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Religion Texts Revised
C. Thoma, E. Pariente,
The Austrian Memorandum
The summer of 1967 the Council of Jewish-Christian Coordination (christlich-jiidische Koordinierungsausschuss) of Austria submitted a Memorandum to the archbishop of Vienna. It emphasized that a legitimate presentation of Judaism forms an integral part of Christian catechetics. Independent of past catastrophies wrought by antisemitisrn, Christians should try to obtain an exact understanding of Judaism. Since antisemites most often make use of so-called religious arguments, the Koordinierungsausschuss took upon itself to furnish principles and practical proposals for the revision of religious textbooks concerning the presentation of Judaism. [Referring to the Memorandum on receiving a delegation of the American Jewish Committee in October 1967, Cardinal Koenig expressed the desire that such a program would try to promote the practical side of Christian-Jewish understanding and the furthering of peace and justice for all, by stressing the common heritage of Jews and Christians and through intensive information on the problems and values of modern Judaism (cf. Allgemeine, Oct. 10, 1967).]
The Memorandum is divided into four principal topics: 1) The unabolished covenant; 2) The Christian contradiction; 3) Practical indications for catechetics; 4) A position taken with regard to religion texts diffused throughout Austria.
This study was met with an overwhelming response in the German-language countries. It was published under the title "The presentation of Judaism in catechetics" in Christlich-padagogische Bliitter (Wien, 81, 1968, pp. 33-45) as well as in Christlich-jiidisches Forum (Basel, Juni 1968, pp. 49-64). English and Dutch translations are in preparation.
Following numerous requests, the Koordinierungsausschuss has commissioned the author of the report to rework the Memorandum and broaden its scope to serve as supplement to the official religious textbooks. This supplement could and should be consulted by catechists, preachers and committed Christians, aware of today's pressing need to 'include in catechetics lessons on Judaism which has been neglected until now. The book, to comprise about 100 pages, will be printed this year under the title Judentum and christliche Katechese * by Klosterneuburger and Stuttgarter Bibleverlag. We hope that it will be an effective contribution to Jewish-Christian understanding.
C. THOMA
Revision of Italian texts. In the diocese of Como there is an obvious attempt to put into practice the spirit of Nostra Aetate. The editor of the history textbook, Il Girasole, agreed to suppress or modify all the parts that a Jewish child could not learn without contradicting his faith. This has permitted Milan's Jewish community to adopt the book in its elementary classes. Last year the catechetics office of the Como diocese published an excellent little catechism, Figli di Dio by Gaetano Gatti. The lesson "Jesus is the Lamb of God" is particularly good in its presentation of the Passion, insisting on the fact that He died for all men and because He wished it. "Jesus lets Himself be taken.... He is truly the Lamb of God who is going to die in order to take away the sins of the world". Page 256 is pedagogically valuable for its emphasis on the interior attitudes of Jesus — rather than on the wickedness of His enemies, Judas' betrayal, the crowning with thorns — since children in the emotion of the moment risk losing the deep meaning of the drama. However, on other pages of this catechism there are still certain pre-conciliar cliches, such as, "Before Jesus came into the world, it was difficult to find men who truly loved one another" (p. 151). But the author, when told about these, has willingly agreed to correct them in the next edition.
In several other regions the spirit is less open. Three religious textbooks for 8 to 12-years-olds, Credere in Cristo by A. Dossin and M. Volta, Vivere in Cristo and Seguire Cristo by A. Dossin and M.R. Battistela, leave a great deal to be desired. Particularly in the last volume the term "Jew" is always used in a negative sense, revealing an insufficient knowledge of the Bible and complete ignorance of Judaism. On page 21 it speaks of "the hatred of the Jews", on page 29 of the passage "from the Law of fear to the Law of love". A great number of similar texts (pp. 37-41, etc.) all reveal a pre-conciliar style.
