Catéchismes catholiques en France entre 1810 et 1950. Une courte présentation analytique

It is during the Restauration (1814-1830) that catechisms available before the Revolution are first republished. However, from 1822, bishops start preparing and publishing on their own new diocesan catechisms structured in three parts: the Creed or the truth on the salvation, morality or what must be done to be saved (the works of salvation) and the sacraments or means that are offered for our salvation. The publishing of these tripartite catechisms will spread in the francophone Catholic era during the second half of the 19th century and continue over the first half of the 20th century. This structure shows that catechism is involved in the mutation of the ecclesial issues of the 19th century. Now the ecclesial priority of catechism is children’s education by instruction with a view to making the people of the future, able to profess their faith in an increasingly dechristianized society, a society whose generation is departing and most of it perish. In fact, dechristianization will laminate like a thin blade the Christian substratum of the industrial cities and urban areas during the second part of the XIXth century, period of development of the industrial society. In this context of growing dechristianization of the cities, the quest of the world salvation imposed taking care of the children’s salvation first, given the fact that these children, preparing for their first Communion, will be the adults of tomorrow. The Catechism of the Council of Trent aimed at transforming the “Christian ignorant in faith-related things” into a “faithful”. Within the tripartite catechisms, this concern for the unity of the human action through knowledge is apparently no longer the priority; the main issue is to educate children in order to live as good Christians, which means professing their faith and showing it by assuming the duties it imposes, with a view to salvation, perceived in the perspective of the afterlife. From then on, the catechism has been perceived and implemented as children’s education, with a view to preparing the adult Christian.