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SAN FRANCISCO — Catholic youth have a new tool they can use to help explain their faith. A group of European bishops released YouCat — short for “Youth Catechism” — a local catechism published primarily for youth. Unlike previous catechisms, this one has a unique delivery system and a television program based around it.
Whereas previous catechisms have had to rely on bookstores to move them, YouCat will benefit from World Youth Day in Madrid. Organizers will include a copy of YouCat in each backpack received by the WYD pilgrims.
At this point, more than 440,000 young people are preregistered to attend the Aug. 16-21 event.
“YouCat combines sound catechesis and faith formation, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, with a youthful, dynamic and graphically appealing presentation,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez wrote in a letter to his brother bishops about the catechism. “I hope that this book and related resources will become tools to assist you and your pastoral collaborators in promoting the New Evangelization and a deepened catechesis among young people.”
It takes as its model the Catechism of Trent from 1566. Especially designed for young people, YouCat seeks to make the faith accessible by offering a contemporary explanation of the faith through questions and answers, along with illustrations and images, quotations from Scripture, the saints, and great teachers of the Church.
“What distinguishes YouCat is its being based directly on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, its international scope, its dynamic contemporary use of graphics and adapted language, and its direct support by so many in the hierarchy of the Church, not least of all Pope Benedict,” said Mark Brumley, president of Ignatius Press.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna, described the catechism as “near and dear” to Pope Benedict XVI’s heart. In fact, Pope Benedict wrote a foreword to it.
In it, Pope Benedict asks youth to “study the catechism with passion and perseverance.”
“Sacrifice your time for it! Study it in the silence of your room; read it with friends; form study groups and networks; exchange ideas on the Internet,” the Pope wrote. “You need divine help, so your faith does not dry up like a drop of dew in the sun, so you do not succumb to the temptations of consumerism, so your love is not drowned in pornography, so you do not betray the weak, the victims of abuse and violence.”
The creation of YouCat was overseen by Cardinal Schönborn, who served as the editor of the 1992 universal Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Cardinal Schönborn said in a presentation on April 13 that the idea for YouCat came to him following a 2006 presentation on the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
“It must be possible, after all, in a globalized world to give expression to the faith, too, in a common language,” said Cardinal Schönborn. “YouCat is one such attempt.”
YouCat was given the imprimatur by the bishops of Austria in March 2010 and received support from the Austrian, German and Swiss bishops’ conferences.
Ignatius Press is the primary English-language publisher of YouCat. The San Francisco publisher is collaborating with the Catholic Truth Society in the United Kingdom, the Paulines in Africa, Freedom Publishing in Australia, and Asian Trading Corp. in Asia to create editions in a total of 13 different languages.
Controversy?
Earlier this year, YouCat garnered some controversy. In April, Catholic News Agency reported that Question 420 of the Italian edition stated that a Christian couple could have recourse to contraceptive methods. Publishers suggested that it was a problem with the Italian translation and was never a part of the English translation.
“The English translation does not, of course, endorse contraception, but clearly affirms the Church’s teaching that contraception is evil,” said Brumley. “It is my understanding that the Italian text is being fixed.”
At that time, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said that he had not yet seen the text of YouCat. A Vatican source who spoke with Catholic News Agency (CNA) anonymously speculated that the problem was not with the Italian, but the original German text, a fact that was later confirmed by CNA.
Getting It to Youth
Prior to YouCat’s distribution at World Youth Day, the catechism is being used at all of Franciscan University of Steubenville’s summer conferences, reaching some 40,000 youth and adults. Retreat leaders receive a copy of the catechism and are being trained in using it with conference pilgrims.
“Many youth ministers are starting to incorporate YouCat into their Sunday night teachings,” said Rob Montepare, outreach coordinator for the Catholic publicity firm Maximus.
Brumley envisions it being used in youth ministry, parish catechetical ministry, young adult and college ministry and for family-life ministries.
“I can see ‘on fire’ Catholic young people using it to evangelize others, including some adults,” said Brumley.
In addition to WYD and Franciscan University summer conferences, the catechism is also being used as the basis for a Catholic game show for youth by Boston’s CatholicTV. The Jeopardy-style television show has already been taped and is set to air this fall.
There have been a fair number of catechetical series aimed at youth, so why is there a need to create a new catechism?
