An Old Catechism of Christian Doctrine

An Old Catechism of Christian Doctrine January 23, 2012

An elderly parishioner gave me this 1918 catechism which she found forty-nine years ago at her parent’s house.  I am grateful she entrusted it to me!  Though printed in 1918 by the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, its copyright is from 1911.

The front cover reveals that this catechism is in conformity with the encyclical of Pope Pius X.  What does this mean?  In 1910, just one year before this catechism was published, Pope Pius X issued the decree Quam Singulari where he recognized the age of reason was achieved by age seven, therefore he reasoned, children ought to make their first communion at that age.  In 1910, the age first communion was received usually ranged from ten to fourteen.  Pius X decreed that,  “Holy Communion is required [at] the age when one can distinguish between the Bread of the Holy Eucharist and ordinary bread.”  The requirement therefore for a child to make his or her first communion is that the child recognize the Eucharist is not mere bread, but Jesus Christ truly present.

Pope Piux X wished to make the Eucharist more accessible to the faithful.  Not only did he allow children to receive the Eucharist at age seven, but he encouraged its daily reception at a time when most Catholics received communion a handful of times each year.

This catechism is very interesting because it’s designed to prepare young children for their first communion at a time when this was something new in the Church.  A notice on the first page states this catechism is meant to be memorized by the children since most of them will be too young to read it.  Teachers are encouraged to drill the students with the catechism’s questions and told the answers to the questions are so simple and self-explanatory that they require little explanation from the teacher.

To get a feel for the format of the catechism, here are two lessons.

Lesson First
God

1. Who made you?
God made me.

2. Who is God?
God is the Creator of heaven and earth and of all things.

3. Had God a beginning?
No, God always was and always will be.

4. Where is God?
God is everywhere.

5. Is there but one God?
Yes; there is but one God.

6. How many persons are there in God?
In God there are three Divine persons.

7. Who are the three Divine persons?
The three divine persons are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

8. What do we call the three persons in one God?
We call the three persons in one God the Blessed Trinity.

Lesson Eighth
Grace and the Sacraments

1. What is grace?
Grace is a gift of God that helps us to good.

2. What must we do to receive grace?
To receive grace we must pray and receive the sacraments.

3. What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.

4. How many sacraments are there?
There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders and Matrimony.

5. Do the sacraments always give grace?
The sacraments always give grace if we receive them properly.

On my next post, I will comment on this method of teaching the faith.  Some long for its return, but I have some doubts this method would be effective today. (click here to read the promised next post)

Pictures are mine, all rights reserved.


Browse Our Archives