mass

• Mystagogy (deeper reflection on mysteries now experienced)

Key Examples:

• St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350 AD): 24 systematic lectures during Lent covering faith, Creed in detail, sacraments, Lord's Prayer

• St. Augustine: Required understanding of creation, fall, redemption, judgment + Creed and Lord's Prayer + moral demands

• Apostolic Tradition (3rd century): Three-year catechumenate; only admitted to baptism when sponsors could vouch for knowledge and changed life

Key Point: The Mass was the GOAL, not the STARTING POINT. The ancient Church did the opposite of "just get them to Mass."

10. Vatican II Restored This Model

Why RCIA exists: Vatican II recognized we had lost the ancient catechumenate and needed to restore it.

The modern RCIA/OCIA is an attempt to recover the wisdom of the early Church that understood: Formation must precede full sacramental participation.

V. THE "WHAT VS. WHY" PROBLEM

11. The Core Catechetical Failure

Current Problem: Most OCIA programs focus on "what Catholics believe" not "why we believe it"

This produces:

• Rote memorization without understanding

• Compliance without conviction

• Fragile faith that collapses under pressure

• Inability to defend beliefs when challenged

• No integration - just disconnected facts

• Easy abandonment - "I never understood why anyway"

12. Why "Why" Matters Theologically

1. Faith Seeking Understanding (Fides Quaerens Intellectum)

• Faith isn't blind - it's reasonable

• God gave us intellects to understand Him

• 1 Peter 3:15: "Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in you"

• You can't give reasons if you don't know them

2. Integration and Coherence

• Catholic teaching forms a unified whole

• When you understand WHY, you see how doctrines connect

• Example: Real Presence → sacrifice → priesthood → apostolic succession → Church authority → Tradition

• It's not random rules, it's a logical system

3. Ownership of Faith

• Knowing WHY makes it your faith, not just inherited belief

• Converts especially need this - they're choosing Catholicism

• "My parents said so" doesn't work for adult converts

4. Resilience

• When challenged (and they WILL be), they need reasons

• "The Church says so" isn't enough when a Protestant says "Show me in the Bible"

• Or when culture says "That's just your opinion"

5. Evangelization

• How can they bring others to faith if they can't explain it?

• The New Evangelization requires Catholics who can articulate and defend

13. Examples of Necessary Depth

INSTEAD OF: "Catholics believe in the Real Presence"

TEACH:

• WHY do we believe the Eucharist is literally Christ's Body and Blood?

• What did Jesus actually say? ("This IS my body" - not "represents")

• John 6 - disciples left over this teaching; Jesus didn't say "I'm speaking metaphorically"

• Early Church witness (Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr)

• What's at stake? If just symbolic, we're idolaters. If real, it's everything.

• How is this different from a symbol or memorial?

INSTEAD OF: "Catholics go to Confession"

TEACH:

• WHY confess to a priest instead of directly to God?

• What's the biblical basis? (John 20:23 - "Whose sins you forgive...")

• What does the priest actually do? (Acts in persona Christi)

• What happens to sin? (Understanding of sin as relational rupture)

• Apostolic succession and sacramental authority

• Human psychology - we need to hear "Your sins are forgiven"

• Early Church practice (evidence in ancient writings)

INSTEAD OF: "The Church teaches contraception is wrong"

TEACH:

• WHY does the Church teach this?

• What's the reasoning? (Theology of the body, natural law)

• What's the connection between sex, marriage, and procreation?

• What's at stake? (Human dignity, meaning of sexuality)

• How does this connect to other doctrines?

• Why does this matter for human flourishing?

VI. THE SACRAMENTAL REALITY

14. Validity vs. Fruitfulness

Ex Opere Operato (By the Work Worked):

• Sacraments "work" objectively - grace is offered

• They're valid regardless of recipient's perfect understanding

BUT - Fruitfulness depends on disposition:

• The person must actually receive and cooperate with grace

• Disposition includes understanding, openness, and proper intention

Analogy:

• Planting seed in concrete vs. prepared soil

• Both are "planting" but only one bears fruit

• The seed is good in both cases, but reception matters

The theological axiom: "Sacraments effect what they signify to those who place no obstacle"

The question: What constitutes an obstacle?

