Papal Guidance on Teaching the Faith: 12 Timeless Documents on the Preservation of Doctrine
Compiled by Bishop Athanasius Schneider
Published by Sophia Institute Press
When I speak with other catechists and priests from other parishes, I am always amazed at the diverse approaches we all take to faith formation and catechesis. I am particularly grateful for the flexibility in how we hold out the Faith to our Faith Formation families. The church allows us, with our pastor at the helm, to choose a curriculum and approach that will benefit our parishioners the most.
Still, sometimes, it is good to know where to turn for guidance when passing on the Faith. Bishop Athanasius Schneider has recently compiled 12 papal documents about teaching the faith in a new book from Sophia Press: Papal Guidance on Teaching the Faith: 12 Documents on the Preservation of Doctrine. This is such a great resource for catechists and teachers in Catholic education!
Where to Start
Bishop Schneider’s Introduction is the perfect place to start reading this book. He explains how vital it is to pass on the Faith effectively and accurately. As catechists, we need to all stop and think about our methods, and whether they are equipping the next generation to understand and defend their Faith. If the methods are failing, then they must be re-evaluated.
In the Introduction, Bishop Schneider encourages “returning to basics” to teach the Faith. He emphasizes the importance of primary sources: Our Lord, Jesus Christ and the saints. We can also look to the wise and holy popes who have occupied the chair of St. Peter. Thankfully, they have written many helpful and informative documents to guide us. Bishop Schneider has worked to ensure that these documents have been translated accurately to English so that we may understand them and benefit from them
The 12 Documents on the Preservation of Doctrine
Bishop Schneider has compiled 12 documents from the following popes:
- Pope Benedict XIV
- Pope Clement XIII
- Pope Gregory XVI
- Pope Pius IX
- Pope Leo XIII
- Pope Pius X
- Pope Pius XI
Each document is published in full in this book. The documents are organized with helpful headings, sub-headings, and numbered points. This structure allows the documents to be easily digested and reflected upon. This book would be great to read and discuss with fellow catechists, perhaps in monthly meetings. You could choose one to discuss together each month of the year.
Helpful Advice Throughout these Documents.
This book is absolutely packed with excellent and practical advice for bishops, priests, and catechists. Even though many of these documents are decades or centuries old, their advice is still relevant today. Some helpful tips that stuck out to me were:
- The importance of having children memorize and recite their basic prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, the Creed etc.)
- Each person’s role (bishops, priests, and laymen) in passing on the Faith
- Obstacles to teaching the Faith (such as widely dispersed and spread out parishes with not enough priests)
- Suggested texts and methods for teaching the Faith
- Preparing the faithful to receive the Sacraments
- Looking to the saints as examples of how to teach the Faith
- Qualities of a good teacher – especially the importance of humility
- Warnings of errors in society and heresies
- Practical tips for adult catechetical instruction
- How and why we should provide our children with Christian Education, specifically
Our Duty as Catechists and Teachers
As catechists and teachers of the Faith, we have many important duties and responsibilities. Teaching the truths of our Faith is neither popular nor easy. Our primary responsibility as catechists and teachers of the Faith is to continue to practice our Faith authentically and pursue personal holiness. Part of this responsibility includes humbly continuing to grow and learn about our Faith so that our understanding of it may deepen. This will also allow us to effectively and accurately pass it on.
If you are looking for wisdom and practical instructions for teaching the Faith, then I think you will enjoy Papal Guidance on Teaching the Faith: 12 Documents on the Preservation of Doctrine. This book will give you a deeper understanding of many aspects of our Faith, as well as practical tips and guidance on how to teach it.
Papal Guidance on Teaching the Faith: 12 Documents on the Preservation of Doctrine can be found at Sophia Institute Press.
May God bless your efforts to teach the Faith in your homes, schools, and parishes!
This book is also available on the Sophia Institute Santifi app as an ebook and audiobook.
