Guide to the Catholic Catechism
The Catholic catechism is a compilation of the church's teaching based on the Bible, Christian tradition, sacraments and the writings of its saints. "The Catechism of the Catholic Church...is a sure norm for teaching the faith...and calling people to the Gospel life," wrote Pope John Paul II, the late leader of the 1.1 billion-member church.
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Function
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The catechism is the official "go-to guide" on Catholic beliefs. Its primary purpose is education--from school children and adult believers to lay, religious and ordained ministers. The religious manual is also used to research church topics and clarify the faith to non-Catholics.
History
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Although Catholicism traces its origins back 2,000-plus years to Jesus Christ, the first church-wide catechism didn't appear until 1564. During the Council of Trent, leaders created the document to counter the "lack of systematic knowledge among pre-Reformation clergy" and "neglect of religious instruction among the faithful," per the Catholic Encyclopedia. The Roman Catechism was authored by four theologians, edited by St. Charles Borromeo, and distributed in Italian and Latin in 1566.
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Types
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Some countries and dioceses have their own local versions of the Roman Catechism. For example, the Baltimore Catechism was used extensively in American Catholic schools prior to the 1962 Vatican II Council.
The Catechism Today
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In 1992, the Vatican released an updated version of the Roman Catechism. It's comprised of four sections: Profession of Faith; Celebration of the Christian Mystery (sacraments); Life in Christ (Ten Commandments and Beatitudes) and Christian Prayer. To meet the needs of a more tech-savvy church, it's also available online from the Vatican and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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