It’s not a safe haven” “

A mosaic of experiences “that reflect local colours” and that are enriched thanks to the dialogue and “friendships forged” in the various European meetings that have been held every two years since 1968: that’s how JEAN-PIERRE DE MEULDER , national delegate for the catechumenate in Belgium and member of the European Equipe of the Catechumenate, called the process of instruction for the Christian initiation of adults who wish in Europe to join or return to the Church. The occasion for his remarks was the meeting held in Rome in recent days on “the catechumenate in the Church in Italy”, at which De Meulder spoke, painting a picture of the European scenario of the preparation of adult catechumens. “The catechumenal service is an indispensable need for the believer, because it responds to the intrinsic need for the faith to be communicated”: that’s why the catechumenate “is an opportunity of new fruitfulness for the Church, and not a safe haven in a climate of resignation bred in a period of crisis”, pointed out Monsignor GIUSEPPE BETORI , general secretary of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, on inaugurating the meeting. “The last European meeting”, held in Sweden in 2005, “was also attended by delegates from Lutheran Finland and Norway and from Catholic Russia”, said De Meulder, remarking that “embryonic forms of catechumenate” are emerging “within the Catholic Church of the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Croatia”. We present a brief résumé of the countries in which the practice of the catechumenate for adults is in its early days or already well consolidated. FRANCE. In the country that pioneered the catechumenal experience with its “pastoral programme of initiation”, each diocese has a team responsible for the training of catechists, but there’s a lack of dialogue with the coordination of the pastoral regions and the national Service of the Catechumenate based in Paris. The head of the national Service participates regularly in the national Conference of bishops at Lourdes. BELGIUM. Following requests from Brussels and Antwerp, a national coordination has now been developed. It meets every three months, with participants from all the dioceses of Belgium, to ensure a homogeneous national programme. This national coordination convenes a national meeting every two years. The catechumenate is very uneven in development in the various dioceses. HOLLAND. At the present time a small central nucleus is devoted to reflection and the establishment of the catechumenate in the various dioceses ENGLAND. A start is being made to the development of the catechumenate in the Catholic dioceses, influenced by the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and by developments in the USA (North American Forum on Catechumenate). GERMANY. The country, whose national team is in the process of renewal, is having to come to terms with the fallout of materialism, especially in Eastern Germany, and is engaged in developing a service of animation, different according to diocese, and a national reflection. AUSTRIA. The catechumenate is especially developed in the big cities, such as Vienna. POLONIA. The service, still in its early stages, has been begun in Krakow and Warsaw. SPAGNA. The catechumenate was initially influenced by the neo-catechumenal movement, with little dialogue with the national Service of catechesis in Madrid. The catechumenal Service is now active in several dioceses of the peninsula. PORTUGAL. The service is active in various dioceses (Lisbon, Porto..) and is linked to the national Service of catechesis and catechumenate. I TALY. The catechumenate was at first launched on an experimental basis in the major dioceses, and successively codified, adapting it to the various situations in the country. Some 110 dioceses now receive applications for baptism by adults each year (a hundred or in the big cities, a few tens in medium or small towns and localities). SWITZERLAND. Switzerland, which shared the rediscovery of the catechumenate in Europe, now has it firmly established in the French-speaking dioceses and is in the process of starting it in the German-speaking ones. A national coordination is active in the country; it organises training courses for catechists. SWEDEN. Sweden, a largely Lutheran country, was introduced to the European movement of catechumenate through the information and influence of the Anglican Church of England. Like that traditionally close to the Catholic sensibility, this Church is developing teams of Christian initiation in the various dioceses, and seeks inspiration for renewal from the European movement of catechumenate. DENMARK. Denmark is beginning to participate in the catechumenal experience, with a member of the small Catholic community active in the area of Copenhagen, and also through cooperation with some colleagues in the Lutheran Church. HUNGARY. Thanks to its contacts with Central Europe, and on the initiative of a Hungarian nun on her return from the USA, the country has begun a catechumenal service with the help of an auxiliary bishop of Budapest, with responsibility for catechesis. The initiation process takes place in a nation with a Catholic majority, but strongly marked by the experience of Marxism.