What do you think?
Rate this book
The Catholic Catechism
"This volume is intended to meet a widely felt need for an up-to-date and concise source book on the principal teachings of the Catholic Church. Since the close of the Second Vatican Council, there has been such an accumulation of ecclesiastical constitutions and decrees and so many changes they introduced in Catholic practice that few people have been able to keep up with all that has happened... A parallel purpose of this volume is to offer those who use it a handy guidebook of the Catholic tradition, whether formally documented in ecclesiastical sources or implicitly accepted by the faithful under the aegis of the Church's hierarchial leaders.
"The method followed in presenting the Church's doctrine is a combination of history and logic. Doctrines are placed into a historical framework by tracing their origins to the Old and New Testaments and placing their development within the context of persons, places, and times. The doctrine thus becomes more intelligible because it is viewed in the setting of its vital growth over the centuries.
"The intended reading audience of this Catholic catechism are all those priests, religious and laity, and above all parents and teachers, who are looking for a concise statement of the faith they profess, the conduct they practice, and the worship they give to the Lord."
--From The Catholic Catechism by John A. Hardon, S.J.
"The method followed in presenting the Church's doctrine is a combination of history and logic. Doctrines are placed into a historical framework by tracing their origins to the Old and New Testaments and placing their development within the context of persons, places, and times. The doctrine thus becomes more intelligible because it is viewed in the setting of its vital growth over the centuries.
"The intended reading audience of this Catholic catechism are all those priests, religious and laity, and above all parents and teachers, who are looking for a concise statement of the faith they profess, the conduct they practice, and the worship they give to the Lord."
--From The Catholic Catechism by John A. Hardon, S.J.
624 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
79 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
John A. Hardon
74 books22 followersServant of God John Anthony Hardon received a bachelor of arts degree from John Carroll University in 1936. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in the same year, and received a Masters degree from Loyola in 1941, during his formation.
He was ordained on June 18, 1947 and then sent for doctoral studies To the pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He received his doctorate in sacred theology in 1951.
He professed final vows as a Jesuit on February 2, 1953. He was already serving as a professor, teaching from 1951 to 1990. Father Hardon continued to teach after that time, including distance education courses in print and by teleconference.
His Catholic Catechism was written at the request of Pope Paul VI, and he consulted on the Catechism of the Catholic Church which was promulgated by Pope John Paul II. He was selected to write the catechetical training program for Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, and that work became the foundation of the Marian Catechists apostolate.
He received the Papal Medal in 1951, a Catholic press Association award in 1973, the Cardinal Wright award from the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars in 1984, and the Maximilian Kolbe Award in Mariology in 1990.
His cause for beatification and canonization is currently open.
He was ordained on June 18, 1947 and then sent for doctoral studies To the pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He received his doctorate in sacred theology in 1951.
He professed final vows as a Jesuit on February 2, 1953. He was already serving as a professor, teaching from 1951 to 1990. Father Hardon continued to teach after that time, including distance education courses in print and by teleconference.
His Catholic Catechism was written at the request of Pope Paul VI, and he consulted on the Catechism of the Catholic Church which was promulgated by Pope John Paul II. He was selected to write the catechetical training program for Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, and that work became the foundation of the Marian Catechists apostolate.
He received the Papal Medal in 1951, a Catholic press Association award in 1973, the Cardinal Wright award from the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars in 1984, and the Maximilian Kolbe Award in Mariology in 1990.