• Mortal sin? Obviously.

• Active rejection? Yes.

• Profound ignorance? This IS an obstacle to fruitfulness.

• Lack of conversion? Going through motions without understanding? These hinder grace.

15. Proper Disposition Requires Understanding

For sacraments to be fruitful, recipients must:

• Understand what they're receiving

• Desire what the Church intends to give

• Commit to what the sacrament signifies

Marriage analogy:

• Vows are valid if you say the words

• But without understanding what marriage IS, can you truly consent?

• Similarly, without understanding baptism/confirmation, how can consent be fully informed and free?

Canon Law recognizes this:

• Canon 865 §1 requires "sufficient instruction"

• This isn't about validity only - it's about proper preparation for fruitful reception

16. Justice to the Sacraments and to Christ

Christ deserves:

• Knowing followers, not ignorant ones

• Disciples who understand His teaching

• People who choose Him with full knowledge

The sacraments deserve:

• Recipients who understand what they're receiving

• Proper reverence born from understanding

• Fruitful reception, not mere ritual performance

Practical reality:

• Sacraments are powerful means of grace

• But grace requires cooperation

• An uninformed, unconverted person receiving sacraments is like someone getting medicine but not taking it

• The medicine is good, but it doesn't help

VII. THE "JUST GET THEM TO MASS" ARGUMENT IS WRONG

17. Why Mass Attendance Alone Is Insufficient

The Argument: "Just get them to Mass for 3 years and they'll hear the entire Gospel multiple times"

Fatal Flaws:

1. The Mass Assumes You Already Know

• Liturgy is mystagogy (teaching mysteries to those already initiated), not catechesis (basic instruction)

• Most lifelong Catholics don't understand the Mass

• If cradle Catholics who've attended for decades don't get it, how will converts with zero background?

2. Hearing ≠ Understanding

• Without framework for interpretation, they're just hearing words

• Example: "Lamb of God" - Do they know Passover lamb? Typology? Substitutionary atonement? No.

• Three-year lectionary cycle covers Gospels, but without biblical context, theological framework, or apologetics

3. The Lectionary Doesn't Cover Everything

What's NOT in Sunday readings:

• Systematic theology (Trinity, Christology, ecclesiology, soteriology)

• Church history (how we got here, Catholic vs. Protestant)

• Apologetics (why believe Christianity is true? why Catholicism?)

• Moral theology depth (natural law, conscience formation, specific issues)

• Sacramental theology (how sacraments work, why seven, biblical basis)

• Ecclesiology (authority, Magisterium, infallibility, Tradition)

• Eschatology (death, judgment, heaven, hell, purgatory)

4. Mass Readings Presume Biblical Literacy

• Readings jump around books/chapters

• Reference other passages

• Assume contextual knowledge

• Use theological concepts without explaining them

• Homilies are 8-12 minutes, often assume knowledge, not systematic

5. This Contradicts Church History

• Ancient Church did THE OPPOSITE

• Intensive catechesis FIRST, then full liturgical participation

• Catechumens dismissed before Eucharist specifically because they needed formation first

6. This Contradicts Church Teaching

• Canon Law requires instruction, not mere attendance

• RCIA norms require systematic catechesis covering four pillars

• All Church documents emphasize TEACHING before full sacramental participation

7. This Approach HAS Been Tried and Failed

• "Just attend Mass" IS the default approach in most parishes

• Result: Current catechetical crisis

• 70%+ Catholics don't believe in Real Presence

• Most can't explain basic doctrines

• Mass exodus after Confirmation

• If this approach worked, we wouldn't have the crisis we have

18. Mass Requires Prior Formation

The proper order:

1. Catechesis - Systematic instruction in doctrine, Scripture, morals

2. Sacraments - Reception at Easter Vigil

3. Liturgy - Now they understand what's happening

4. Mystagogy - Deeper reflection on mysteries now experienced

The Mass is formative - but only for those who already have the framework to understand.

