Boholanos write own Catechism book

In an effort to respond to the specific religious needs of its faithful, the Diocese of Tagbilaran is publishing a catechism book that is uniquely Boholano.

But the catechism does not aim to digress from the traditional doctrine that is contained in the official “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, according to Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso.

Neither is it meant to flaunt that the Boholanos “have finally reached the age of maturity in faith, capable of producing a catechesis out of their human resource, effort and creativity,” Medroso said in his blogsite http://medroso.blogspot.com .

The catechism, Medroso explained, is being written “to meet the particular needs of our people, the BEC, our clusters, our parishes, our Diocese.”

The book is being published also in celebration of Tagbilaran’s forthcoming diamond jubilee on November 2016.

The journey of the diocese in the past 70 years “following faithfully the Sacred Scripture, traditional doctrine of the Church, and the Magisterium” has created in them a spirituality that is “uniquely Boholano,” the bishop said.

Because of this uniqueness, the “universal teaching of the Catholic Church cannot fully satisfy their cultural and spiritual needs [and] it is along this context that the publication of a Boholano catechism is conceived,” explained Medroso.

Part of the catechism book’s uniqueness is its inclusion of the island’s heritage churches that bear witness to the richness of the Boholanos’ spiritual and cultural heritage.

A pool of writers, headed by Fr. Valentino Pinlac has been tasked to carry out the project.

Conceding that the book is insignificant it may not find a place in any library or bookstore, Medroso however, believes the volume “will become a priceless possession of our BECs and clusters, for it contains the content of our faith.”

The Boholano catechism follows the same sequence as the universal catechism, but it has its “unique style and presentation.”

“It starts with the study of the Trinity to show that our life is communitarian in origin and therefore communitarian in its nature, activity, and purpose [and] ends with the presentation of the Kingdom of God to inculcate the lesson that we are not headed nowhere,” Medroso said.

The book, due to come out next week, will serve as a manual for catechizing in the basic tenets of the Catholic faith the diocese’s basic ecclesial communities.

It will have an initial run of 5,000, but Medroso said they are aiming for a total print run of 20,000.

Another diocesan project in the offing is a catechism for the family, Medroso revealed.