A reminder that when Pope John Paul lists this as Chapter One it’s the first chapter of part three, in which he discusses The Promotion Of Penance And Reconciliation. In the brief section 24, Ways And Means, he writes:
24. In order to promote penance and reconciliation, the church has at her disposal two principal means which were entrusted to her by her founder himself: catechesis and the sacraments. Their use has always been considered by the church as fully in harmony with the requirements of her salvific mission and at the same time as corresponding to the requirements and spiritual needs of people in all ages. This use can be in forms and ways both old and new, among which it will be a good idea to remember in particular what we can call, in the expression of my predecessor Paul VI, the method of dialogue.
Numbered section 25 will explore dialogue. We’ll devote a lot of time to this, a conversation with believers and non-believers alike. Rooted in the truth, but also respectful of the beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts of others. Number 26, another long one, looks at catechesis. This “chapter” concludes with the sacraments. All of them. That will pretty much land us at the end of the calendar year. For perspective, we’re about two-thirds of the way through this document, which is Copyright © 1984 – Libreria Editrice Vatican. The link on the Vatican site is here.
Catholic Sensibility 