Medieval Canon Law on Catechesis and Christian Formation

By reconstructing medieval catechetical legislation, this paper presents a distinct field of research within the Church’s canonical system, one that has been overlooked for a long time in canonical historical study, which has always interested itself in matrimonial, liturgical, or disciplinary norms. Drawing primarily from conciliar and synodal canons and episcopal directives, this study demonstrates that long before the Council of Trent, the Church was already systematically legislating on the teaching of Christian doctrine and Christian formation. As Church practice shifted from adult to infant baptism, catechetical formation moved from the holistic pre-baptismal catechumenate to doctrinal and moral instruction through the catechetical sermons of bishops, parish priests, and monks; confessional handbooks; and vernacular catechisms for children. Informally, however, Christians were able to learn the faith through the Christian culture in which they lived, which served a catechetical and formative purpose – the great feasts attended by masses of people, works of art, paintings, music, processions, etc.