What Is the Catechism of the Catholic Church and How Do I Use It?
A Book Most Catholics Own and Few Have Opened
Many Catholic homes have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on a shelf somewhere. It is thick, it looks official, and it is easy to assume it is meant for priests and theologians rather than ordinary people.
It is not. The Catechism was written for everyone — bishops, teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to know what the Catholic Church actually believes. It is the most reliable single place to find the Church’s teaching on almost any question, set out clearly and backed by Scripture and the writings of the saints. Once you know how it is put together, it is surprisingly easy to use.
What It Is
The Catechism is an official summary of the Catholic faith. Pope St John Paul II approved it in 1992, describing it as “a sure norm for teaching the faith.” The English translation appeared in 1994, and a revised edition followed in 1997.
It was written at the request of the world’s bishops, who wanted one reference book that set out the whole faith in a single, orderly way. It does not create new teaching. It gathers what the Church has always taught — from Scripture, the early Fathers, the councils and the popes — and presents it as a connected whole.
The Church has produced catechisms before. The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) did the same job for its time, and smaller catechisms like the Penny Catechism were written for children and families. The 1992 Catechism stands in that line. For how the various catechisms differ, see What Is the Difference Between the Various Catechisms?
How It Is Organised
The Catechism is divided into four parts, sometimes called its “four pillars.” Each answers a simple question.
Part One: The Profession of Faith — what do we believe? This part walks through the Creed line by line: God, creation, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and eternal life.
Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery — how do we worship? This covers the liturgy and the seven sacraments.
Part Three: Life in Christ — how should we live? This covers the moral life: human dignity, virtue, sin, conscience, and the Ten Commandments.
Part Four: Christian Prayer — how do we pray? This explains what prayer is and ends with a reflection on the Our Father.
The order is deliberate. First we learn who God is. Then we see how He gives Himself to us in the sacraments. Then we learn how to live in response. And finally we learn to speak to Him in prayer.
The Numbered Paragraphs
The whole book is divided into 2,865 numbered paragraphs. These numbers are the key to using it.
When you see a reference like “CCC 1514,” it means paragraph 1514 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The numbers are the same in every language and every edition, so a reference works whether you are reading a paperback in Melbourne or the Vatican website in Rome.
Most paragraphs are short — a few sentences to half a page. You do not need to read hundreds of pages to answer a question. Often a handful of paragraphs will do.
How to Find What You Need
Start with the index. At the back of the book is a detailed subject index. Look up a word — “purgatory,” “marriage,” “angels” — and it will point you to the paragraph numbers that deal with it.
Read the “In Brief” summaries. At the end of each section, the Catechism sums up the main points in a few short paragraphs headed “In Brief.” If you want the essentials quickly, read these first, then go back to the fuller text if you want more.
Follow the cross-references. In the margins of most printed editions are small numbers pointing to related paragraphs elsewhere in the book. If you are reading about the Eucharist in Part Two, the margin might point you to the Creed in Part One or to prayer in Part Four. This is how the Catechism shows that the faith hangs together.
Look at the footnotes. Almost every paragraph is backed by footnotes citing Scripture, the councils, the Fathers and the saints. These show where the teaching comes from, and they make an excellent reading list.
Use the glossary. Many editions include a glossary of terms. If you meet an unfamiliar word — “transubstantiation,” “concupiscence,” “magisterium” — this is the quickest place to check its meaning.
Ways to Read It
You do not have to read the Catechism from cover to cover, though some people do. Here are some practical approaches.
Answer a question. Something comes up — at work, with your children, in the news. Look it up in the index and read the relevant paragraphs. This is how most people use it, and it is a perfectly good way to start.
Read one part at a time. If you want a fuller understanding, choose one part and read it slowly. Part One, on the Creed, is a natural place to begin. Part Four, on prayer, is short and beautiful and is often recommended for those who find the rest heavy going.
Read a little each day. Several reading plans take you through the whole Catechism in a year, at around eight paragraphs a day. Reading this way, little and often, is far easier than it sounds.
Read it alongside Scripture. When the Catechism quotes the Bible, look up the passage and read it in context. The two books shed light on each other.
The Shorter Version: the Compendium
If the full Catechism feels like too much, the Church has produced a shorter version. The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 2005, sets out the same teaching in 598 short questions and answers. Each answer refers back to the relevant paragraphs of the full Catechism, so you can go deeper whenever you want.
The Compendium is ideal for a quick answer, for teaching children and teenagers, or as a first step before tackling the full text.
Where to Find It
Both the Catechism and the Compendium are available free on the Vatican’s website, and printed copies are inexpensive and widely available. Many people find a printed copy easier to use, because the margin cross-references and the index are designed for the page.
A Book to Pray With
The Catechism is not only a reference book. Its authors hoped it would be read prayerfully — as an invitation to know God better, not just to know about Him. Its opening words set the tone: God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (CCC 1, quoting 1 Timothy 2:4).
Everything in the book serves that purpose. Read it with a question, read it with Scripture, and read it with a prayer. You may find that the thick book on the shelf becomes one of the most useful you own.