As the Year of Faith has been called by Pope Benedict to honor the 50th anniversary of the opening
of the Second Vatican Council, it also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the publication of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). This makes the YOF a great opportunity to take time and dig
more deeply into the gift of the Catechism as the universal standard of our Catholic faith and as the
authentic interpretation of the Second Vatican Council in matters of faith and morals. Here are a few
ideas for educating yourself on the Catechism!
Books
Nothing can substitute for the CCC itself. My favorite printed version is
Doubleday’s CCC. You can
also find it
online. And if you are interested in accessing every footnote referenced in the CCC, you
But just in case you think the original is too long, the Vatican put out a condensed version called
very accessible as a summary and mild interpretation of the CCC.
The CCC was written as a standard for more local catechisms to be created in various parts of the world.
The U.S. Bishops put out an engaging and interesting adult catechism based on the CCC called
United
Schönborn you will be getting not only a rich commentary on the CCC, but also insights from the man
whose influence loomed large in the writing and final editing of the CCC! Also look for his other two
A wonderful and concise elaboration on the CCC’s treatment of the Commandments is
The
Video
covers the history of the Catechism, then reviews the four pillars of the Catechism: what we believe
(Creed), celebrate (Sacraments), live (Commandments) and how we pray (Prayer).
Audio
Cardinal Francis Arinze offers an amazingly complete series of commentaries on the CCC that are
