Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a statement of official Church doctrine, published in book form.

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Origins, development and publication

In 1985, Saint Pope John Paul II convened a special Synod of Bishops to assess the status of the implementation of "Vatican II," a "ecumenical council" that met from 1962 to 1965 in order to "update" Church practices in the growingly secular world of the mid-Twentieth Century.

The 1085 Synod recognized the need create a working compendium (collection) of Church doctrine, faith and morals, with the goal to create a manual for what here we will call "life in Christ" according to Catholic principles.

The brilliant Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI chaired a small committee that guided the development and drafting of the Catechism.

the Four Pillars as the structure of the Catechism

In the introduction regarding "Arrangement of the Material (CCC p 4), John Paul II wrote,

catechism should faithfully and systematically present the teaching of Sacred Scripture, the living Tradition in the Church and the authentic Magisterium, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Fathers, Doctors and saints of the Church, to allow for a better knowledge of the Christian mystery and for enlivening the faith of the People of God. It should take into account the doctrinal statements which down the centuries the Holy Spirit has intimated to his Church. It should also help to illumine with the light of faith the new situations and problems which had not yet emerged in the past.

The Catechism is structured as follows:

Four Parts

Following the Four Pillars of the Catholic faith, the Catechism is divided into four main sections:

Part One: The Profession of Faith

Pillar 1: Apostle's Creed

Part Two: The Sacraments of Faith

Pillar 2: the Seven Sacraments

Part Three: The Life of Faith

Pillar 3: the Ten Commandments

Part Four: Prayer in the Life of Faith

Pillar 4: The Lord's Prayer

Online sources

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