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Catechism of the Catholic Church

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a deposit of the Catholic faith. It contains all of the doctrines and teachings of the Church with extensive citations to supporting authority. The first universal catechism in over 400 years (the last was the 16th century "Catechism of the Council of Trent"), this Catechism, in the introductory words of Pope John Paul II, is for "every individual ... who wants to know what the Catholic Church believes".

However, for reasons I will explain later, some Catholics strive to steer other Catholics (and non-Catholics) away from the Catechism by claiming it is "against" or "pre" Vatican II. This is an utterly spurious claim, as demonstrated by the following facts:

1. Vatican II explicitly prescribed a new catechesis of the Catholic faithful. Accordingly, in 1985, an extraordinary synod of Catholic bishops mandated a new catechism.

2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church was completed and published in 1992 (First Edition) and 2000 (Second Edition), with extensive citations to: (i) Scripture; (ii) the Councils of the Church during its 2,000 year history; (iii) the writings of the early Church fathers; (iv) the writings of the saints; and (v) other authorities, such as papal encyclicals, etc. Indeed, every doctrine and teaching propounded in the Catechism (and virtually every sentence) is carefully footnoted to supporting authority.

3. The largest source of citations in the Catechism is, naturally, Scripture. That is, the Catechism cites Scripture more times than it cites any other source.

4. However, THE SECOND LARGEST SOURCE OF CITATIONS IN THE CATECHISM IS VATICAN II. That is, besides Scripture, the Catechism cites the 16 documents of Vatican II more times than it cites any other source.

5. For the record, the Catechism cites the 16 documents of Vatican II a total of SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY FIVE (785) times. Given that the Catechism (Hardcover Edition) is 688 pages long, there is an average of 1.14 CITATIONS TO VATICAN II ON EVERY PAGE OF THE CATECHISM.

Thus, the Catechism is predominantly based on two sources: (1) Scripture, and (2) Vatican II. So the next time you hear or read that the Catechism is "against" or "pre" Vatican II, you will know that the person asserting that claim knows absolutely nothing about the Catechism or Vatican II, or, worse, does know but is simply trying to keep you away from the actual teachings of the Catholic Church in the Catechism.

Now, why would a Catholic steer other Catholics (and non-Catholics) away from the Church's teachings in the Catechism? Simple. Since Vatican II, certain Catholics have diligently sought to "modernize" (er, subvert) the Church, but have not been able to do so by citing any of the actual 16 documents issued at Vatican II (nothing in the documents supports their agenda). Instead, as "authority" for their subversive agenda they have invoked the "spirit of Vatican II," an amorphous phrase subject to their whimsical interpretation. Indeed, ever notice how they often claim "the spirit of Vatican II requires CHANGE XYZ", but never claim "Document A, page 12, paragraph 4 of Vatican II requires CHANGE XYZ"?

This is where the Catechism of the Catholic Church comes in. Promulgated as a complete and accurate compendium of Catholic doctrine and teaching, the Catechism utterly refutes the claims of all those who for so long have misconstrued and outright misrepresented Vatican II. The Catechism is, in essence, a written corrective to the plethora of heresies advanced by those citing the "spirit of Vatican II". As such, the Catechism is arguably Pope John Paul II's single greatest contribution to the Catholic Church.

Let us be clear. There are many within the Church who grossly misrepresent its teachings and strive diligently to keep Catholics (and non-Catholics) from those teachings. Just check out the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults ("RCIA") at your local parish. Chances are good that your local RCIA program, which is supposed to catechize (i.e., instruct) converts to the Church on the essentials of Catholicism, will not only not use the Catechism, it will not even mention the Catechism and, worse, use materials (such as "Catholic Update") that contravene Church teachings (this is why so many RCIA programs completely fail in their mission of Catholic catechesis).

Fortunately, we have the Catechism and, in it, the actual doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church. "Straight from the horse's mouth", as they say. Whether you are a Catholic learning or re-learning the faith, or a non-Catholic interested in what the Church teaches, the Catechism is an absolute "must have". And don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

"God, infinately perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He draws man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength . . ." and so begins the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Catechism is a gift to mankind. Through it the faith taught by Christ and handed on to his apostles can be heard echoing through the centuries. It speaks to the mind, but even more so to the heart.
I love the hardback version because it has the Index of Citations listing Scriptures, Councils and Popes that allow you to find those references within the specific numbered paragraphs of the Catechism. The glossary in the new edition is very useful as well. I also recommend the hardback version because you will want to keep this book your whole life, referring to it often and reading it over and over. The quality of this edition lends itself more readily to this kind of use. A paperback copy can be useful as a second copy to keep in the car or office.
Please, if you are Catholic you must own this. If you are not Catholic but are interested in what the Catholic Church teaches, this is where you want to go for the truth of what the Catholic faith teaches and believes.

This is it. Usually, the Roman Catholic church relies on local or regional definitions of the complete Faith. Every several hundred years, she pulls it together into something universal. We happen to have lived in a time when the world can enjoy a contemporary text that distills and elucidates Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition within the context of the Magesterium (teaching authority of the church via the bishops). Every Roman Catholic should have this book. Everyone else who wonders what Roman Catholicism is about should get a copy. I finally got through my first reading of this Catechism, and am getting the first dark glimpse of the Big Catholic Picture. I'm looking forward to going through it again and again. The cross-referencing to Sacred Scripture, Councils, etc. is phenomenal.

