reclaiming religion - The purpose of Catechism
The Foundation of religion is education
For Catholics, religious education starts at home and continues in the church. After the Fourth Council of the Lateran, in 1215, the church required all children, above the age of reason, to attend confession and receive the Eucharist. Notably, education wasn’t required, a simple desire for god and ability to reason were the only requests.
It wasn’t until 1910, under the approval of Pope Pius X, that the “rules” for first communion & religious education were established:
“1. The age of discretion, both for Confession and for Holy Communion, is the time when a child begins to reason, that is about the seventh year, more or less. From that time on begins the obligation of fulfilling the precept of both Confession and Communion.”
Translation: Age of reason ≈ 7 years old or when child can use reason (Aristotle jumps for joy from the afterlife)
“2. A full and perfect knowledge of Christian doctrine is not necessary either for First Confession or for First Communion. Afterwards, however, the child will be obliged to learn gradually the entire Catechism according to his ability.”
Translation: Go to God, learn later. Confession and Eucharistic adoration are too essential to forgo or postpone.
“3. The knowledge of religion which is required in a child in order to be properly prepared to receive First Communion is such that he will understand according to his capacity those Mysteries of faith which are necessary as a means of salvation (<necessitate medii>) and that he can distinguish between the Bread of the Eucharist and ordinary, material bread, and thus he may receive Holy Communion with a devotion becoming his years.”
Translation: Informed consent is necessary to participate in divine union. Know what you’re getting into.
“4. The obligation of the precept of Confession and Communion which binds the child particularly affects those who have him in charge, namely, parents, confessor, teachers and the pastor. It belongs to the father, or the person taking his place, and to the confessor, according to the Roman Catechism, to admit a child to his First Communion.”
Translation: Initaion into Catholicism requires the approval of a child’s authority figure(s) and the presiding priest.
“5. The pastor should announce and hold a General Communion of the children once a year or more often, and he should on these occasions admit not only the First Communicants but also others who have already approached the Holy Table with the above-mentioned consent of their parents or confessor. Some days of instruction and preparation should be previously given to both classes of children.”
Translation: Hold an annual ceremony for those making their first communion.
“6. Those who have charge of the children should zealously see to it that after their First Communion these children frequently approach the Holy Table, even daily if possible, as Jesus Christ and Mother Church desire, and let this be done with a devotion becoming their age. They must also bear in mind that very grave duty which obliged them to have the children attend the public Catechism classes; if this is not done, then they must supply religious instruction in some other way.”
Translation: Ingrane church attendance into children. A child’s education is the spiritual responsibility of the parent. Take em to school or teach them yourself. (don’t worry the church sells books)
“7. The custom of not admitting children to Confession or of not giving them absolution when they have already attained the use of reason must be entirely abandoned. The Ordinary shall see to it that this condition ceases absolutely, and he may, if necessary, use legal measures accordingly.”
Translation: Can’t stop children from confessing. You have the legal right to fight against any attempts to prevent confession.
“8. The practice of not administering the Viaticum and Extreme Unction to children who have attained the use of reason, and of burying them with the rite used for infants is a most intolerable abuse. The Ordinary should take very severe measures against those who do not give up the practice.”
Translation: Denying a child last rights or final eucharist is not only wrong but abusive. A condemnable act in the eyes of Men and God.
What’s the purpose of the Catechism?
Ultimately to teach practitioners the basics of the Catholic faith.
How we teach and what we teach have been changed time and time again. Like all Catholic doctrine, they’re living. They evolve with humanity. That adaptability is one of Catholicism’s greatest strengths, in my opinion.
The core of the Catechism is most commonly comprised of several doctrines and books:
The Duterocanonical books
Apostolic Tradition
The Magisterium
The first is a collection of at least 7 books of scripture [sometimes] excluded from the bible. The second established the apostolic lineage and discusses the history of the church. the third is an affirmation of divine authority.
There’s some other stuff peppered in. However, the primary tools of teaching the faith are 2 prayers: the apostle’s creed and the Lord’s prayer (Our Father).
Corruption & Political agenda
2/3 of the Catechism is about indoctrination. It’s about subtle enforcing values and political agendas quietly held by the church. It’s fundamentally anti-queer, religiously discriminatory, and steeped in problematic rhetoric with origins spanning the Church’s entire 2000-year history.
For me, and folks like me, this is disgusting and deeply offputting. For those of us who wish to make use of the religion, its philosophy, and its mysticism, deconstruction is essential. Breaking down the gobbly gook of church language and the intellectual barriers to entry is the first step. As seen above, this can be as easy as a simple rephrase or translation from dusty old church talk to real human speech.
This process of deconstructing and rebuilding your faith is very personal. It’s something done privately over years. That can be isolating and oppressive for many. Not to mention just gaining a simple foothold of understanding is hard as fuck. Those church doctors wrote with privilege for those privileged enough to understand.
My response? Fuck em.
With Mystic Catechism, we do all of this hard work together. Examining and learning alongside like-minded people. Each of us looking to pave our own path to God.
Mystic Catechism Preview
The catechism teaches that we are inherently connected to God and that within our souls is the compulsive need to reach toward the heavens; presuming that everyone wants a relationship with God.
I find that lack of nuance the most malicious part of this belief.
As a method of indoctrination, The Church teaches us with a gentle hand in these early stages. spoon-feeding us the “right” way to think about god by enforcing a hierarchical relationship between humanity and divinity.
