How to teach R.E.
This document entitled Sur la manière d’enseigner le catèchisme is to be
found in the Archives admidst the documents on the early Chapters.
Translators note
R.E. translates the French word catèchisme unless it is obvious that it indicates
catechism.
“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the
Kingdom of God belongs……then he put his arms around them,laid his hands on them
and gave them his blessing” Mark 10,14-16.
Without a shadow of doubt RE is the central core of our teaching: there is nothing which
contributes more to the salvation of man, nothing more necessary nor sublime. Our
religion in rooted in and nourished by it. Men such as Augustine, Chrysostom and Cyril
and, in our own days, Fénélon, worked with zeal and dedication in the instruction of
children; all convinced that there was no more useful and glorious use for their talents. “I
am” as the Apostle said “
We lived unassumingly among you. Like a mother feeding and looking after her children. (1 Thess
2.8)
Our Divine Master himself made this course of action the principal object of his ministry.
A real teacher will thus regard the Religion which he is to teach as the noblest of his
obligations, because it ties him to the very author of the Divine Doctrine and to an infinity
of Saints and prominent men who, walking in the footsteps of the Saviour God, have made
a glorious task of the evangelisation of young people. Imbued with those sentiments which
Religion inspires, he will make a deep study of the maxims and moral teachings of Jesus
Christ, so that with his own life filled by these teachings he can pass on his knowledge to
the children whom the Lord has entrusted to his care. Firstly he should, as instructed by
our Holy Rule, completely learn and deeply study the text of the Diocesan Catechism so
that he can explain it with ease and facility. Then he should have recourse to greater and
wider sources, provided that they are known and approved by ecclesiastical superiors: for
example the Explanation of the Catechism of Malines, by Mr Huleu, the Explanation of the
Catechism by Couturier, etc. These two authors contain everything a teacher needs; too
great a variety leads to confusion in subject matter and in ideas. To explain the
“catéchisme raisonné” the teacher could consult Frayssinous’ conferences and Feller’s
Philosophical Catechism. Butler’s Lives of the Saints and his treatise on moveable Feasts
will give all the explanations necessary about the Feasts of the Year.
He should remember that he cannot speak too clearly. No thought or expression should be
given out at random; everything should be geared to the strengths of the pupils, or rather
their weaknesses. Only a few things should be said, and they should be said in clear terms
and frequently repeated: definitions should be precise and short and always given in the
same terms; finally all truths should be made attainable by examples, pictures and familiar
comparisons.
In RE lessons everything about the teacher should be expressive: his manner, his
expression, his tone of voice: in fact everything about him should indicate to his pupils the
importance of what is being undertaken and how greatly it is worthy of their attention.
The teacher will repeat each lesson, entire or in parts, to each pupil to make sure that they
know it by heart. But since repeating words without understanding the meaning does not
constitute belief, the teacher will explain, as we have already indicated, anything which
merits further development. Finally he will select various stories which the pupils can enjoy
and will tell them: but, as St Augustine says, tell in such a way that the listeners believe by
listening, hopes in believing, and loves in hoping.
A necessary condition for the use of these historical sources is to use them with
discernment and not to allow any facts which are not completely certain. It could, perhaps,
be allowed that anything is good for children; but they will become adults and any first
impression founded on unlikely or uncertain stories will make them too credulous or will
make them mistrust what they have learnt in their youth. The catechism is the word of
God; nothing should be associated with it which would not stand up to scrutiny by the most
expert of people or which would not be worthy of the majesty of Religion. I will point out
here some works which the catechist could use in all confidence as a source of his stories:
Shomond’s History of Religion and his History of the Church; Butler’s Lives of the Saints:
Christian Doctrine Illustrated by 400 Examples; Edifying Stories by Baudrant, by Collet and
by Father Reyre; and Edifying Insights into Ecclesiastical History, Lille 1833.
Towards the end of the RE lesson the teacher will go over once more the main
explanations which he has given, will make several pupils repeat them and will even
instruct them to write them out. He will end the lesson by indicating a few practical ways of
putting the lesson into effect.
To ensure the pupils’ attention the catechist must give his instruction in an interesting
manner; should speak in a firm but moderate manner; act with a certain gravity tempered
by gentleness; should not seem surprised nor hurt if a pupil answers badly; Above all he
should make them feel that the doctrine he is teaching them is necessary to their eternal
happiness as it is God’s only Son who gave it to us.
The teacher will be at pains, therefore, more than at any other time, to forestall any faults
which the pupils might commit so that he has no need to issue any punishments.
The teacher will say nothing in RE which he has not read in approved books of which he
himself is absolutely certain; he will avoid making the pupils see as sin that which is not, as
an article of faith that which is not. He will not easily decide whether anything is a mortal or
venial sin; rather he will say, “that causes great offence to God”, “that is a sin to be feared”,
“that is a sin which has serious consequences” etc. as he judges fit. Although he must
never let it be believed that sins are more serious than they are, he should at the same
time avoid the more serious error of making them seem small and of no consequence. An
offence against God can be small, but nothing concerning God is of no consequence.