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The Catechism of the Catholic Church, also known as the Catechism, is a summary of the essential teachings of the Catholic Church regarding faith and morals. It was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992, on the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Catechism is a universal catechism, intended as a reference for the development of national and local catechisms. It is not a teaching document but a summary of teachings that guides Catholics. The Catechism is divided into four principal parts, with 2865 paragraphs in total. It is not the oldest catechism, with the earliest known catechism being the Didache, written between 60 and 85 AD.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of publication | 25 June 1992 |
| Promulgated by | Pope John Paul II |
| Date of promulgation | 11 October 1992 |
| Date of Latin typical edition | 15 August 1997 |
| Number of paragraphs | 2865 |
| Number of copies sold | Over 8 million |
| Number of languages published in | More than 20 |
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What You'll Learn
The Catechism of the Catholic Church was promulgated in 1992
The Catechism of the Catholic Church was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Catechism is a summary of the essential teachings of the Catholic Church regarding faith and morals. It is a point of reference for national and diocesan catechisms, intended to assist those responsible for catechesis, such as bishops, priests, and catechists.
The creation of an official, authoritative text for teaching Catholic doctrine was not new. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is unique in that it is a comprehensive statement of religious faith produced jointly by Catholic and Protestant theologians since the separation of the churches. It is one of only two "universal" catechisms promulgated by the popes of the Catholic Church, the other being The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church was the result of over a decade of work by bishops, theologians, and other experts. In 1986, Pope John Paul II appointed a Commission of Cardinals and Bishops to develop a compendium of Catholic doctrine. The Commission examined and evaluated over 24,000 amendments suggested by bishops worldwide before finalising the text in 1991. On June 25, 1992, Pope John Paul II officially approved the definitive version, and on October 11, 1992, he promulgated it with his apostolic constitution Fidei depositum (The Deposit of Faith).
The Catechism includes 2865 paragraphs, arranged into four principal parts. It covers a range of topics, including Scripture, tradition, the Sacraments, and Christian prayer. It is not a "teaching" document but a summary of teachings that provides a convenient reference for Catholics. While it is not intended to stand alone as the only reference for Catholic teaching, it is an important resource for those seeking to understand the essential teachings of the Catholic Church.
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Catechism is a summary of Catholic interpretations
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, often referred to as "the Catechism", is a summary of Catholic interpretations. It is a text that teaches the essential and fundamental content of the Catholic faith and morals in a complete and summary way. It is a point of reference for national and diocesan catechisms, providing general guidelines on how the magisterium's interpretation of the deposit of faith (e.g. scripture and tradition) applies to the modern world.
The Catechism is not a "teaching" document, but rather a summary of teachings that are conveniently located in one place to guide the average Catholic. It is an organised presentation of the essential teachings of the Catholic Church regarding both faith and morals. It is a "universal catechism", intended to be a resource for the development of catechisms and catechetical materials worldwide.
The Catechism was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. It was the result of over a decade of work by bishops, theologians, and other experts who aimed to create an official, authoritative, and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine. The Latin typical edition, the official text of reference, was promulgated on 15 August 1997, amending the earlier French text and requiring translations into other languages (including English) to be amended and republished as "second editions".
The Catechism is divided into four principal parts, with 2865 paragraphs in total. It covers a range of topics, including Christian Prayer (e.g. the Lord's Prayer), the Apostles' Creed, the sacraments, and moral teachings such as the dignity of the person and the inadmissibility of the death penalty.
The term "catechism" refers to a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in catechesis or Christian religious teaching of children and adult converts. Catechisms are doctrinal manuals, often in the form of questions followed by answers to be memorised. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek "katēchéō", meaning "to teach orally".
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Catechism is a set of instructions to explain the Catholic faith
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, often referred to as "the Catechism", is a text that summarises the essential teachings of the Catholic Church. It was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Catechism is an organised presentation of the Catholic faith and morals, derived from Scripture and tradition. It is a reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine, particularly for preparing local catechisms.
The Catechism is a set of instructions that explain the Catholic faith. It is not meant to be a comprehensive teaching document but rather a summary of key teachings that are easily accessible for Catholics. The Catechism includes 2865 paragraphs, divided into four principal parts: the Profession of Faith (the Creed), the Celebration of the Christian Mystery (the Sacraments), Life in Christ, and Christian Prayer (including the Lord's Prayer). Each part explains a different aspect of the faith.
