Baltimore Catechism

Baltimore Catechism

A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Prepared and Enjoined by Order of the Third Council of Baltimore (or, simply, the Baltimore Catechism) was the "de facto" standard Catholic school text in the United States from 1885 to the late 1960s.It was the first such catechism written for Catholics in North America, replacing a translation of Bellarmine's "Small Catechism".In response to criticisms, various editions include annotations or other modifications.The Baltimore Catechism remained in use in nearly all Catholic schools until many moved away from catechism-based education, though it is still used up to this day in some.

History

In the nineteenth century, repeated efforts had been made in the United States towards an arrangement by which a uniform textbook of Christian Doctrine might be used by all Catholics. As early as 1829, the bishops assembled in the First Provincial Council of Baltimore, Maryland decreed: "A catechism shall be written which is better adapted to the circumstances of this Province; it shall give the Christian Doctrine as explained in Cardinal Bellarmine's Catechism (1597), and when approved by the Holy See, it shall be published for the common use of Catholics" (Decr. xxxiii). The clause recommending Bellarmine's Catechism as a model was added at the special request of the Congregation of Propaganda. It may be mentioned here that Bellarmine's "Small Catechism," Italian text with English translation, was published at Boston, in 1853.

The wish of the bishops was not carried out, and the First and Second Plenary Councils of Baltimore (1852 and 1866) repeated the decree of 1829. In the Third Plenary Council (1884) many bishops were in favor of a "revised" edition of a 1775 catechism by Irish Archbishop Butler, but finally the matter was given into the hands of a committee of six bishops. At last, in 1885, was issued "A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Prepared and Enjoined by Order of the Third Council of Baltimore." Although the council had desired a catechism "perfect in every respect" (Acta et Decr., p. 219), theologians and teachers criticized several points (Nilles, "Commentaria", II, 265, 188). Soon various editions came forth with additions of word-meanings, explanatory notes, some even with different Arrangements, so that soon there was a considerable diversity in the books that go by the name of Baltimore Catechism. The Baltimore Catechism became the standard text for Catholic education in the United States. Since the 1960s, many Catholic churches and schools have moved away from catechism-based education, but a modernized edition is available under the title of the "New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism" (ISBN 0-89942-242-X).

External links

*gutenberg|no=14551|name=Baltimore Catechism No. 1. An abridged edition for younger students.
*gutenberg|no=14552|name=Baltimore Catechism No. 2. The main edition.
*gutenberg|no=14553|name=Baltimore Catechism No. 3. An expanded edition for older students.
*gutenberg|no=14554|name=Baltimore Catechism No. 4. An annotated edition for teachers.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Baltimore Catechism —  Балтиморский катехизис …   Вестминстерский словарь теологических терминов

  • Catechism — A catechism (pronEng|ˈkætəkɪzəm; gr. κατηχισμός) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present. [ [http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=2727… …   Wikipedia

  • catechism — catechismal, adj. /kat i kiz euhm/, n. 1. Eccles. a. an elementary book containing a summary of the principles of the Christian religion, esp. as maintained by a particular church, in the form of questions and answers. b. the contents of such a… …   Universalium

  • catechism —    A catechism is a book or manual that summarizes the teachings of the Church for the purpose of catechesis andformation in the Christian faith. Some catechisms, such as the Baltimore Catechism, which was first published in 1891, use the format… …   Glossary of theological terms

  • Plenary Councils of Baltimore — The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1884) The Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three national meetings of Roman Catholic bishops in the 19th century in Baltimore, Maryland. During the early history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United …   Wikipedia

  • Plenary Councils of Baltimore —     Plenary Councils of Baltimore     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Plenary Councils of Baltimore     While the ecclesiastical province of Baltimore comprised the whole territory of the American Republic, the provincial councils held in that city… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Catholic Church — This article is about the church in communion with the See of Rome. For other uses, see Catholic Church (disambiguation). Roman Christianity redirects here. For other uses, see Roman Christianity (disambiguation). Part of a series on the Catholic …   Wikipedia

  • Meaning of life — This article is about the philosophical concept. For other uses, see Meaning of life (disambiguation). Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? One of Post Impressionist Paul Gauguin s most famous paintings. The meaning of life… …   Wikipedia

  • Timeline of Christianity — This article is about the timeline of Christianity beginning with Jesus. For the timeline, see Biblical chronology. For the history of Christianity, see History of Christianity. For the timeline of the Roman Catholic Church, see Timeline of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Sacramentals — A Roman Catholic sacramental: Fivefold Scapular with Scapular of the Passion showing a tiny crucifix attached Sacramentals are material objects, things or actions (sacramentalia) set apart or blessed by the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”