E. PARIENTE
The New French Catechism.In October 1966 the text of the national catechism was approved by the plenary assembly of French bishops, and it has been in use since the beginning of the 1968 school-year. Intended for 8 to 10-year-olds, it is the basic catechism to which all teachers must conform, although they are free to fit it to the children's environment, their learning possibilities and the concrete circumstances of their lives. The teacher should show, by giving a better knowledge of the Bible, that Revelation sets up a dialogue between God and man within the framework of the Covenant. The continuity of divine interventions from creation to the parousia shapes salvation history, expressing God's design for humanity.
Concerning Jewish-Christian relations, Bishop Ferrand, president of the episcopal commission on religious teaching, writes in an article on the new catechism: "In adopting the Fonds obligatoire, the episcopate wanted a basic catechism which takes into account the major orientations of the Council... In its development the text ought to be penetrated with this spirit. To take an example from Nostra Aetate, there is a way to present the covenant in Jesus Christ and the story of the Passion which respects completely the faith of our Jewish brother and will not offend his legitimate feelings, and which will allow French children, Jewish and Christian, seated on the same school bench, to love one another". (Catechese, no. 29, p. 395).
The story of the Passion remains difficult for the children to understand. The Fonds obligatoire says, "It is necessary to give weight to all the events of the Passion, for children need precise facts, but presented from the inside by explaining Jesus' words and His interior attitudes". In helping children become conscious of their own experience of refusing God's call, they will be initiated little by little into that solidarity in sin of men of all times, to the universal sense of the Passion and the Resurrection, and in consequence, to our union with Jesus Christ, conqueror of sin and death.
It is interesting to note the Fonds obligatoire's attention to have the child discover the universal action of the Spirit of unity. This should correct the childish tendency to be exclusive, making him discover that the Spirit acts in everyone, Christian and non-Christian, and that each one in his way can respond to God.
The references to conciliar documents are numerous. Referring to Lumen Gentium (no. 16), the text reads: "Catechists will often teach children who have non-Christian friends, particularly Jewish and Moslem. It would be good on these occasions to teach the children to think of their playmates as near to them in God. One could say, for example, particularly if it is a question of Jewish children, that they know, as we do, that the Bible is the Book of God's Word; that it is through their people that this Book came to us; that they know, as we do, that God made us in His image and that He loves all men; that they know that God speaks to us, particularly through the prophets; that they know Abraham whom God called.... If it is a question of Jewish children, one should be very attentive to correct the false judgements that they might hear concerning their people, especially about the responsibility of the Jews for the death of Jesus....".
These last lines mark an important step inFrench catechetical teaching. By approving the Fonds obligatoire, the episcopal commission gave it an official and decisive character within Jewish-Christian relations.
The Canadian Catechism.After publication of the June 1967 issue of Sidic which dealt with catechetics, we received the fourth text in the series "Catechisme Canadien" (d. Sidic No. 2, June 1967, p. 16). This latest text introduces the 9 to 10-year-olds into the Old Testament 'background of the Gospels in a very appealing way. The objective of Nous avons vu le Seigneur is to discover Christ in the New Testament. Eye-witnesses serve as guides in this encounter and discovery of Jesus. They are John the Baptist, the people of Galilee, Mary, the poor of Yahveh, etc.
The 'authors have made every effort to help the pupils become aware of the geographical, social, cultural, religious, and economic milieu in which Jesus, the apostles, the disciples, the first Christians lived and in which the Israelis live today. (Cf. pupil's text, pp. 17, 22 — Dead Sea documents, 23 — Msgr. Hakim's letter, 27, 30, 41, etc.). It was at this age level that the authors also thought it best to initiate the children into the role played in salvation history by our ancestors in the faith: Abraham, Moses, David.
The teacher's guidebook develops many biblical and historical points to assist the catechists. However, the notes to accompany Lesson 8 (guide du maitre, p. 281) could be improved by a slight addition. The attitude of the Jews quoted on page 92 of the pupil's text could be commented upon. Since this quotation is taken from St. John's Gospel which stresses the incredulity of "the Jews", an explanatory note could bring out the transcendent idea of God held by the Jews, an idea which made their acceptance of the incarnate God more difficult.
It is hoped that other modern series of catechisms will follow the sound biblical presentation of the "Catechisme Canadien".
