The Dutch Catechism of 1966, the first post-Vatican II Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 catechism

Catechism

A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...

, reflects the Magisterium

Magisterium

In the Catholic Church the Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church. This authority is understood to be embodied in the episcopacy, which is the aggregation of the current bishops of the Church in union with the Pope, led by the Bishop of Rome , who has authority over the bishops,...

 of the Dutch bishops. It was commissioned and authorized by the Catholic hierarchy of the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

.

Summary

The Dutch Catechism was intended by the Bishops of the Netherlands “to make the message of Jesus Christ sound as new as it is”. It also intended to carry an ecumenical message; its forward states "Denominational differences, which shall not be blurred or ignored in this book, need not to be barriers. We hope that they may lead to discussions, where the human existence we share will receive further elucidation."

The catechism has five parts and one supplement. The first part reviews the mystery of existence. The second part discusses other religions, including Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

, Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

, Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

, Humanism

Humanism

Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....

 and Marxism

Marxism

Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...

, and the Spirit of God in the World. A special section describes the way of Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 in terms of God’s works, and Holy Scripture. The third part focuses on Christ. The way of Christ is subject of the fourth part. The final part focuses on the end of man, and his fulfillment in meeting God.

Bestseller

Since 1967, it was translated into numerous languages and sold millions of copies in different editions. In 1967 Time Magazine reported: "The Dutch catechism has become one of the year's religious bestsellers. Herder & Herder, publisher of the American edition, reports that its first printing of 75,000 copies was sold out in three weeks. [...] In The Netherlands, where the catechism has sold more than 400,000 copies so far, its publishers report that ten new translations will go to press in 1968."

In the years following its issue, the Dutch Catechism was the only comprehensive book of its kind within the Church.

Controversies

Time Magazine described the Catechism as, “a lively, undogmatic compendium of doctrine that reflects the most recent radical insights of theologians and scripture scholars”.

Imprimatur

Bishop Robert F. Joyce of Burlington, Vt., withdrew his imprimatur (permission to publish) from the American edition, and Holland's Bernard Jan Cardinal Alfrink complained that the book was going to press with an unauthorized use of his original imprimatur. Los Angeles' James Francis Cardinal Mclntyre banned it from the church-run bookstore in his archdiocese. The stores operated by Boston's Daughters of St. Paul also refused to display it.

Accuracy

In the Vatican, basic questions were raised regarding the accuracy of some statements in the text. At the request of Pope Paul VI, a high ranking commission of a wide variety of Cardinals, including Charles Journet

Charles Journet

Charles Journet was a Swiss Catholic theologian and cardinal.Born in Geneva, Charles Journet studied at the seminary in Fribourg before being ordained to the priesthood on July 15, 1917. He then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Fribourg until 1924, and there taught at the seminary from 1924 to...

, Joseph Frings, Joseph-Charles Lefèbvre

Joseph-Charles Lefèbvre

Joseph-Charles Lefèbvre was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Bourges from 1943 to 1969, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1960....

, Ermenegildo Florit

Ermenegildo Florit

Ermenegildo Florit was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Florence from 1962 to 1977, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965.-Biography:...

, Michael Browne, and Lorenz Jäger, under the coordination of the respected moral theologian Pietro Palazzini

Pietro Palazzini

Pietro Palazzini was an Italian Cardinal who helped to save Jews in World War II.Born in Piobbico, near Pesaro, he was ordained a priest on December 6, 1934 and was made a Cardinal in 1973....

, convened to offer different interpretations on several points. Issues examined were the Catechism's presentation of Holy Mass as a continuation of the sacrifice of the cross, the infallibility

Infallibility

Infallibility, from Latin origin , is a term with a variety of meanings related to knowing truth with certainty.-In common speech:...

 of the Church, the nature of the Eucharist

Eucharist

The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...

, original sin

Sin

In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...

, and various other points of moral and dogmatic theology

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

. As a response to the Vatican commission, the Dutch bishops added the fifty page report as an appendix to the Catechism.

Birth control

Birth control

Birth control

Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...

 was a minor issue in the Dutch Catechism until the issuance of Humanae Vitae

Humanae Vitae

Humanae Vitae is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and issued on 25 July 1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and the continuing proscription of most forms of birth...

 (HV) by Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI

Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...

 some three years later. The Bishops of the Netherlands asked couples with questions to consult with doctors and priests, but ultimately to rely on their conscience

Conscience

Conscience is an aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong. Moral judgement may derive from values or norms...

. After HV, this position of the Dutch Magisterium was hotly debated in the Church:

• Are all methods of regulation birth of equal value to the Christian conscience? The council gave no answer to this question.

The Dutch Magisterium refused to alter this and other texts, despite requests from Pope Paul VI. John Paul II convened a special synod in 1979, to deal with problems the Church faced in the Netherlands on a number of issues. Yet the bishops did not make changes in the authorized edition of their Catechism.

Evaluation

The Cardinals did conclude their report on the Dutch Catechism with a positive note: Through the preceding comments are not negligible, either in number or seriousness, they nonetheless leave by far the greatest part of the New Catechism untouched. So too, they support the praiseworthy intention of the authors.

The document of the Magisterium if the Dutch bishops was unique in its scope until 1992, when the Vatican published its own comprehensive Catechism, a scholarly work, which, however, was primarily addressed to religious and scholars. It invited national bishop conferences to issue their own Catechisms for the faithful. "This catechism is given to them that it may be a sure and authentic reference text for teaching catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms". Thus, the issuance of local catechisms, such as the Dutch Catechism, was confirmed, although Dutch views on particular theological issues remain controversial within the Church.

Main Quotes

• The heart of the book is the message of Easter. If the news of Jesus’ resurrection were removed, not one page of the book would have any value.
• Until very recently, the Bible was regarded too much as a scientific manual and not enough as a story written to throw God’s light on the existing world.
• Openness to the (ecumenical) movement comes through prayer, through constant reform and renewal, through studying the sources of faith and each others traditions, through readiness to abandon our well loved forms, through honest and patient dialogue, …and this openness brings with it the tranquility and joy, which is of the good Spirit.
• As everyone can ascertain nowadays, there are several methods of regulating births. The Second Vatican Council did not speak of any of these concrete methods… This is a different standpoint than that taken under Pius XI some thirty years which was also maintained by his successor... we can sense here a clear development in the Church, a development, which is also going on outside the Church.

Source

• A New Catechism, Authorized Edition of the Dutch Catechism with Supplement, Crossroad, New York,1988