Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dhaka (Fides) – “The moment has come for making the catechetical teaching ( taken in a wide sense ) a real pastoral priority for the Catholic Church in Bangladesh. The Synod on the Word of God and the year dedicated to st. Paul is a good opportunity for inspiring new initiatives for making all of us more conscious of the treasure of our Christian faith.” This was what Agenzia Fides was told in a statement sent from Xaverian Missionary Fr. Silvano Garello, who has been working in the missions in Bangladesh for 38 years. Fr. Garello has worked in the area of formation of local clergy, in the Dioceses of Khulna and Mymensingh. He has later dedicated his time to the production of Christian literature in the Bengali language.
Fr. Silvano describes the situation of the local Catholic community, emphasizing the theme of the “new evangelization” and the catechesis that is necessary on all levels. As he believes, these are the urgent pastoral needs of the local community that needs to focus on “enabling our adult Christians to transmit in effective way their faith to the new generations.”
The missionary mentions that “During their formation at the different stages of their Christian life (baptism, first confession and communion, confirmation, marriage preparation, introduction to their lay-role in the society), they could only partially build up a strong Christian identity and a sense of mission.” Another element to take into consideration is “the scarce cultural influence of Christianity in the great society in Bangladesh.”
Thus, Fr. Garello explains that “a more creative effort in the field of catechesis in our parishes and our educational institutions may create the conditions for a renewal of our Christian witness and our effective communication of the Gospel. Only a more self- evangelized Church may be an effective evangelizing Church.”
The Xaverian Missionary emphasizes catechesis, “because a good catechesis may help our Church to overtake the feeling of tiredness, lack of vision” that it is experiencing. Catechesis helps the Church to be renewed and this allows for “a deeper comprehension of our Catholic faith, a more meaningful liturgical participation and the artistic expression of our faith experience through literature, arts, music; involving more, especially the priests and religious congregations in offering [the faith] a more effective communication; a redefinition and qualification of the lay catechists as qualified evangelizers of the greater society.”
Fr. Garello suggests the formation of a national catechetical program, later articulated on a diocesan level, which would offer activities geared towards youth, adults, and catechumens. “The Seminaries, the Houses of formation, the pastoral Centers should become inspiring and creative centers for catechesis,” he said. Another support to the ordinary catechetical teaching, with due adaptations, could be the “popular missions.” All of this, he says, is because formation is the true urgent pastoral need for the people of Bangladesh. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/6/2008)
