Transmission of the Faith in the Light of the Aparecida Assembly: The Urgency of Initiation to Christian life in Dioceses and Parishes

Abstract

The Aparecida document and CNBB document 107 are indispensable sources for guiding the education of the faith through permanent catechesis for all those who exercise some leadership and management ministry in the Church. The proposed guidelines indicate that the transmission of the Christian faith needs to be rethought based on the demands of the communities. Thus, the objective is to reflect on the planning and execution of evangelization activities, based on pastoral-catechetical theological approaches. The reflection points to the need for internal reforms, on an emergency basis, related to new ways of transmitting the faith in ecclesial communities These are challenged to a change in the way of transmitting the content of the faith, proposing evangelization activities that meet the urgency of bringing people together in order to offer a deep formation of following Christ and awakening the feeling of belonging in the community. There is also an urgent need for a more relational, experiential, procedural, celebratory and lasting formation in and for life, aimed at deepening the meaning of the Christian life. The need to renew the structures of parishes, movements, pastoral groups and the diocese as a whole is also emphasized. Such urgencies refer to the continued formation of lay men and women, called to be disciples of Jesus. The broadened and reframed understanding that catechesis is not just preparation for the sacraments leads to a new understanding of the vocation of lay men and women. Only a posture of dialogue can contribute to rethinking the formation of lay men and women, and the revitalization of their ministries within the Church. These are the main lines that this article presents in order to reflect in the light of the Aparecida Document, permeated with reflections on Pastoral and Catechetical Theology.