A History of the Catechumenate
In Syria and Palestine ca. 250

The practice of catechumenal stages that we have noted in all the countries of the Mediterranean world at the beginning of the third century was not an isolated idea of a few creative catechists. It was the normal way of doing things and it developed spontaneously everywhere. The Church recognized its authenticity and necessity. Further proof of this is given by a canonico-liturgical document written in Syria between 230 and 250, the Didascalia of the Apostles.

The Didascalia
Written by a bishop, this work is concerned primarily with the structuring of the penitential discipline. It does this on the basis of the catechumenal discipline. Is not penitence, as Origen stressed, a kind of repeat of baptism and, as such, does it not require a new probation in stages? Thus the Didascalia enables us to describe the stages of the catechumenate as the Church applied them in Syria around 250. 66

Evangelization was the work of the laity who converted their friends, who "familiarized" them in order to introduce them into the Church "confirmed and believing." ⁶⁷

Admission to the catechumenate supposes an authentic conversion:

We do not refuse salvation even to the heathen if they repent and renounce and remove themselves from error...when they wish and promise to repent and say, "We believe," we receive them into the congregation that they may hear the Word, but we do not communicate with them until they receive the seal and are confirmed. ⁶⁸

The catechumenate would then be this time of formation when the candidates "hear the Word" and show the worthy fruits of penitence until the day when they would be judged fit to enter into the baptismal period.

The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles
In addition to the Didascalia, which reflects the discipline the hierarchy wished to impose, we have many popular writings that claim to give the lives of the apostles. These edifying tales are of great interest to us since they occasionally provide information on the catechumens practice of the first half of the third century and some of them even for the end of the second century.

It would take up too much time here to consider each in detail, ⁶⁹ but I would like to point out what they reveal of the structure of initiation.

They use the stereotyped schema of "outside" and "inside" to present the journey of the candidates. The initial preaching was generally done in the streets or some other public area. But catechesis was done in a house since it was addressed only to those whose conversion could be verified. In the same way, admission to baptism was not granted before an examination of the faith and the life of the catechumen.

In short, we find here again the dual structure, each phase terminating in an examination without which the following threshold could not be crossed.

The Clementine Stories
By way of example, let us consider one of the narratives that are found in the "Clementine Homelies." This is another popular story of the third century and it strongly resembles the apocryphal Acts. It tells of the conversion of a certain Clement.

One day in Alexandria, Clement was profoundly moved by the public preaching of Barnabas. Some Christians were proclaiming the Good News of Christ on the street corners to all who would listen as did the philosophers. As in Paul's time, their speeches aroused various reactions, most of which were hostile. Touched by grace, Clement tried to calm the threatening crowd and even to convince them. Then, to protect the preacher, he invited him home with him and profited from the occasion by having himself be instructed in the "first elements" of the truth.

The second scene of the story takes place in Caesarea in Palestine. The preacher introduces the new convert to Peter, the leader of the community, and witnesses to the sincerity of his faith and thus his capacity to receive catechesis. Clement continues:

I asked for directions to Peter's house. When I was told, I presented myself at his door. The people of the house, having inspected me, wondered who I was and from whence I came. Then Barnabas came forward and, as soon as he saw me, flung his arms around my neck and shed many tears of joy. Then, taking me by the hand, he introduced me to Peter saying: "This is Peter whom I told you was the man best versed in the wisdom of God and whom I have never ceased telling about you. Go right in for I have told him in all sincerity of the good that is in you, and I have also told him of your plan in such a way that he, too, wants very much to see you. You are a great present that I am bringing to him." With these words, he presented me saying, "Peter, this is Clement."

At my name, the excellent Peter came to me and kissed me. Then, having me sit down, he said immediately: "You did a beautiful and noble thing when, to honor the true God, without shame, without fear of the anger of the vulgar mob, you gave hospitality to Barnabas, the herald of truth. You shall be blessed. For, as you have welcomed as a host and loaded honors upon the ambassador of the truth, in its turn, the truth shall make you, who are a stranger, a citizen of its own city. It shall then be for you a great joy to see that, for a slight gesture of good will that you offer now—I mean the preference you give to the teaching—you shall be heir to inestimable eternal benefits. Do not bother to tell me of your disposition, since the truthful Barnabas has informed us of everything that concerns you, telling us almost every day something good about you. And, in a word, as to a true friend, if nothing prevents you, come with us on our journeys to share in the teaching of the truth that I shall distribute from city to city even to Rome itself. ⁷⁰

It is thus only after having manifested the sincerity of his conversion and with the guarantee of the one who evangelized him that Clement was admitted to the catechesis proper.

What is to be drawn from this story, which curiously recalls the conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10,11), is the very clear distinction that was made from then on between the period of evangelization and that of systematic instruction. The first period had to lead to faith. ⁷¹ The candidate was not admitted to the second period unless the Church had recognized the quality of his conversion, manifested concretely, and, if possible, guaranteed by the one who had been the instrument of that conversion.

We note here the same degree of seriousness regarding the examination that terminates the period of catechesis and allows the catechumen to be admitted to baptism. Thus, Clement was only baptized by Peter after having listened to his preaching for three months and having manifested his conversion of life.

The initiation ceremony was always preceded by a few days of fasting. The baptism took place at a pool in the presence of a few relatives and friends. Then everyone returned in procession to celebrate the eucharist with the brothers. ⁷²

Without wanting to force the probative value of each text, which would depend on their origins, an overall conviction emerges from these popular writings: in the third century, catechumenal practice had the same structure everywhere.

Footnotes, Part 2

At the Dawn of the Fourth Century, 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.