In mid-February the bishops will distribute, in religious bookstores nationwide, a 64-page document entitled “To Go to the Heart of the Faith — Questions on the Future of Catechesis.”
A note from the bishops’ conference explains that the initiative hopes to overcome the perception that catechesis is simply “catechism for children between 8 and 12.”
On the contrary, the document “invites Christian communities to put Christian initiation again at the center of catechesis and to be aware that there is a need for catechetical formation at all ages.”
In order to encourage reflection, the National Center for Religious Teaching is promoting a series of seven forums in as many French cities, involving the diocesan catechetical service teams.
The Higher Institute for Catechesis has convoked an international colloquium in Paris from Feb. 12-15, on “Catechesis in a World in Full Transformation,” in which 500 experts will participate.