I have been invited to give a talk by the Catholic Citizens of Illinois at their monthly Forum Luncheon on June 14, 2019. The event is held at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, and begins at 11:45 am. Tickets are $40; the Club requires business attire. To register, call Maureen at 708-352-5834 or use this link.
My topic will be “Of What Use Is a Changing Catechism?” After the 16th-century Council of Trent, Pope St. Pius V promulgated the first official catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1992, Pope John Paul II promulgated a new Catechism of the Catholic Church, a courageous move in the midst of postconciliar chaos. Yet time has exposed how this Catechism, like the new Missal and the new Lectionary, suffers from notable omissions and anomalies, which might prompt one to ask whether it can serve as a complete guide to what Catholics believe or ought to believe. The question becomes all the more urgent as Pope Francis makes changes to the Catechism that are difficult if not impossible to reconcile with Catholic tradition. Can a catechism serve its function if it is subject to perpetual revision according to the reigning pontiff's personal opinions? If a catechism isolates itself in contradiction to hundreds of earlier catechisms, has it any value?