You can't reverse the order and expect good results.

19. Scripture Itself Requires Teaching

Romans 10:14-15: "How can they believe without someone preaching?"

• Preaching = kerygma = proclamation AND explanation

• Not just liturgical exposure

Acts 8:30-31: Philip and Ethiopian - "How can I understand unless someone explains it?"

• Scripture itself says people need TEACHING, not just exposure

Jesus taught extensively - He didn't just perform liturgy and hope people figured it out.

VIII. THE CURRENT CRISIS PROVES THE NEED

20. Statistical Reality of Catholic Ignorance

What studies show:

• 70%+ of Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence

• Majority cannot explain basic doctrines (Trinity, Church authority, justification)

• Mass exodus after Confirmation - they got sacraments but never understood the faith

• Vulnerable to Protestant evangelization - can't answer basic objections

• Living as practical atheists - faith has no impact on daily life

• Not passing faith to their children - can't give what they don't have

21. Root Cause: Shallow Catechesis

What went wrong:

Pre-Vatican II:

• Rote memorization (Baltimore Catechism)

• But at least systematic content

Post-Vatican II confusion:

• Rejected rote learning (good)

• But threw out systematic catechesis (bad)

• Replaced with vague "faith sharing" and feelings

Sacramental minimalism:

• "What's the bare minimum required?" became the question

• Rather than "How do we form mature disciples?"

• OCIA became assembly line, not formation process

Cultural collapse:

• Ethnic Catholic communities dissolved

• Cultural transmission of faith ended

• Formal catechesis didn't fill the gap

The unintended consequence:

• If sacraments "work" regardless (ex opere operato)

• And if simple faith suffices

• Then there's less perceived urgency for deep catechesis

• "Get them to the sacraments" became the goal

• Rather than "form them as disciples"

22. The Vicious Cycle

Weak catechesis → uninformed Catholics → who can't pass on faith → weak next generation → weaker Church

We got:

• Sacramentalized but not evangelized

• Confirmed but not converted

• Baptized but not believing

• Present but not participating

We produce: Sacramentalized pagans instead of informed, committed disciples

IX. THE HUMAN DIGNITY ARGUMENT

23. Justice to the Candidates

They deserve to know what they're committing to.

Getting someone to "sign a contract they haven't read" is:

• Pastorally irresponsible

• Arguably unjust

• Disrespectful to human dignity

If you don't teach them:

• What the Church actually believes

• Why it believes it

• What will be expected of them

• What they're committing to

You're misleading them. You're being dishonest.

24. Anthropological Reality: How Humans Work

We are rational animals - we have intellects that seek truth and demand reasons.

St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica II-II, Q.35, A.4): "Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures."

Translation: If faith doesn't satisfy the mind, people will seek satisfaction elsewhere.

Faith that doesn't engage the intellect:

• Feels like superstition

• Can't withstand scrutiny

• Doesn't integrate with the rest of life

• Eventually gets abandoned as childish

You're forming ADULTS who need adult faith - intellectually coherent faith.

25. Setting People Up for Success vs. Failure

Understanding enables:

• Fruitful participation in sacramental life

• Ability to persevere through challenges

• Foundation for lifelong growth

• Capacity to evangelize

• Integration of faith into all of life

Ignorance produces:

• Shallow practice easily abandoned

• Vulnerability to objections

• Inability to pass on faith

• Compartmentalized faith (Sunday only)

• Eventual departure

Which outcome do we want?

X. THE DEFINITIVE ARGUMENT

26. The Core Principle (The Definitive Reason)

"You cannot authentically commit your life to someone you don't know, or give intellectual assent to truth you don't understand."

