CCD Concerns: Christ Without the Cross?

Is there something wrong with our religious education programs; has doctrine been buried under euphemisms and “feel good’ concepts? Forty years ago, when I taught catechism, religious education or CCD was a “watered down”, substandard substitute for Church doctrine. The result has been a generation of under-educated Catholics who are now parents and grandparents of Catholic children who are supposed to be getting a proper education in their faith.

It has been years since I’ve taught religious education to children. I had hoped that the Catechism of the Catholic Church would serve as a beacon and guiding light for many in the Catholic teaching field. However, as Sr. Marianne Alpha, C.V. notes in Passing on the Faith, most parents still have the same concerns about CCD that I did forty years ago.

With the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there is a greater emphasis on catechetics. During the past few years there has been much negative press about existing religious education programs in this country. Many people voice the opinion that it is not possible to pass on the Catholic faith in a CCD program.

The following letter to my pastor outlines the problems I faced years ago while trying to teach the Catholic faith, the same issues which exist today in many parishes.

Concerns About CCD

December 12, 1981

Dear Pastor,

During the time that I have been teaching  CCD in your parish, I have had the occasion to note several deficiencies in the standard religion textbook: Rejoice in the Lord, by William Sadlier, 1980, used for grade seven religious education. As a concerned Catholic, and as a CCD teacher entrusted to teach the truths of the Catholic Church, I feel that it is my Christian obligation to bring these deficiencies to your attention.

I have limited this evaluation to two sacraments, the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders, as they are presented in the textbook. This specific evaluation does not exhaust the possibility of other deficiencies; rather it is presented as a starting point which will hopefully motivate those of us who are concerned to critically evaluate the religion textbooks currently in use in our Parish.

Vatican II in The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy declares that it is “of capital importance that the faithful easily understand the Sacramental Signs and with great eagerness have recourse to those sacraments which are instituted to nourish the Christian life.

And The General Catechetical Directory tells us that we must teach the full message of salvation: “Since the purpose of catechesis…consists in leading individual Christians and communities to a mature faith, it must take diligent care faithfully to present the entire treasure of the Christian message (Directorium Catechisticum Generale, item 38, page 32).

This writer’s arguments are based on the contention that the authors of the current textbook neither explain the sacraments so they can be easily understood, nor do they present the sacraments in their complete meaning. Because of serious omissions not only is the full meaning missing but more importantly, the proper meaning of the sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders is not discernible; that is, serious omission results not so much in a lack of presentation as it does in a distorted, or untrue presentation.  The result of serious omission is a misrepresentation.

Holy Thursday

Traditionally the Church holds that Holy Thursday is the occasion for the creation of two sacraments: Holy Orders and the Holy Eucharist. However, it is not stated in the textbook that Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Orders. We are not given the fact that a man becomes a priest when he is ordained, or that the sacrament of Holy Orders imprints a sacred character on the soul, and that this sacrament was created by Christ on Holy Thursday. In the textbook description of Holy Orders, we are only told that the Apostles “shared in the full priesthood of Jesus and that they were appointed to offer the Holy Eucharist in his memory” (Rejoice in the Lord, p.221).

From Sacred Scripture, we know when and how the first Catholic priests were ordained. When: at the Last Supper during the institution of the Holy Eucharist. How: Through the Grace of God with the words, “Do this in memory of me”(Luke 22:19, 1Cor.11:24).

The Council of Trent states that the meaning of these words spoken by Christ pertains to ordination:

If anyone says that by the words, ‘Do this in remembrance of me,’ (Luke 22:19, I Cor.11;24), Christ did not make the apostles priests, or that he did not decree that they and other priests should offer his Body and Blood: let him be anathema.” (Council of Trent, Canon #757).

It is clear from the definition given at the Council of Trent that the command, spoken by our Divine Savior, “Do this in memory of me,” pertains to the institution of the sacrament of Holy Orders and for the continuation of that sacrifice by other priests.

The authors of the textbook, Rejoice in the Lord, have chosen to attach another meaning to these divine words and to detach these words from the sacrament of Holy Orders place them in the context of a community obligation.  This is illustrated as follows: “Jesus calls us to actively worship together when he says, ‘Do this in memory of me.’ “(Rejoice in the Lord, p.179).  The authors explain that ” Jesus’ command: ‘Do this in memory of me,’ means to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Father in celebration of the Eucharist” (text p.181).

Worshiping together as a community is of course a wonderful part of our Christian heritage. And  Christ does call us to actively worship together but does he call us the laity to worship through the words; “Do this in memory of me”?

The command spoken by Christ has a primary and fundamental meaning which is totally overlooked by the authors of the textbook in question. The primary meaning is expressed by the Council of Trent in the aforementioned Canon Law.  This command in its primary sense draws a clear line of demarcation between the ordained priesthood and the general priesthood of all the faithful. A distinction which we must keep in mind, and teach our children to do likewise if we are to understand that there is a sacrament of Holy Orders.

From their lesson on Holy Thursday (presented in chapters11 and 20 of the text) the children should be learning that Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist as the sacrifice of the Mass and that he instituted the sacrament of Holy Orders so that the sacrifice of the Mass can be continued, and that these two sacraments are the central events of Holy Thursday.  Instead, the authors have chosen to teach a lesson on friendship and service as the central aspect of the Last Supper:  ”

Holy Thursday night was a celebration of friendship for Jesus and the apostles; Jesus chose this night to teach a strong lesson about what true friendship means. He did this through a dramatic action: He, their Master and Lord, washed the feet of each apostle.” (Rejoice in the Lord, p.103).

The Holy Eucharist is presented as being celebrated as an act of friendship (text p.98), and the sacrament of Holy Orders is altogether omitted.

Problems with CCD Books

This writer cannot agree that the teachings contained in the religious text: Rejoice in the Lord, reflect the true mind of the Church as it is taught by the Magisterium through Sacred Scripture and Tradition.

I have tried to give evidence for this contention by selecting two deficiencies found in this textbook: omission and misrepresentation.

In their presentation of “Holy Thursday,” the authors fail to convey the real importance of what took place on the eve of Christ’s crucifixion: the creation of two sacraments, The Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders. Without a proper understanding of these sacraments as the foundation of our faith, nothing else that follows really makes sense; without the Eucharist and Holy Orders, we are not Catholic. Once again serious omission is serious misrepresentation and hopefully, this letter will be heard by the right people and something will be done to improve our religious education programs for Catholics and for those who want to become Catholic.

Respectfully yours In Christ,

A Very Concerned Parishioner, Richard Auciello

Conclusion

Now forty years later, the same problem exists. if Catholics want to pass on the faith to their children, it is imperative that faith-filled teachers have good CCD textbooks. As Sr. Alpha states:

Choosing the right texts is as important as choosing teachers who live the Catholic faith and are willing to study and grow in knowledge and love of God and of the Church He founded.