A History of the Catechumenate

A History of the Catechumenate
In Rome ca. 150

It was around the year 180 that what we have come to call the "catechumenate" was born. ⁸ In reality, it was less an institution than a way of doing things, a usage that spread rather rapidly and was subsequently recognized by the Church as the most suitable means to prepare converts for baptism.

At the end of the first century in Syria, according to the Didache, Christian initiation already presupposed pi certain period of catechetical instructions. ⁹ Around the year 140 in Rome-the technical term "catechumen" was not yet being used-the "Shepherd" of Hermas witnesses to the existence of a true journey by those preparing for the sacraments. In his third vision Hermas sees the Church as a tower under construction "that is being built on the waters with brilliant squared stones." He notes that some stones "fell near the water and do not succeed in rolling in, in spite of their desire." These stones, he is told, represent

those who have heard the word of God and who want to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Only, when they remember the sanctity that the truth demands, they change their minds and turn again to their evil passions. ¹⁰

We certainly have here a trace of the baptismal requirements the Church clearly placed on the "hearers of the word," who are the candidates. If some of them changed their minds, it was because there was a probationary delay before baptism and that it was necessary to give evidence of conversion.

The organization of the catechumenate that we meet in Hippolytus around 215 did not appear suddenly: it was the fruit of a pastoral effort that took shape throughout the second century. We have another witness in the First Apology of Justin of this slow maturation, which is already reflected in the work of Hermas. I cite the most important passage. Even though he only describes the baptismal initiation as such (with its three elements: final communal liturgical preparation, baptism, eucharist), he clearly alludes to preliminary instructions, the characteristics of which we shall try to specify.

61. I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them. Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water.

65. But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation.

66. This food is called among us __________ of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. ¹¹

The Preliminary Evangelization
In this epoch, apostolic labor was not reserved to a few specialists. Each individual Christian was involved in leading his neighbors to the faith. Justin gives us an example:

A certain woman lived with an intemperate husband; she herself, too, having formerly been intemperate. But when she came to the knowledge of the teachings of Christ she became sober-minded, and endeavoured to persuade her husband likewise to be temperate, citing the teaching of Christ, and assuring him that there shall be punishment in eternal fire inflicted upon those who do not live temperately and conformably to right reason. ¹²

The proclamation of the Good News was not the privilege of priests or scholars. It was a mission that all Christians, even the least educated, were determined to accomplish according to their own grace and opportunity.

Among us these things can be heard and learned from persons who do not even know the forms of the letters, who are uneducated and barbarous in speech, though wise and believing in mind; some, indeed even maimed and deprived of eyesight. ¹³

Evangelization was thus accomplished flexibly and spontaneously, but it still had to be serious and the instructions themselves thorough. This is why admission to baptism was subject to quite specific requirements to which I shall return later. Some Christians dedicated themselves more particularly to the task of awakening faith and of teaching and opened "schools" as did philosophers of this period. These were private initiatives and were not institutionalized. ¹⁴ The hierarchical Church had not yet assumed the direct responsibility for the teaching given in them. But the fact is clear: the laity themselves carefully ensured the evangelization and instruction of converts.

Criteria for Access to Baptism
Admission to baptism, therefore, represented the issue of a rather long preparation. It was subject to three, already very precise, requirements:

First, sorrow for sins, since baptism is "for the remission of sin." ¹⁵ Justin insisted on this point and cited the famous text of Isaiah 1:16-20, "cease to do evil, learn to do good," which the fathers often commented upon in the course of their baptismal catechesis. ¹⁶

Second, faith in the Church as the teacher of truth: everything it teaches, everything it says must be welcomed as the truth. ¹⁷ This requirement obviously presupposes thorough preliminary instruction.

Finally, transformation of life: one has to "undertake to be able to live accordingly." ¹⁸ How could one be able to do this unless there had been a sufficient period, parallel to the instructions, to bring about a true -moral conversion? Whether it concerned the eucharist or baptism, the sacrament was only granted to those who live "as Christ has enjoined." 19

The period of formation, as flexible as it was during this period, was thus submitted to the discernment of the Church, which judged the aptitude of the candidates on the basis of these fundamental criteria.

But baptism was still not granted immediately. The administration of the sacrament was preceded by a certain amount of time that can be called the "baptismal period."

The Baptismal Period
Before baptism, there, were a few days of liturgical preparation. This was already the custom in Syria at the end of the first century. The Didache states:

... before the baptism, let the one who baptizes and the one to be baptized fast, and any others who are able to do so. And you shall require the person being baptized to fast for one or two days. ²⁰

In Justin's time, many of the faithful joined the future neophytes and prayed and fasted with them ²¹ and actively initiated them into the community worship. Finally, they accompanied them from the place of baptism and introduced them into the larger community of the "brothers" to celebrate together the eucharist. ²²

The witness of Justin thus manifests the essential aspects of stages and, catechumenal requirements. In the course of the following decades, these stages and requirements were codified more and more strictly.

Footnotes, Part 2

In Egypt ca. 190-200 , the next chapter of A History of the Catechumenate, will be posted next Thursday. For information about ordering this book, please see Sadlier's Religion Catalog.

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