Catechisms have been used in the Catholic Church for centuries, with the earliest known catechism, the Didache, dating back to the 1st century. The term catechism refers to a summary or exposition of doctrine, derived from the Ancient Greek word "to teach orally". They are often in the form of questions followed by answers to be memorised, a format that has been used in both religious and secular contexts. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is considered a "universal catechism", as it is intended for use by the universal Church and serves as a reference for the development of other catechisms.
The creation of the Catechism involved bishops, theologians, and other experts who worked for over a decade to compile and organise Catholic doctrine. It was promulgated in French in 1992, with an official Latin edition published in 1997. The English translation was published in 1994, and the Catechism has since been translated into over 20 languages, with millions of copies sold worldwide.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is one of only two "universal" catechisms promulgated by the popes of the Catholic Church. The other is The Catechism of the Council of Trent, published in 1566. These catechisms remain among the most widespread among Catholics today, providing a set of instructions that explain and guide the Catholic faith.
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Catechism is a text that teaches the faith
The Catechism is a text that teaches the faith. It is a summary or exposition of Catholic doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the sacraments. The Catechism is a source on which to base other Catholic catechisms, and it was given so that it may be a "sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine". The Catechism includes 2865 paragraphs, arranged in four principal parts. The section on Scripture covers the Patristic tradition of "spiritual exegesis" as further developed through the scholastic doctrine of the "four senses". The Catechism specifies that the necessary spiritual interpretation should be sought through the four senses of Scripture: the literal sense pertains to the meaning of the words themselves, including any figurative meanings.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992, is the most widely recognised Catechism. It was promulgated on the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Catechism was the result of over a decade of work by bishops, theologians, and other experts who worked on a "compendium of all Catholic doctrine regarding both faith and morals". The Catechism is not a "teaching" document but more of a summary of teachings that are conveniently located in one place to guide the average Catholic. It is a "point of reference" primarily for the development of national and local catechisms.
There are two categories of Catechism: major and minor. A major catechism is a resource or point of reference for the development of minor catechisms. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an example of a major catechism. A minor catechism is a catechism developed for a specific region or local community. The Baltimore Catechism, for example, is a minor catechism that was very popular in the United States.
The Catechism is not meant to stand alone as the only reference for Catholic teaching. It is intended to assist those who have the duty to catechize, namely promoters and teachers of catechesis. Its intended readers are "those responsible for catechesis", namely bishops, priests, and catechists. The Catechism does not include a methodology for teaching; rather, it is a complete and accurate exposition of Catholic doctrine.
The Catechism is a text that teaches the essential and fundamental content of the Catholic faith and morals in a complete and summary way. It is a positive, objective, and declarative exposition of Catholic doctrine.
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Catechism is a source for other Catholic catechisms
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, commonly called the Catechism or the CCC, is a reference work that summarises the Catholic Church's doctrine. It was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992 as a reference for the development of local catechisms. The Catechism is a source on which to base other Catholic catechisms, such as YOUCAT or the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Catechism was created to be a "sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms". It includes 2,865 paragraphs, arranged in four principal parts, including Christian Prayer (covering the Lord's Prayer). The section on Scripture in the Catechism covers the Patristic tradition of "spiritual exegesis", as further developed through the scholastic doctrine of the "four senses". The Catechism specifies that the necessary spiritual interpretation should be sought through the four senses of Scripture. The literal sense pertains to the meaning of the words themselves, including any figurative meanings.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is not the first catechism to be written. The word "catechism" for a manual for religious instruction appeared in the Late Middle Ages, and the earliest known catechism is the Didache, written between 60 and 85 AD. There are thousands of catechisms in the Catholic tradition, with texts already appearing in print for the instruction of lay people by the early medieval period.
In the United States, the Baltimore Catechism, originally published in 1885, was the most widely used provincial catechism. Other catechisms include The Catechism of the Council of Trent, The Catechism of St. Robert Bellarmine, The Penny Catechism, and The Catechism Explained, written by Father Francis Spirago.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catechism of the Catholic Church was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992.
Yes, the Catechism of the Council of Trent, written in 1566, was the first "universal" catechism.
A "universal catechism" is a catechism intended as a resource or point of reference for the development of catechisms worldwide.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church originated with a recommendation made at the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985.
On June 25, 1992, Pope John Paul II officially approved the definitive version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
