The
Baltimore Catechism was the
text from which many
generations of
American Catholics learned the basic
tenets of their
faith. The
Baltimore Catechism was first introduced in
1885 under the formal title
A Catechism of Christian Doctrine by the
Third Council of Baltimore. Designed as a simple
primer for the
young and not fully
literate, the "no. 2" edition became the
textbook for many a
Bob and
Mary trapped under the watchful
eye of
Sister.
Last formally revised in
1969, the Catechism is divided by
part and
chapter. Part one "The
Creed", deals with
doctrine and
dogma. Part two "The
Commandments", explores the theory and application of the
Ten Commandments. The final section, "The
Sacraments and
Prayer", concerns itself with the
liturgy of the
Church as well as Catholic devotion. Numerous chapters explore each one of these main divisions in detail.
Many
concepts within the Catechism are presented in such a way as to impress the severity of an
act into a
ten to
twelve year old
mind permanently. To reinforce the effects of
sin and the refusal to obey the
Ten Commandments, a
forked
road is illustrated. One fork leads to the
gates of Heaven, the other, labeled "
HELL", leads to a
fire. In further reinforcement, examples of what to do and what not to do are offered. Admittedly, the
occasions of sin illustrated do not match up with
modern expectations. For example, a young boy wonders whether or not he should
smoke his father's
cigarettes. He decides not so, since he was told by his father that "he is too young".
Where the Catechism is flawless is in its
precise yet understandable explanation of dogma. By illustrating a
sign in the form of a
billboard, the Catechism demonstrates a
sacrament to be something that makes visible what is not visible at the moment, the
grace of
Christ working within a
soul. In this way even those who have fallen away from the
Church but have been educated under the Catechism still know some of the basics of
Catholicism. The use of everyday images tends to
solder fundamentals into the mind.
Recent
religious education texts have deliberately tried to get away from the
intimidating aspects of the Baltimore Catechism. Yet there are some who still yearn for the more positive and explanatory elements of the Catechism. These advocates argue that modern religious texts do not give
succinct explanations of belief, relying instead on
paraphrases calculated to be the least offensive for most people. One thing is for certain: those who were raised under this text will never forget Who made them.
Second line in the Catechism:
God made us.