Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: A Compendium of Texts Referred to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Rating:
Summary: A Promising Resource with One Serious Shortcoming
Review: The idea behind this Companion is wonderful: collect into one book the texts that are referred to in the footnotes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This would allow readers ready access to the church documents, biblical passages, and spiritual writings related to the material in the Catechism. BUT, this Companion includes only texts which appear as indirect references, that is, those indicated by "Cf." in a footnote. If a source is actually quoted in the Catechism -- even if only a few words are quoted -- that text is not included in the Companion. This is a serious shortcoming for someone interested in studying the background sources.

The book's Preface explains that it includes the texts of "indirect references," but I do not think that the title of the book makes this clear. The Reader should be aware of what is lacking.

Rating:
Summary: Great for your Tool Box
Review: This is a great resource book for use with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. When I am doing research using the Catechism, this companion guide saves time and trouble by giving you the MANY references right at your fingertips.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Companion to the Catechism
Review: This is an excellent way to see the thousands of sources that the Catechism relies on in transmitting the Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church to its reader. It is an invaluable resource for anyone who would like to understand the springs of Catholic Tradition as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.