Mrs Gyapong would probably argue that lifelong Catholics are not normally required to undergo any kind of formal catechesis past junior high age. All too often their understanding of key doctrines is fossilised at this stage of intellectual development, and/or subsequently rejected, even if they continue to attend mass. This is presumably behind statistics like 50% support among Catholics for women priests, or 95% of sexually active Catholics of reproductive age using artificial birth control. At least those who joined the Church in her ACCC pariah were prepared as adults by a Catholic priest and had to make an explicit acceptance of Catholic doctrines."Lifelong Catholics" are required to attend mass weekly and go to confession once a year. I can't argue that every homily they might hear will effectively teach the faith, but there's at least the chance. Between the homily and the readings, if they go to Sunday mass, they will also hear the most significant scripture over a three-year period. If they engage in examination of conscience and make a sincere confession, they will probably also get some sort of refresher.In an essay on "The Changing Pattern of Heresy" Karl Rahner argues that whereas in the past there was consensus about the way in which one examined questions of truth, today that consensus has disappeared. Heresy, once a deliberate choice, is now "latent." "The individual system of values certainly present and freely constituted as [the Christian's] own is not fully and with absolute certainty accessible to introspection." He does counsel catechesis as the remedy, but I am not optimistic. To me it is evident that the mentality of "we are the only ones getting it right" which characterised Mrs G's church as a "continuing" Anglican parish is still there now that they are Catholics, at least if Mrs G is typical. The "outlier" mentality is still dominant. Insofar as Anglicanorum coetibus has facilitated that it was a huge mistake.
Most parishes have some sort of marriage preparation classes. I see with some frequency observant Catholics marrying non-Catholics who go through catechesis and are received into the Church as well. At least in our parish, couples are required to attend a seminar on Catholic family planning as part of marriage preparation.
Naturally, "50% support among Catholics for women priests" isn't necessarily a meaningful statistic. Does the survey screen for weekly mass attendance, registration, and pledging to a parish as well, for instance? Otherwise, you're saying something like "Catholics who aren't well catechized aren't well catechized", which is a tautology.
In addition, the catechesis given to groups going into the OCSP has often been slapdash, and I'm not sure if the authors of Evangelium understood their audience. Anglicans are Protestants. Low-church ones take the XXXIX Articles seriously. Others don't take much of anything seriously. There is a certain amount of "grace alone" in the 1928 BCP mass -- look at the confession:
We do earnestly repent, And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life. . .Compare that to the confession in the current Catholic mass:
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.There is much less dwelling on sin and guilt and a much more optimistic picture of the way out. This is an entirely different world view, and the idea that Anglicans and Catholics see most things the same way is superficial. I would say that it is probably easier to catechize an unbaptized adult than it is to catechize an Anglican who thinks she already knows it all.
I don't think the CDF ever looked at this very closely, or if it did, recognized the extent to which Anglicans need to be re-educated. But this says nothing of the inability of the ex-Protestants Houston has been ordaining after 30 seconds in the microwave to conduct a catechism.