“Something like YouCat takes the universal and unchanging truths of the Church and delivers it to an always-changing audience,” said Ron Bolster, director of the Office of Catechetics at Franciscan University. “Today’s audience is very different from yesterday’s, and the audience in the U.S. is different from the audience in Africa, Europe or China.
“YouCat is certainly adapted to the modern age, meeting the needs of the current culture with the questions that many young people have.”
Register senior writer Tim Drake writes from St. Joseph, Minnesota.
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Since the 1992 Catechism had an erroneous statement on homosexuality that caused much confusion before it was corrected, I am wondering if the YOUCAT has the complete Catechism statement in regards to those men and women who suffer from a disordered homosexual inclination.
Regarding the “controversy” mentioned above, one has to wonder if these are seriously proof read before sent to final printing! Imagine the confusion that caused when it reached the youth and catechists! Someone somewhere will always have a copy of this.
The Catholic Church in America should take a page out of the European book. And, reach Catholic youth [and adults] through Television. A 24-hour coast-to-coast TV channel based on the Broadcast model. But, with a Christian viewpoint through and through.
This book should be mandatory learning for all 4 years of high school at all Catholic schools across the country, along with training in basic metaphysics and philosophy. A little logic wouldn’t hurt either. We have dumbed it all down to math and science now as if we can measure and quantify everything.
I hope that everyone who reads this will help us get the YouCat corrected on biblical inerrancy. May the LORD be with you! In Christ, Pete Holter
In XXIth century, one Catechism for Youth must be in the Net, in the web of Vatican, and for free for everyone : http://es.gloria.tv/?media=171273
If it is true that YOUCAT is “adapted to the modern age, meeting the needs of the current culture with the questions that many young people have”, then one can assume that in regards to the issue of homosexuality and God’s intention for the Sanctity of Marriage and the Family, there is no Truth deficit. I am having a hard time finding out what the YOUCAT states regarding the authentic teaching of The Catholic Church in regards to the issue of homosexuality. Could someone please direct me to the appropriate statement in the YOUCAT? Thank you.
@ Nancy D - I’ve been through various parts of the YOUCAT and I do believe this is covered. Unfortunately, I don’t have a copy with me. I will try and look this up and give you the paragraph numbers to reference. Is there some question as to the authentic and true teaching not being reflected in the YOUCAT here. I though the issue on contraception was more of a translation issue than an attempt to change doctrine. Although there are many who always theories that there are those at high levels in the church trying to do things like this. And there might be, but I would think on a book like this, it wouldn’t be true. Especially given it’s published by Ignatius press in the US, usually very orthodoxed in their books and other selections. ?
I read a portion of question # 65 on homosexuality that ends with this quote: “God often leads souls to himself along unusual paths: a lack, a loss, or a wound—IF ACCEPTED AND AFFIRMED can be a springboard for throwing oneself into the arms of God.” As you can imagine, the entire statement was weak and did not include the fullness of truth regarding The Catholic Church’s teaching on lust, the grave depravity of homosexual acts, the disordered nature of a homosexual inclination, Chastity, and CCC#2359. I wonder why Ignatius Press did not recognize that the YOUCAT statement on homosexuality is not consistent with The Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality?
I just looked up homosexual in the index in the back of the YOUCAT. There were two numbers (don’t have it with me at the office) and I read them both. They both address how this is something against natural law and that the church can never accept this lifestyle. Seems like it’s pretty straight forward and direct to me? What am I missing. I will try and quote the two numbers in the index.
NinoV, I have pages 224-225 of the YOUCAT in front of me and I have no doubt that these pages, along with statement 65 on homosexuality, serve to cause confusion on this issue. The illustration on page 224 is demeaning and the erroneous quote from C.S. Lewis makes it appear that “the sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins”. (see CCC 2357-2359, the Catholic Church’s teaching on Chastity and the grave sin against Chastity, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:13, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hebrews 13:4, Mark 9:38-48…) The question is, why would cardinal Schonborn think the YOUCAT statement on homosexuality is appropriate, especially when one considers the signs of the Time we are living in? A Good shepherd would not present the YOUCAT to his lambs, for he would know that they could be led astray. For this reason, I do not believe Pope Benedict has seen the YOUCAT statement on homosexuality that went to press and is being deceived by some in The Catholic Church hierarchy.
I failed to mention page 150, where question #262 asks, “What is necessary for a Christian, sacramental marriage?”
