Catechism

An introduction to the Catechism - the Catholic Church's teaching document.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the Church’s teaching document. It is arranged in four main parts:

  • The Profession of Faith – The Creed
  • The Celebration of the Christian Mystery – The Sacred Liturgy, especially the Sacraments
  • Life in Christ – including the Ten Commandments
  • Christian Prayer – including The Lord’s Prayer

When presenting the Compendium of the Catechism in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI described it as being for “every human being, who, in a world of distractions desires to know the Way of Life, the Truth, entrusted by God to His Son’s Church.”

The Catechism was first published in French in 1992 with the authorisation of Pope John Paul II.

An official text in Latin appeared in 1997. Since then, it has been translated into many other languages, including English, and has become an instant bestseller in each.

Link

There is a helpful A-Z index of the Catechism on vatican.va