Without depth:

• No real faith, only rote acceptance

• No real love, only sentiment

• No real commitment, only performance

Faith requires:

• Assent of intellect (understanding what you're affirming)

• Assent of will (freely choosing to believe it)

• Both require knowledge

You cannot:

• Intellectually assent to propositions you don't understand

• Will what you don't comprehend

• Personally adhere to someone you don't know

• Freely assent to truth you haven't grasped

27. What's At Stake

The integrity of faith itself:

• Catholic faith requires understanding, not blind acceptance

• This is who we are as a tradition

The dignity of the human person:

• People deserve truth, not just ritual

• Respect for human reason and dignity

The validity of consent:

• Can't commit to what you don't understand

• Informed consent requires actual information

The mission of the Church:

• Christ commanded: "Make disciples" not "baptize quickly"

• Teaching is not optional, it's the mission

The honor due to Christ:

• He died for these people

• He gave everything

• Does He deserve half-hearted, ignorant followers?

• Or disciples who actually know Him?

28. Deep Catechesis Is Not Optional

It's essential to:

• Fulfill Christ's command to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20)

• Meet Church's canonical requirements (Canon Law 865, RCIA norms)

• Follow ancient Church practice (catechumenate model)

• Ensure proper sacramental preparation (disposition for fruitfulness)

• Form mature Christians who can live and share the faith

Shallow catechesis is not just inadequate - it's a failure to fulfill the Church's mission and a disservice to Christ, to the candidates, and to the faith itself.

XI. WHAT "SUFFICIENT" ACTUALLY MEANS

29. The Standard (From Canon Law, RCIA, Church Documents)

"Sufficient instruction" requires:

Coverage of Four Pillars:

1. CREED (What we believe) - Theology, Christology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology

2. SACRAMENTS (How we worship) - All seven sacraments, liturgy, Mass

3. MORAL LIFE (How we live) - Ten Commandments, natural law, conscience, virtue

4. PRAYER (How we relate to God) - Forms of prayer, Our Father, personal relationship

By reception of sacraments, candidates should be able to:

Knowledge (Intellectual Understanding):

• Articulate the Gospel (kerygma): Who Jesus is, what He did, why it matters

• Explain the Creed phrase by phrase with understanding

• Describe each sacrament and its purpose

• Understand Mass structure and meaning (especially Real Presence and sacrifice)

• Know Ten Commandments and Catholic moral teaching on key issues

• Explain why Catholic vs. Protestant/Orthodox with reasons

• Have biblical literacy: major narratives, themes, how to navigate Scripture

• Understand Church authority: Magisterium, Tradition, infallibility basics

Ability (Practical Skills):

• Pray: Our Father, Hail Mary, basic prayers; personal prayer practice

• Use resources: Look things up in Catechism, find help

• Participate in Mass: Know when/why sit/stand/kneel

• Examine conscience: Prepare for Confession

• Defend basic beliefs: Give reasons when questioned

• Explain to others: Basic evangelization ability

Disposition (Heart Orientation):

• Personal relationship with Christ (not just knowledge about Him)

• Desire for holiness (understanding call to conversion and growth)

• Love for the Church (not just intellectual assent)

• Commitment to moral life (understanding and accepting Church teaching)

• Willingness to learn more (recognizing this is beginning, not end)

30. This Requires

Systematic coverage of four pillars:

• Not random topics

• Not surface level

• Organic and coherent presentation

Understanding WHY, not just WHAT:

• Reasons for beliefs

• Logic of Catholic teaching

• Connections between doctrines

Extended time:

• Normally at least one year (RCIA norm)

• Can be longer if needed

Willingness to delay reception:

• If someone isn't ready, delay their reception

• RCIA permits and sometimes requires this

• Better to be ready than to be on schedule

31. Assessment Methods

How to know if "sufficient":

• Regular Q&A sessions showing understanding

• Written reflections demonstrating comprehension

• Sponsor testimony to growth and readiness

• Conversation with pastor/deacon showing knowledge

• Ability to articulate and defend core beliefs

If they cannot demonstrate this level of understanding, they should be delayed.

