August 10, 1987

To all Parish Priests and Parochial Vicars

in the Archdiocese of Manila:

At this time in our history, God in His Providence has given to us a greater horizon in the Church’s task of catechesis and has directed our efforts to more possibilities of bringing our young to a communion, a personal relationship with Christ, our Savior. This he does by way of Art. XIV, Sec. 3, No. 3, of the new Constitution which states in part:

At the option expressed in writing by the parents, and guardians, religion shall be allowed to be taught to their children or wards in public elementary and high school...

The Archdiocese of Manila has pledged itself and committed her every effort at catechesis especially of the poor and shall have one common pastoral direction and goal: To EVANGELIZE and CHRISTIANIZE all sectors and levels of the Archdiocese into one people of God... to establish and promote witnessing, serving and nourishing communities among all sectors and levels through a dialogue of total faith and human life.

This work she has specifically assigned to the Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry whose main vision and thrust reflect those of Christ’s mandate: “Go and teach all nations...” (Mt 28:19-20). Its Statements of Policies bring to focus the vital role of forming the principal agent of catechesis: the CATECHIST, it reads:

To gradually attain a substantial increase of better spiritually formed and qualified catechists who are true witnesses to Christ in school and in the different ecclesial communities in the parishes.

The Synod of Bishops in 1977 on Catechesis likewise reiterates the capital importance of formation: “In union, with the Bishops they (catechists) assume responsibility for transmitting the faith. The Synod reaffirms to all the importance of this task and voices the hope that all will receive the good will and the help they need. The Synod earnestly ask that no one assume this catechetical task or duties without prior adequate formation. This formation must be true to the twofold aspect or dimension of catechesis: fidelity to God and fidelity to man” (no. 14). The Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry takes direction in both its program of formation and all its other forms of activities entrusted to it from the texts we have quoted above. It leans heavily upon a conviction that catechesis to be true and au-thentic must depend on men and women moved who, moved by the Spirit, proclaim God’s love, bearing in their hearts Jesus whose message they witness in their lives and teachings.

The Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry has taken a survey in 1986 to obtain a picture of its catechetical apostolate in the public schools. Here are the results:

Total Total

No. of Schools School Population

No. of Public Elem. Schools 377 632,559

No. of Public High Schools 109 276,573

486 909,132

No. of. Students Catechized (Elem.) 514,662 (81%)

Not Catechized 117,629 (19%)

Total No. of Students Catechized (H.S.) 137,629 (50%)

Not Catechized 138,944 (50%)

Total No. of Qualified Catechists (FT/PT) 500

Ratio 1:1818

The survey points to one fact: the lack of professional catechists to teach all of the 909,132 school children and youth in the public schools.

Consider too another side of the problem: currently, a proliferation in the public schools of groups coming from a variety of religious persuasions ready to take advantage of the Constitutional provision to undertake an all out proselytization activity among Catholic children in the public schools which constitutes a program of recruitment for their churches or associations, enlisting our own Catholic brethren too naive and lacking catechetical formation to understand the difference. The situation is rather critical. We in the Archdiocese, clergy and laity together can put our resources in common to face the challenge of responding to the call for more catechists in our public schools.

The just concluded Bishops Conference has issued a pastoral letter entitled: “Religious Instruction in Public Schools, an Opportunity, and a Challenge.” It proposes an answer to meet the nationwide need for more catechists.

Presently, the Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry is compose of some 500 professional qualified catechists. The ministry with its Bishop-in-charge, Priests Chairmen, team of coordinators and formators, its personnel have been and are working hard to ensure our public school children and youth that, only catechists with basic catechetical formation should handle classroom systematic catechetical instruction. While we appreciate the work of volunteer catechists, we have to abide by the methodology proposed by the National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines requiring our catechists to give a “regular, continuous systematic catechesis” for the deepening of our Christian faith.

To avoid any conflicting impression between this pastoral letter and the Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry’s Program, we hereby issue some clarifications taken from a guideline we have already sent out to you last June (cf. attached Addendum for reference). Without prejudice to the recent CBCP Pastoral Letter which is national in scope, its implementation in our archdiocese will be covered by specific guidelines as outlined in the NCDP.

We present to you our situation and ask you to reflect upon what I have said on October 17, 1977 during the above-mentioned Synod of Bishops.

Since, in the eyes of the world, the profession of catechists is not as exalted as it should be, let us concentrate on finding ways to change this image so that those who have the charism to teaching will not be prompted to shift to another apostolate (Reflection from the Final Document no. 5).

In conclusion let us ask the prayer of our Blessed Mother as she presided on that first Pentecost Sunday as evangelization began under the action of the Holy Spirit.

May she shine like a star as the evangelizing action which the Church, in obedience to her Lord’s will, must constantly undertake anew and carry through, especially in these times which are so difficult yet so full of hope (Evangelii Nuntiandi, no. 82).

(Sgd.) + JAIME L. CARDINAL SIN, D.D.

Archbishop of Manila

August 10, 1987

ADDENDUM

1) Mobilization of properly screened or auxiliary catechists,

(cf. Excerpts from NCDP, p. 157, no. 2a & b, as follows):

“Volunteer catechists” refers to those who in one form or another help in the catechetical ministry. Two general groups of volunteer catechists are:

a) student volunteer catechist (SVC) who generally help in public schools and Sunday schools, in practising prayers, songs, preparing chapel/classroom for liturgies, aiding in memorization, organizing youth activities, etc.; and

b) lay men and women — fathers, mothers, professionals, retired teachers, senior citizens, members of CWL, Legion of Mary, Cursillo, Focolare, and other similar parish mandated organizations, who are often called to run parish pre-sacramental (Baptism, Eucharist, Penance, Marriage) catechesis, adult catechesis, Bible study seminars, Family Life catechesis, etc. and who assist in funding, in organizing follow-ups and support projects and the like.”

(Cf. Excerpts from Archdiocesan Catechetical Office’s Statements of Policies, p. 4, no. VIII, 1.a. — 1.d. as follows):

1. a. Volunteer workers; if such are still engaged in classroom catechesis, are expected to use the same program of instruction and to contribute to the corresponding sacramental program for the children they teach.

1. b. They should be properly supervised by a moderator other than the district coordinator and/or by whoever engaged their services.

1. c. Volunteer workers will continue to render their service until such a time when there will be a sufficient number of trained and fully qualified catechists to handle systematic catechesis in the public schools.

1. d. When the time comes that catechesis in classrooms can be handled solely by fully qualified catechists, volunteer workers will then fulfill the role of catechetical support groups performing non-classroom catechetical tasks as are recommended by the NCDP, p. 157.

N.B. Auxiliary catechists, however, should not be allowed to handle Grade III pupils to prepare them for the initial reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. ONLY PROFESSIONAL CATECHISTS should handle them.

2) Pooling or the sharing of catechist resources. (Cf. Minutes of the Executive Board Meeting dated Nov. 25, 1986).

3) Tap parochial schools and private Catholic schools to allow the religion teachers to teach religion in the public schools within the parish concerned.