Encyclical on the Catechism of the Youth (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

 

My beloved brethren,

By decision of the Sacred Synod, the Catechism for male and female students begins again this year, which is a serious work of the Church, by which young people are introduced to the blessed institution of the Church.

Normally, Catechism precedes the mystery of Baptism, because first one gets to know the life of the Church and then enters it.

Since, however, with the passage of time, infant baptism was introduced into the Church, that is, a person is baptized a short time after their birth, while they are still an infant, for this reason the Catechetical Schools began to function from a long time ago, for those who were preparing to be baptized who were of mature age, and for the illumined, that is, for those who had been baptized.

Saint Nektarios as a Teacher of the Youth

Saint Nektarios, the Bishop of Pentapolis and Wonderworker, remains today a far-shining lighthouse and illuminates us with his many virtues, important writings and innumerable miracles.

Among other things, however, he was an excellent Educator and Teacher of the youth, whom he considered the golden hope of the Church and the Nation, as the "foundation of tomorrow". He describes adolescence as important and hurried. "Important indeed is the great mission for which it is allotted, hurried in its short duration, during which it must accomplish many and great things," as he notes in his discourse titled "On the Call of Teenagers in Society" delivered to the High School students of Lamia.

Sick Catechists: A Concern In Catechism

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

In the recent gathering of Hierarchs of the Church of Greece (02/21/2013), His Eminence Metropolitan Paul of Sisanion and Siatista suggested the theme "Concerns In Catechism" with knowledge and arguments, in a lovely and nice way.

Catechism is an important work of the Church that takes place prior to Baptism as well as after. It is an initiation into the life of the Church and pursues the development of the spiritual life, so that a person reaches "unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13), ie deification. The work of Catechism deals with all ages, young and old, men and women, the wise and the illiterate. Essentially Catechism is the pastoring of the Church.