Catechism of the Catholic Church (International Edition)

by Catholic Church

Publisher:

Libreria Editrice Vaticana

, 1997

Overview

Any study of Catholicism must begin with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Officially promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1997, it is the first “universal” Catholic catechism since the Reformation and only the second in history. It is an epochal work that expresses the tenets of the Catholic faith consistent with their articulation at the Second Vatican Council, while remaining in organic unity with the tradition of the Church, drawing in abundance on the sources of Sacred Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, the liturgy, and magisterial authority. If one wants to know what the Catholic Church teaches, the Catechism, as John Paul II stated, is the “sure norm.”

The beauty and profundity of the text is such that while it was intended as a reference work, it is often read as devotional literature, permeated as it is with a subtle theology of love and communion. It is nevertheless comprehensive in its treatment, covering everything from contraception to the doctrine of the Trinity, from Purgatory to papal infallibility.

The Catechism is organized around the most shared aspects of the Christian faith—for example, the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Our Father—and so is a welcome tool for facilitating dialogue between all Christians. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, oversaw the drafting of the text, and he has repeatedly pointed to the Catechism as a significant step toward an authoritative interpretation of the “Spirit of Vatican II,” toward a cessation of conflicts which have often rent the Church in the aftermath of the council, and toward a rapprochement with those Christians whom the council termed “Separated Brethren.”

Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a work that deserves a place in every Christian’s library.

Key Features

• Details the doctrine, dogma, and the basic tenets of the Catholic Church
• Presents an essential part of Catholic literature

Contents

• Part One: The Profession of Faith
  • Section One: “I Believe” - “We Believe”
    • Chapter One: Man’s Capacity for God
    • Chapter Two: God Comes to Meet Man
    • Chapter Three: Man’s Response to God
  • Section Two: The Creeds
    • Chapter One: I Believe in God the Father
    • Chapter Two: I Believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God
    • Chapter Three: I Believe in the Holy Spirit
• Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
  • Section One: The Sacramental Economy
    • Chapter One: The Paschal Mystery in the Age of the Church
    • Chapter Two: The Sacramental Celebration of the Paschal Mystery
  • Section Two: The Seven Sacraments of the Church
    • Chapter One: The Sacraments of Christian Initiation
    • Chapter Two: The Sacraments of Healing
    • Chapter Three: The Sacraments at the Service of Communion
    • Chapter Four: Other Liturgical Celebrations
• Part Three: Life in Christ
  • Section One: Man’s Vocation Life in the Spirit
    • Chapter One: The Dignity of the Human Person
    • Chapter Two: The Human Communion
    • Chapter Three: God’s Salvation: Law and Grace
  • Section Two: The Ten Commandments
    • Chapter One: You Shall Love the Lord Your God with All Your Heart, and with All Your Soul, and with All Your Mind
    • Chapter Two: You Shall Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
• Part Four: Christian Prayer
  • Section One: Prayer in the Christian Life
    • Chapter One: The Revelation of Prayer - The Universal Call to Prayer
    • Chapter Two: The Tradition of Prayer
    • Chapter Three: The Life of Prayer
  • Section Two: The Lord’s Prayer

Top Highlights

“When we pray to the Father, we are in communion with him and with his Son, Jesus Christ.^{33” (Page 667)}

“1. Be especially attentive ‘to the content and unity of the whole Scripture.’” (Page 32)

“Faith is man’s response to God, who reveals himself and gives himself to man, at the same time bringing man a superabundant light as he searches for the ultimate meaning of his life.” (Page 13)

“As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.^{107” (Page 36)}

“In faith, the human intellect and will cooperate with divine grace: ‘Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace.’” (Page 42)

Product Details

• Title: Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Author: Catholic Church
• Edition: 2nd Ed.
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Print Publication Date: 1997
• Logos Release Date: 2016
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Catechisms, English; Catholic Church › Catechisms--English
• Resource ID: LLS:CATCATHCHRCHITL
• Resource Type: text.monograph.catechism
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-22T19:22:52Z

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