## Apostolic Exhortation *Catechesi Tradendae* (October 16, 1979)

The Apostolic Exhortation *Catechesi Tradendae*, issued on October 16, 1979, one year after Pope Saint John Paul II’s election, is his first major magisterial document. It addresses catechesis in the contemporary world and includes a final section dedicated to Mary as the *”Mater et exemplum catechistarum”* (n. 73), setting a benchmark for all post-conciliar pastoral catechetics.

**Key Points:**

* **Author:** Saint John Paul II
* **Document:** *Exortação Apostólica Catechesi Tradendae*, October 16, 1979
* **Themes:** Mary as Mother and model of the catechist, Mary as the Church’s first catechist.

**Latin Text (n. 73): Maria, Mater et exemplum catechistarum**

> *”Beatissima Virgo Maria fuit, est et erit prima “catequista” quia Verbum filii sui suae Ecclesiae communicavit… Sicut Gabriel angelus ipsi mysterium incarnationis communicavit, eaque cum Verbo personali Dei fatto homine, ita Maria nostrum primum imitamen est: ipsa enim docuit Iesum a infantia, eumque servans, formavit eius corpus humanum, et ipsa eum “catechizavit” quasi mater.”*

> (The Blessed Virgin Mary was, is, and will be the first “catechist” because she communicated the Word of her Son to his Church. Just as the angel Gabriel communicated to her the mystery of the Incarnation, and she with the personal Word of God made man, so Mary is our first model: she taught Jesus from infancy, serving him, shaping his human body, and herself “catechizing” him like a mother.)

**Three Levels of Mary’s Catechetical Maternity:**

Pope Saint John Paul II outlined three levels of Mary’s catechetical motherhood:

1. **Mary as Catechist of Jesus:** The first catechesis of humanity was not given by Christ to others but by his Mother. Mary instructed Jesus in the reading of the Hebrew Scriptures, temple rites, and Israel’s feasts. All of Christ’s humanity was formed through Marian catechesis.

2. **Mary as Catechist of the Apostles:** Following the Resurrection, Mary was present with the Apostles in the Cenacle (Acts 1:14). It is plausible, as early traditions attest, that she completed for the Apostles the details of Jesus’ life known only to her (the Annunication, Visitation, Nativity, life in Nazareth). The first “infancy gospels” have a Marian source.

3. **Mary as Catechist of the Church:** Mary continues to be a catechist for the Church through her maternal mediation. Whenever the Church meditates on Marian mysteries (Incarnation, Visitation, etc.), she learns from Mary the full truth about Christ.

**The Magnificat as Catechesis:**

> *”In Magnificat Maria docet nos quomodo legendae sint magnae operationes Dei in historia hominum… Magnificat est primum vere catechesim Christianum, in eo Maria nobis exhibit quomodo historia salutis legenda sit recte.”*

(In the Magnificat, Mary teaches us how to read God’s great works in human history. The Magnificat is the first truly Christian catechesis; in it, Mary shows us how the story of salvation should be properly understood.)

**Pastoral Implications:**

# Implications of John Paul II’s Text for Catechetical Pastoral

The text from Pope John Paul II holds profound implications for catechetical pastoral:

– **Devout Marian Practice among Catechists:** Every catechist should cultivate a deep devotion to Mary.
– **Motherly Spirituality:** Mary’s maternal spirituality extends to all aspects of catechesis.
– **Incorporating Marian Mysteries:** Catechesis must include the Marian mysteries integrally, not as an addendum.
– **Magnificat as a Model:** Catechesis should follow the rhythm of the Magnificat: recognizing God’s wonders, joy, and mission.

## Connection to Catholic Church Catechism

The catechetical theology from *Catechesi Tradendae* was directly applied in the drafting of the *Catechism of the Catholic Church* (1992), whose Marian sections serve as a perfect example of the 1979 proposed Marian catechesis.

## Further Reading

– **Mariology**
– **Redemptoris Mater**
– **Catechism, Marian Sections**
– **Marialis Cultus**