For any catholic who wants to rediscover the faith that was entrusted to him or her, this book is the best way in order to see all the richness of the catholic faith. It addresses every item of the faith in a complete and rigorous way. For anyone who reads this catechism will find that his or her desire to know more of Jesus Christ and his Church will be boundless. This book is a very deep book that must not only be read, but it must meditated. When I read the catechism, even thou I have been raised in the catholic religion, I discovered how little of the faith I knew. And many things that I thought to know, I discovered to be in error. I enthusiastically recommend the Catechism of the Catholic Church to any catholic who wants to know what the Catholic Church really believes. I also recommend this catechism to any Christian of another denomination, for he or she will find words of everlasting life on it and will discover where the real church of Jesus Christ is. And to non-Christian I recommend this book so he or she can discover that Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and that he was sent to us for the salvation of man.

Even after my recent initiation into the Roman Catholic Church, which followed several months of fairly intense study in the RCIA program, I didn't really understand much about Church Tradition, traditions, liturgy, Dogma, doctrine, Sacraments, and its position on individual and social issues. For help, I turned to the Catechism, which proved to be a concise, well written, logically organized, and often inspirational teacher. The Catechism not only provides clear definitions of Church rites and beliefs, it explains how those definitions came about and evolved, and how they are firmly rooted in Divine Revelation. For many years I had great misconceptions about the Church, I guess primarily because I viewed Church practices and beliefs as something man-made, not God-made. After doing some investigation and study, I discovered how wrong my view had been. Reading the Catechism will deepen your understanding of the relationship between the Church and Scriptures, and the "whys" behind the "whats" of how we practice our faith.

If you are a Christian you should read this book. Even one who disparages the Catholic faith will find the discussion of Church doctrine and dogma enlightening. It is a clear and concise explanation of the marrow of Christian faith and the role of the Church.

Quotations from the Bible are numerous and taken from the New Revised Standard Version, a respected and readable translation.

Quotations from the works of the early Church and the Saints are just as numerous and are translated into clear and plain English. This gives credence and strength to the Church's centuries and brings those teachings to bear on the modern Christian's mind.

References are tirelessly noted at the foot of every page for continuity of reading. No need to flip pages in order to see where a quotation comes from.

Every paragraph is numbered and this text includes marginalia that point the reader to other paragraphs within the work that relate to the one in discussion.

The table of contents and index make it very easy to jump around to subjects of particular interest for the reader.

Overall the text is engrossing and easy to understand. It is clearly a work of deep faith, love, and charity and the text never fails to communicate the centrality of God and Christ to the Church's purpose.

I know this book answered a number of questions I never bothered to ask and more questions asked of me by individuals who distinguish their faith as "Christian" from the faith of Catholics. But it is not a work of apologetics and not to be mistaken for such. For that I suggest "Why Do Catholics Do That?" or "Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians."

This book spells out the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church. Be sure and go to the source of the Catholic faith by reading what the Bishops and Popes actually profess.

This book takes the Apostle's Creed and the sacraments as a foundation and builds the beliefs of the Catholic faith around them. The Catechism uses the Bible, the Church Fathers, the Doctors of the Church and Vatican II to detail out the real facts of the Catholic Church.

Get this, read it and decide for yourself!

Also, the leather binding and the pages are of high quality. The book is a value and when you get it you will wonder why it does not cost 3 times more!

Surprisingly well written. I was expecting this to be difficult to read. There is a handy glossary and excellent index. It is well organized and cross-indexed for ease of use, whether you are reading it cover to cover or using for reference.

The best thing about this edition, and the reason to choose the hardcover over the paperback version, is the physical quality of the book.

The type is large enough to read. In a book of this size, the publishers usually squeeze everything together. Even though the paper is thin, it's not transparent and holds the ink well. Makes it easier to read. The binding is great. The book opens easily and stays open to the page you want when placed on a table. I do not foresee pages falling out anytime soon. The same cannot be said of paperbacks.

It's worth the extra money for the better version.

The longer I read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the more I prefer the Catechism of the Council of Trent. The new catechism is wordy, written in confusing, needlessly ecumenical language, and in my opinion, too liberal. The index is thoroughly confusing, too. Sometimes, when I read the index, I can't distinguish between page numbers and paragraph numbers. Other times, I'll look up, say, a word that begins with "b," that won't be in the "b" part of the index. Instead of "baptism, sacrament of," you might see "sacrament of baptism."

There are a number of different Catechisms that are in print. To name a few, Father John A. Hardon gave us The Catholic Catechism: A Contemporary Catechism of the Teachings of the Catholic Church and The Question & Answer Catholic Catechism. Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl authored the Teaching of Christ and later The Gift of Faith: A Question and Answer Catechism Version of the Teaching of Christ. Better known as the Roman Catechism (Resources for catechetical teachers), there is the less known version of The Catechism of the Council of Trent.

Each of these has its unique format. However, examining the Roman Catechism, one finds it is divided into four parts which correspond to the divisions followed by the Church since early Christian times:

1. Catholic belief presented in an explanation of the twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed.
2. The seven sacraments are explained at length, instituted by Christ as a means for the living of the demands of faith.
3. The Ten Commandments in a New Testament setting showing how Christ brought the Old Law to perfection.
4. After a detailed treatise on prayer: its nature, its necessity, and the practice of prayer in general, including an exposition of the seven petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

If we look at the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, it corresponds to the format of the Roman Catechism, having four main divisions:

1. The Profession of Faith
2. The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (and the Sacraments)
3. Life in Christ
4. Christian Prayer

So, we can say that the new Catechism in many ways is really nothing more than an update of the Roman Catechism and the teachings and practices that Church has clung to throughout the centuries from early Christian times. This gives much credibility to the permanence, and uninterrupted nature of the Church's beliefs, doctrine, and the Christian Life espoused for 2000 years. We could call the Catechism of the Catholic Church a "Defender of the Faith" for what it does.