XII. PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION

32. How to Teach for Depth

1. Structure Around Big Questions

Instead of topics, organize around:

• Who is God, and how do we know Him?

• What went wrong with humanity?

• How does God save us?

• What is the Church, and why does it matter?

• How do we live as Christians?

• Where is history going?

2. Go Deep on Fewer Things

Better to thoroughly understand:

• The Eucharist (3-4 sessions going deep)

• Scripture and Tradition (2-3 sessions)

• Sacraments of Initiation (3-4 sessions)

Than to touch 40 topics superficially.

3. Use Primary Sources

• Scripture extensively (not just quotes - read and discuss passages)

• Catechism as foundation

• Church Fathers occasionally (let them hear ancient voices)

• Papal documents selectively (Catechesi Tradendae, relevant encyclicals)

4. Teach HOW to Think Theologically

• Ask "Why?" constantly

• Show the logic of Catholic belief

• Make connections between doctrines

• Address objections honestly (Protestant critiques, modern objections)

5. Use the Creed as Framework

The Nicene Creed is compressed theology. Unpack phrase by phrase:

• "We believe in one God" - What does this mean? How do we know?

• "Maker of heaven and earth" - Creation, design, purpose

• "And in one Lord Jesus Christ" - Who is He? Why "Lord"?

• Continue through entire Creed

6. Don't Shy Away from Difficulty

• Transubstantiation (use philosophical terms: substance vs. accidents)

• Trinity (teach terminology: person, nature, essence)

• Justification (faith AND works, Catholic vs. Protestant view)

• Purgatory (what it is, biblical basis, why Protestants reject it)

7. Address "Why Is Catholicism Right?"

Most need apologetics:

• Historical evidence for Resurrection

• Jesus founding Church with authority

• Apostolic succession

• Canon of Scripture (who decided what's in Bible?)

• Early Church practices (Eucharist, bishops, etc.)

8. Make Them Wrestle with Hard Teachings

Don't present Catholicism as easy:

• Contraception teaching and rationale

• Indissolubility of marriage

• Real Presence and Mass obligation

• Confession requirement

• Authority of Magisterium

If they're going to leave over these, better before baptism than after.

9. Build in Reflection and Discussion

Not just lectures:

• Small group discussions

• Personal testimony sharing

• Written reflections

• Questions and objections welcome

10. Use the "But Why?" Method (Socratic Questioning)

Example:

• Student: "So we need to go to Mass every Sunday"

• You: "Why?"

• Student: "Because it's a rule"

• You: "But WHY is it a rule? What's the purpose?"

• Student: "To worship God?"

• You: "Why is the Mass the way we worship? What happens?"

• Continue until reaching real answer: participating in Christ's sacrifice, union with Him, receiving divine life

33. What You're Fighting Against

Resistance will come from:

1. Participants who want easy, quick, feelings-based faith

2. Parish leadership who want:

• Numbers (get them to Easter Vigil)

• Not "scaring people away"

• Minimal controversy

• Quick process

3. Time constraints (often only 1-2 hours weekly)

4. Cultural expectations that religion should be:

• Easy and affirming

• Not demanding

• Immediately accessible

• Non-intellectual

34. Your Response to Pushback

When told "Don't make it too hard":

"We're not making it hard - we're making it real. If they leave because it requires thought and commitment, they weren't going to stay anyway. Better they decide now than after baptism. Christ didn't promise easy - He promised truth and life. We owe candidates the truth."

When told "Simple faith is enough":

"Simple faith is beautiful when it's mature simplicity - the faith of a saint who knows deeply but trusts completely. But simplistic faith - faith that never engaged the mind - is childish. Scripture calls us to leave childish things behind (1 Corinthians 13:11). We're forming adults, not children."