In the explanation at the bottom of the page the statement reads: “The requirement of unity and indissolubility is directed in the first place against POLYGAMY, which Christianity views as a fundamental offense against charity and human rights…” but fails to mention that unity in marriage requires that the couple be complementary, for only in a complementary relationship of Love, between a mature man and woman, united as husband and wife in a Holy Marriage, can two become ONE body, ONE spirit in Love, creating a new family. For this reason, affirming or condoning any sexual act or sexual relationship that demeans the inherent dignity of the human person is a fundamental offense against charity and human rights.
Okay, I finally have the YOUCAT in front of me. Nancy, here’s what I see on your page 150 comment. First, true, it doesn’t say anything about complementary; however, after you stop quoting the text, it talks all about the marriage must be fruitful. Quoting page 150…The requirment of opennes to fertility means that the Christian married couple are willing to accept any children that God may send them…later it says…A Marriage in which one of these elements isi excluded at teh marriage ceremony is not valid. Here is what I would say. First, so called same sex marriage is NEVER fruitful, so although it doesn’t say complementary, or can only be between a man and a woman, I think that is implied and maybe not relevant. HOWEVER that being said and given the incredible fight we have on our hands to redefine marriage, I understand how you and others may want that spelled out more clearly. On page 224, I agree, the line drawing illustration of people watching TV and the floating comments, are strange, very strange (I am being nice) I don’t like them at all. In a catechism, I would not quote CS Lewis but would be quoting maybe saints and official church documents, so I’m with you there. It’s a strange location and quote. I do think on page 225, Q415, I think the statement that says….the Church declares that all homosexual relations in any form are contrary to the order of creation. That seems pretty clear to me for the tween and teen crowd this is geared to. I have a lot of teens that I know that now think experimenting with the same sex is okay, given what us adults are doing and legalizing. Q65 uses the word complimentary, that you wanted to see on pg 224 and also says homosexual practices cannot be approved by the Church. It talks about giving life to children. I think these spell it out pretty well for me anyway. If you collect Q65 with Q415, it’s pretty clear in this book, that homosexual feelings are not immoral, just like a man having thoughts about another women, then stopping those thoughts and asking for grace would not be immoral, but the act of homosexuality or the act of the man doing something or encouraging the thoughts or moving to action, would be unacceptable. That’s what I see? I agree that it could be tone up, but I still think it’s clear. I don’t like the graphic but I’m 40, not a teen. I will ask the teens I know what they think and see. This might ‘hit’ them harder because they see their friends doing this or see themselves in that image. I’m a marketing and one thing I learned years ago when heavily marketing to the tween girl group, is I can’t make assumptions. Somethign I think is cool is often stupid to them or even offensive and somethign offensive to me or strange, comes off as very real or reflecting their reality well. Just my two cense. I spent a lot of time in focus groups being proved wrong.
The fact that the YOUCAT has a quote from C.S. Lewis that states that the sins of the flesh are bad but they are the least bad of all the sins, makes it clear that the YOUCAT is downplaying the serious nature of the sin against Chastity.
@ Nancy - I cannot disagree with that statement. The CS Lewis almost says, well, the topic on this page is bad, but it’s not that bad. Chastity is a HUGE problem with teens and this current culture. I know parents who I speak with who have no internet filters on their home and say, hey, they just have to figure out what it right and wrong on their own. Or they are dating at the age of 7, IE, they talk about their girlfriends, etc.
The question is, who is responsible for including the quote in the margin, for who ever is responsible is guilty of trying to undermine the teaching of The Church regarding the serious nature of the grave sin against Chastity.
Not to change the subject but I purchased the Youcat a couple of months ago intending to use it for the main text for our parish’s Confirmation program. While reviewing it I cam across a problem with regard to passive euthanasia (# 385). The wording is ambiguous and it almost makes it seem like it is sometimes the charitable thing to do. Here’s the problematic quote: “in so-called passive euthanasia, someone helps another person in(italicized) the dying process and thereby obeys the commandment, “Love your neighbor.”
I contacted the CDF via email (did not hear back) and also Ignatius. I got a pat reply from a representative at Ignatius. I responded again and did not receive any more communications.
No doubt there is a group that is conspiring to make sure these errors remain in the YOUCAT. Pray for our Holy Father, that he has the strength to confront these wolves. It is possible that those you contacted at the CDF and Ignatius did not forward your message.
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