Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Summary: Boiling Down 2000 Years of Christianity in One Book
Review: The Catechism succinctly explains the Catholic faith. All Christians can benefit from a reading of the Catechism of the Catholic Church because is accurately and forthrightly explains much of the dogma that all Christians share (i.e., Trinity, Divinity of Christ).

The Catechism is broken down largely into three categories. They are the Creed (both Nicene and Apostles), the Ten Commandments and prayer. Another useful reason to read the Catechism if you are Catholic is because you will learn what your faith teaches you. The index is very easy to use and scripture citations are plentiful.

If you are not Catholic, you can actually find out from the source what the Catholic Church teaches. This may be very helpful in resolving some very common misconceptions often held about the Catholic faith.

The Catechism is easy to read. I would recommend using the index and reading it topically rather from beginning to end. Take small portions at a time because the reading can be a bit dense at time. If you read to fast in order to "get through" it you will missing some good stuff.

The Catechism comes very highly recommended.

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Summary: The church teaches....
Review: The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official summary of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet it is so much more than a summary. It explains the Church's teachings in a way that is both profound and accessible to readers with no formal training in theology.

It contains four major parts. The first part explains what Catholics, as Christians, believe. It uses the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed as models. The second part explains how Catholics worship God, with special attention to the seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The third major part explains how Christians should live their lives, and the Catholic teachings about right and wrong, as well as grace and sin. It explains how the Catholic Church interprets the Ten Commandments. The fourth part teaches Christians how to pray.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is written in a way that inspires true love towards God. The language is abstract, but does not always explain the reasons for the teachings either. If one wants to deepen one's spiritual life, the Catechism is a great place to start. If one wants to learn what the Catholic Church teaches in general, the Catechism is also excellent. However, one should not use the Catechism to look up answers to specific questions, nor should it be used to answer the question, "Why be Catholic?"

The book reflects the official teachings of the Church. It was written by a group of bishops under close supervision of a Vatican committee, and was approved by Pope John Paul II.

The Vatican has issued a revision of the Latin text of the Catechism. Future English-language editions will reflect these changes. However, the edition currently in print is the 1994 one. The new edition should be published in the spring of 2000.

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Summary: Mannys catholic experience
Review: The book Catechism of the Catholic Church is a real good informational book. You gain a lot by just reading this book. It answers some questions for example: Why prayer is so important in our lives or why some people critizise what we believe. By reading this book it can help you gain some knowledge that you havent inquired before. youl enjoy this book if your interested in learning about your catholic faith.

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Summary: A "Must Have" for Christians...
Review: ....especially for Catholics (at least those who support Her teachings). This book will help anyone understand what the Church teaches and why She teaches it. The writing is clear and concise. The thought behind each paragraph draws upon 2000 years of Christian truth. I would, however, recommend the second edition, the one with the green cover. It contains "The INDEX OF CITATIONS", which unfortunately, this version does not. This allows one to reference scripture, verse by verse, with a corresponding paragraph in the catechism. This will prove valuable when studying sctipture. I that recommend this book accompany every Catholic to any Bible study or faith group he or she plans to attend. It never ceases to amaze me just how little people (especially Catholics!) know what the Church teaches.

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Summary: THE CATECHISM AND VATICAN II
Review: 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.

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Summary: Outstanding catechism, if used properly !
Review: Some reviewers have given one star to this book because they misused it. Obviously, this book contains the whole teaching of the Catholic Church, and is therefore a condensed book with lots of useful references. If one buys this book for a child or for an adult new to the Catholic Church, it would be like feeding a 2-month old child with solid food. There are different levels of books on the market to introduce the Catholic faith to newcomers.

This book is a rich source of information for both Catholics and non-Catholics, who want to go deep in the teachings of the Catholic Church.

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Summary: Catechisim of the Catholic Church
Review: 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.

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Summary: Do not purchase!!
Review: Unbelievable. As a lifetime Catholic for 43+ years and just made my spouse recently convert, I wanted to purchase a book that can tell us about the Roman Catholic faith in simple words. Unfortunately, this book is a huge turnoff and extremely difficult to read and comprehend. I do not think I can find any text in this book that I can understand. I would strongly advise purchasing this 'informative' book on the Catholic Church. I wish I can find a book that is more to my liking.

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Summary: Title Tells All
Review: This is the Catechism. What you see is what you get. Before I bought this book, I thought I might convert to Catholicism, but after reading a considerable portion of it, I have decided not to convert. Too much of Catholic doctrine has no Scriptural authority, even in the Apocrypha. I will, however, continue to refer to this important book.

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Summary: Everything you've ever wanted to know about Catholicism
Review: If you ever wanted to know what the Church teaches and why, you can't go wrong with this new edition of the catechism. The catechism is written in a coincise and easy-to-understand manner making even the most perplexing doctrines and moral stances understandable to everyone from the layman to the advanced theologian. While it is not a thorough apologia for any of the topics mentioned, it provides a good foundation for anyone, Catholic or otherwise, to understand church teachings.