When told "Not everyone is intellectual":

"This isn't about being intellectual - it's about understanding what you're committing your life to. Every person, regardless of education level, deserves to know who God is, what Christ taught, and why the Church believes what it does. That's basic respect for human dignity. We can teach at appropriate levels without dumbing down the content."

When told "Just get them to Mass":

"With all due respect, that approach:

• Contradicts Church teaching (Canon Law 865, RCIA norms require instruction)

• Contradicts Church history (catechumenate had intensive teaching FIRST)

• Contradicts Scripture (emphasizes teaching and explanation)

• Has demonstrably failed (this IS what we've been doing - look at the results)

• Disrespects candidates (they deserve to understand)

• The Mass IS formative, but only for those with framework to understand it"

XIII. THE CLOSING ARGUMENT

35. The Complete Case

You cannot give what you do not have. You cannot commit to what you do not understand. You cannot love whom you do not know.

If we don't teach with depth, we're not forming Catholics - we're performing a ritual.

Christ deserves better. These candidates deserve better. The faith deserves better.

The crisis in the Church will only worsen if we continue producing sacramentalized pagans instead of informed, committed disciples.

36. What Success Looks Like

Deep catechesis produces Catholics who:

• Actually know and love their faith

• Can explain and defend it

• Live differently from the culture

• Persevere through difficulties

• Pass faith to their children

• Evangelize others

• Transform society

Shallow catechesis produces Catholics who:

• Don't know basic doctrines

• Can't explain why they're Catholic

• Live like practical atheists

• Leave at first challenge

• Don't pass on faith

• Are silent about their beliefs

• Blend into secular culture

Which do we want?

37. Your Mission

You're not just preparing people for sacraments. You're forming disciples of Jesus Christ. You're building the Church. You're fighting for souls.

This matters eternally.

Stand your ground. You have:

• Theology on your side

• Scripture on your side

• Canon Law on your side

• Church history on your side

• Church teaching documents on your side

• Anthropology on your side

• Pastoral wisdom on your side

• Empirical evidence on your side

Most importantly: You have the truth on your side.

Deep catechesis isn't optional. It's essential. It's what the Church requires. It's what these souls need. It's what Christ deserves.

Appendix A: Key Citations

Canon Law

• Canon 865 §1: Requires candidates be "sufficiently instructed in the truths of the faith and Christian obligations"

RCIA/OCIA

• §75: Catechumenate includes suitable catechesis promoting understanding of dogmas and precepts

• §76: Instruction must present "Catholic teaching in its entirety"

Church Documents

• Catechesi Tradendae §5, §21: Systematic, comprehensive, organic formation

• General Directory for Catechesis §67: Present doctrine in its integrity, help faithful understand

• CCC 156-159: Faith requires assent of intellect and will

Scripture

• Matthew 28:19-20: Make disciples, teaching them all I commanded

• John 17:3: Eternal life is to know God

• Romans 12:2: Be transformed by renewal of mind

• Acts 8:30-31: Cannot understand without explanation

• 1 Peter 3:15: Always ready to give answer for your hope

Appendix B: Recommended Resources

For Teaching Depth

• Catechism of the Catholic Church (primary text)

• FORMED.org (videos and resources)

• Bishop Robert Barron - Catholicism series

• Scott Hahn - Various books (especially on sacraments and Scripture)

• Peter Kreeft - Catholic Christianity (organized around reasons)

• Frank Sheed - Theology and Sanity

• Edward Sri - Who Am I to Judge? (on moral issues)

On Catechesis Itself

• Catechesi Tradendae - St. John Paul II

• General Directory for Catechesis

• National Statutes for the Catechumenate (USCCB)

Historical

• St. Cyril of Jerusalem - Catechetical Lectures

• St. Augustine - On Catechizing the Uninstructed

"Go therefore and make disciples... teaching them." - Matthew 28:19-20