His cause for beatification and canonization is currently open.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 21, 2024
AN "ORTHODOX" CATHOLIC CATECHISM (PRIOR TO THE 1993 VERSION)
John A. Hardon (1914- 2000) was an American Jesuit priest, writer, and theologian. This book was published in 1975 at the request of Pope Paul VI, to counter the "liberal" tendencies in the church after Vatican II. Hardon also wrote books such as 'A Modern Catholic Dictionary,' 'The Question & Answer Catholic Catechism,' 'The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction, "This volume is intended to meet a widely felt need for an up-to-date and concise source book on the principal teachings of the Catholic Church. Since... the Second Vatican Council, there [have] been... so many changes ... introduced in Catholic practice that few people have been able to keep up with all that has happened... A parallel purpose of this volume, therefore, is to offer those who use it a handy guidebook of the Catholic tradition... Hopefully it will answer to the desire of many for an expression of their corporate religious convictions." (Pg. 20-21)
He says about the four gospels, "they were also different men writing, for different churches and affected by the believing communities in which they wrote. They also had various purposes in view, like Matthew to vindicate Christ's fulfillment of the prophets, and Luke to indicate Christ's mission to all mankind. They had to choose among many events and, in choosing, exercised their freedom in dissimilar ways. They culled from numerous witnesses, who would naturally remember different things." (Pg. 52)
He argues, "Although Jesus never said outright, 'I am the Son of God,' he did better (in view of the ambiguity of the term) by revealing an intimacy between himself and the Father that could only mean an identity of nature with the Father." (Pg. 114)
He states, "Since there is no question about the endless duration of heaven, we must say the same about hell." (Pg. 269)
Of divorce, he observes, "The Catholic Church has interpreted these passages in the Gospels [Mt 5:32, Mk 10:12] to mean that two baptized people who contract a valid marriage and have consummated their union by intercourse after marriage cannot be allowed to remarry during the lifetime of their Christian spouse... the Church does not consider an exception, as though Christian spouses could not only separate for such reasons as infidelity (which separation Christ permits) but also remarry. Besides the logic of the situation.... we know that neither Mark nor Luke nor Paul, who report the Savior's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, give any hint of an exception." (Pg. 357)
On the prohibition of birth control in "Humanae Vitae" and its relation to conscience, he says, "Without exception, all the statements of episcopal conferences reacting to Humanae Vitae brought up the matter of conscience... the bishops showed genuine concern for married couples in today's society. They explained that Humanae Vitae does not undertake to judge the consciences of individuals but to set forth the authentic teaching of the Church, which Catholics believe interprets the divine law to which conscience should be conformed. Those who have resorted to artificial conception were urged never to lose heart but to continue to take full advantage of the strength that comes from the sacrament of penance, and the grace, healing, and peace of the Eucharist." (Pg. 380-381)
He notes, "Gambling is also permissible by Catholic moral standards, provided the one who gambles with the stakes really owns them, if there is no fraud involved, and if all who participate have the same basic chance of winning or losing.... But it is hard to defend those who gamble regularly. When respectable citizens encourage gambling institutions by attending them, they scandalize others who do not have the same self-control, and they help foster one phase of recreation that is closely tied in with gangsterism and other social crimes. Where gambling is prevalent, the moral tone of a community is generally lowered and the door easily opened to racketeering, and civil corruption." (Pg. 399)
He points out, "The Catholic Church also recognizes as valid baptism the ceremony properly performed by ministers who are not Roman Catholic. Unlike some denominations in the Protestant tradition, however, the Catholic Church has always considered the baptism of infants to be valid. In fact, she requires infants to be solemnly baptized as soon after birth as conveniently possible." (Pg. 505)
This book remains a valid tool for exposition of Catholic doctrine; even in the wake of the publication of Catechism of the Catholic Church.
John A. Hardon (1914- 2000) was an American Jesuit priest, writer, and theologian. This book was published in 1975 at the request of Pope Paul VI, to counter the "liberal" tendencies in the church after Vatican II. Hardon also wrote books such as 'A Modern Catholic Dictionary,' 'The Question & Answer Catholic Catechism,' 'The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction, "This volume is intended to meet a widely felt need for an up-to-date and concise source book on the principal teachings of the Catholic Church. Since... the Second Vatican Council, there [have] been... so many changes ... introduced in Catholic practice that few people have been able to keep up with all that has happened... A parallel purpose of this volume, therefore, is to offer those who use it a handy guidebook of the Catholic tradition... Hopefully it will answer to the desire of many for an expression of their corporate religious convictions." (Pg. 20-21)
He says about the four gospels, "they were also different men writing, for different churches and affected by the believing communities in which they wrote. They also had various purposes in view, like Matthew to vindicate Christ's fulfillment of the prophets, and Luke to indicate Christ's mission to all mankind. They had to choose among many events and, in choosing, exercised their freedom in dissimilar ways. They culled from numerous witnesses, who would naturally remember different things." (Pg. 52)
He argues, "Although Jesus never said outright, 'I am the Son of God,' he did better (in view of the ambiguity of the term) by revealing an intimacy between himself and the Father that could only mean an identity of nature with the Father." (Pg. 114)
He states, "Since there is no question about the endless duration of heaven, we must say the same about hell." (Pg. 269)
Of divorce, he observes, "The Catholic Church has interpreted these passages in the Gospels [Mt 5:32, Mk 10:12] to mean that two baptized people who contract a valid marriage and have consummated their union by intercourse after marriage cannot be allowed to remarry during the lifetime of their Christian spouse... the Church does not consider an exception, as though Christian spouses could not only separate for such reasons as infidelity (which separation Christ permits) but also remarry. Besides the logic of the situation.... we know that neither Mark nor Luke nor Paul, who report the Savior's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, give any hint of an exception." (Pg. 357)
On the prohibition of birth control in "Humanae Vitae" and its relation to conscience, he says, "Without exception, all the statements of episcopal conferences reacting to Humanae Vitae brought up the matter of conscience... the bishops showed genuine concern for married couples in today's society. They explained that Humanae Vitae does not undertake to judge the consciences of individuals but to set forth the authentic teaching of the Church, which Catholics believe interprets the divine law to which conscience should be conformed. Those who have resorted to artificial conception were urged never to lose heart but to continue to take full advantage of the strength that comes from the sacrament of penance, and the grace, healing, and peace of the Eucharist." (Pg. 380-381)
He notes, "Gambling is also permissible by Catholic moral standards, provided the one who gambles with the stakes really owns them, if there is no fraud involved, and if all who participate have the same basic chance of winning or losing.... But it is hard to defend those who gamble regularly. When respectable citizens encourage gambling institutions by attending them, they scandalize others who do not have the same self-control, and they help foster one phase of recreation that is closely tied in with gangsterism and other social crimes. Where gambling is prevalent, the moral tone of a community is generally lowered and the door easily opened to racketeering, and civil corruption." (Pg. 399)
He points out, "The Catholic Church also recognizes as valid baptism the ceremony properly performed by ministers who are not Roman Catholic. Unlike some denominations in the Protestant tradition, however, the Catholic Church has always considered the baptism of infants to be valid. In fact, she requires infants to be solemnly baptized as soon after birth as conveniently possible." (Pg. 505)
This book remains a valid tool for exposition of Catholic doctrine; even in the wake of the publication of Catechism of the Catholic Church.
June 2, 2025
I think of a catechism as a tool used to teach an initiate the Catholic Christian faith once he or she has chosen to become Christian. In that sense, this book is a failure; the author seems more interested in debating theology than in teaching novices the faith. Trying to imagine a group of initiates for whom this catechism would be appropriate, I see a class consisting of doctoral students of history, philosophy or theology.
The presentation is very legalistic, often citing as precedents the results of previous councils, early Christians (e.g., St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom), and sometimes the Bible. The writing is dense, hence, my suggestion that it is aimed at PhD candidates.
I found the St. John Paul Catechism (ISBN 9780879739768) to be far more enlightening.
The presentation is very legalistic, often citing as precedents the results of previous councils, early Christians (e.g., St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom), and sometimes the Bible. The writing is dense, hence, my suggestion that it is aimed at PhD candidates.
I found the St. John Paul Catechism (ISBN 9780879739768) to be far more enlightening.
January 16, 2023
Just a little background: this is coming from the perspective of someone who was forced to read this for school. I typically consider myself a bit more liberal and I am not Catholic but evangelical. If I was reading this book for fun, this is exactly how I would rate it. However, since this was for educational purposes, I would give it more like a 3 because it did teach me a lot about the ins and outs of being a Catholic believer. I find that this is a fair rating because I did in fact read this book cover-to-cover. Definitely stick to a schedule if you plan on reading this. For example, read 2 chapters a week or something. This is very heavy so make sure you know what you're getting into.
September 22, 2023
A practical summation of Catholic dogma to which every member should adhere. The theology is concise, sometimes difficult, but always enlightening. The minutiae down to which guidance is offered, makes one realize the sinfulness of man and the necessity to live in a state of grace by sacrificing what is fundamentally detrimental to our souls.
January 4, 2025
The first section really lays the ground work for the rest of the Catechism. I found that the commandments section was a bit hard to get through given its length, but otherwise very profound and helpful!
June 24, 2018
Great Resource
Father Hardon does a great job explaining the faith in an easy to understand manner. I would recommend this book to any Catholic.
Father Hardon does a great job explaining the faith in an easy to understand manner. I would recommend this book to any Catholic.
December 7, 2022
Brilliant book that goes into much greater detail than the current catechism. I strongly recommend reading it after you’ve read the current version. Fr John Hardon SJ is the man!
September 6, 2024
Four stars for everything up to page 440 (around 75 percent), which is the first two parts of the book ('Doctrines of the Faith' and 'Morality and the Spiritual Life'). In the third part you can tell Fr. Hardon, S.J. was much more optimistic about the potential fruits of the "Springtime of Vatican 2" at the time he wrote this in 1975.
May 31, 2007
Written almost 20 years before the official Catechism of the Catholic Church was issued - and intended to fill the need that existed at the time for a guide to the Church's teachings - John Hardon's "Catholic Catechism" remains an excellent guide to the teachings, doctrines, and practices of the Catholic Church.
June 5, 2007
Written almost 20 years before the official Catechism of the Catholic Church was issued - and intended to fill the need that existed at the time for a guide to the Church's teachings - John Hardon's "Catholic Catechism" remains an excellent guide to the teachings, doctrines, and practices of the Catholic Church.
June 11, 2008
This is my schoolbook for the theology courses I've been taking from Catholic Distance University. It's a wonderful read and I couldnt' recommend it any more highly to anyone who would like to become familiar with the Catholic faith.
Read
October 30, 2016Written with American spellings ;
Similar structure to Newman's essay which provided a structure ;
Not f quick reading ; In more depth than mid-secondary education ;
Appealing to some Anglican & Lutheran theologians ;
December 14, 2009
Very good reference.
Want to read
April 14, 2015On page 150
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews