Compendium : Catechism of the Catholic Church

by Catholic Church, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catholics' hunger for the faith continues to grow. Pope Benedict XVI gives the Church the "food" that is seeks in the 598 questions and answers in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This 200-page volume offers a quick synopsis of the essential contents of the faith as promulgated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Like the 1992 Catechism, the Compendium has a four-part structure, and includes a section on common prayers and Catholic doctrinal formulas. Because of the question-and-answer format, catechetical leaders-parents, pastors, teachers, principals, and catechists-have a unique opportunity to dialogue with the faithful, and reinvigorate the Church's ongoing mission of evangelization and catechesis. Individuals can come "to know the unfathomable riches of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ" by reading, using, and memorizing parts of the Compendium of the Catechism. An essential tool for youth and young adults, the Compendium is the perfect companion to a youth or young adult's Bible, spiritual reading, or textbook. Catechetical leaders in high schools, colleges, and parishes will appreciate its versatility-as a reference book, discussion starter, or core resource for RCIA programs. Fourteen images taken from masterpieces of Christian art set a tone for each part or section. "The sacred images, with their beauty, are also a proclamation of the Gospel and express the splendor of the Catholic truth," explained Pope Benedict XVI. The Compendium of the Catechism was prepared by a commission presided by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Following the request for greater appreciation of the Catechism, and in order to meet a widespread need that emerged during the 2002 International Catechetical Congress, in 2003 the Holy Father established a special commission, presided by the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that he charged with preparing a Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, containing a more concise and dialogic version of the same contents of Catholic faith and morals.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Theology, Nonfiction, Reference, Faith, Christianity

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity. The Catholic Church is among the oldest institutions in the world and has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilisation. It teaches that it is the church founded by Jesus Christ, that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles and that the Pope is the successor to Saint Peter. Catholic doctrine maintains that the Church is infallible when it dogmatically teaches a doctrine of faith or morals. Catholic worship is centred on the Eucharist in which the Church teaches bread and wine are supernaturally transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ. The Church holds the Blessed Virgin Mary in special regard. Catholic beliefs concerning Mary include her Immaculate Conception and bodily Assumption at the end of her earthly life.

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a Catholic and you want to know your church better, go for this book. This is a compendium and prior to reading this book I did not know what the word meant. A compendium according to the dictionary is a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, esp. in a book or other publication. So, there is a thicker and more comprehensive Guide to the Cathechism of the Catholic Church for those who want to dig deeper. This is not a summary or an abridged but a compendium that hopefully will make you interested to read the thicker catechism. But if you feel that reading a thick book about religion is daunting, start with this one.

The format is Q & A and since I have been reading many other Catholic books and since I have been a practicing Catholic since the day I first came to church with my mom (40+ years ago), some of them are already familiar to me. So, what I did, I read the question first and if I knew the answer, I just browsed and saw if there was something that I could still ponder on. Most of the time, none so that made my reading faster. However, there were those familiar questions that I felt I knew the answer but it was also nice to be reminded and appreciated how the answer has grown into me since I was a kid. So, overall it was a positive learning or re-learning experience through reading.

Let me share to you those that I had to read carefully because these were the re-learning answers for me:

117. Who is responsible for the death of Jesus?
The passion and death of Jesus cannot be imputed indiscriminately either to all Jews that were living at that time or to their descendants. Every single sinner, that is, every human being is really the cause and the instrument of the sufferings of the Redeemer; and the greater blame in this respect falls on those above all who are Christians and who the more often fell into sin or delight in their vices.

Why is this a re-learning for me: I am more to be blamed than the Jews during that time.

395. When does one commit a mortal sin?
One commits a mortal sin when there are simultaneously present: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. This sin destroys charity in us, deprives us of sanctifying grace, and, if unrepented, leads us to the eternal death of hell. It can be forgiven in the ordinary way by means of the sacraments of Baptism and of Penance and of Reconciliation.

Why is this a re-learning for me:I thought that mortal sins were those against the 10 commandments.

396. When does one commit a venial sin?
One commits a venial sin, which is essentially different from a mortal sin, when the matter involved is less serious or, even if it is grave, when full knowledge or complete consent are absent. Venial sin does not break the covenant with God but is weakens charity and manifests a disordered affection for created goods. It impedes the progress of a soul in the exercise of the virtues and in the practice of moral good. It merits temporary punishment which purifies.

Why is this a re-learning for me:I thought that all sins that were not mortal were automatically venial. Those that were not part of the 10 commandments including sins of omission.

398. What are vices?
Vices are the opposite of virtues. They are perverse habits which darken the conscience and incline one to evil. The vices can be linked to the seven, so called, capital sins which are pride, avarice, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia.

Why is this a re-learning for me: I have a friend who loves to drink alcohol and he is saying that he is not sinning by drinking. He is correct but he is the only one who can tell if his drinking does not lead him into any of the capital sins. What I know is that sometimes he has hangover and int he morning he feels lazy (slothful) to go to the church to attend the Sunday mass.

There are many other questions that are nice to know particularly about the Catholic church's stand on arms struggle and work. I also enjoyed reading the Formulas of Catholic Doctrine at the end part of the book, particularly:

The three theological virtues:

1. Faith
2. Hope
3. Charity

The four cardinal virtues:

1. Prudence
2. Justice
3. Fortitude
4. Temperance

The five precepts of the Church:

1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and remain free from work or activity that could impede the sanctification of such days. Goodreads on Sunday if it makes me lazy to go to the Church?
2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year. My last confession was just last month so my next will be next year.
3. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter Season. If this meant communion, then I am taking it almost every Sunday!
4. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church. I do but I will be more serious this year!
5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church. I should be more serious about this as well.

Nice read. It anchors your faith really by knowing or by being reminded of what you have to believe as a practicing Catholic.

[Ali Jones Alkazemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leste den norske versjonen

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogma, like organised religion, gets a bad rap these days. But I must attempt to qualify my disapproval of this unfortunate fact by saying I do not mean that absolute dogmatism in any individual is necessarily a good thing either. Not when it facilitates bigotry, hatred, rejection of other faiths and value systems, or presumed entitlement. The whole “ours is the only way to salvation” gig has proved most costly both to the reputation of most great religions, and indeed humankind as a species in the broader sense.

Still, I find it hard to take seriously any so-called “spiritual but not religious” type claiming with a straight face that something as important as worshipping the Creator God (however He/She/It is conceptually perceived) can be wholly subjective to each worshipper’s whims and moral preferences. Just like any coherent and sustainable system or ideology, members need to know what truths they share and base their lives around in order for any enduring culture and theology to emerge. To wholly dismiss a doctrinally-informed faith as blind is naive, hypocritical, and smacks of wilful denial to understand the nuances of the world beyond one’s own lived experience.

With that then, I find this compendium of Catholic dogma to be a wonderfully invaluable text, both for the faithful themselves and also non-Catholic readers with a purely ecumenical interest in Church teaching. It lays bare, in short, dialogic structure, the basic answers to an extensive list of questions people might ask. These cover the foundational tenets, the meanings behind certain prayers so that we can be sure we know what we’re actually praying when we recite those “repetitious formulas” so reviled by the Protestant reformers. It includes the Church’s position on moral matters, be they legal, behavioural, sexual, etc. The commitment to honesty can be a bit scary for any less-than-stellar Catholic such as myself. It expounds upon the Seven Sacraments, the obligations so foolishly ignored by too many in the faith. In short, it could well have been titled ‘A Pocket Guide to Avoiding a One-Way Visit to the Inquisitor” if it had come about during the Middle Ages.

I actually read this for the first time back in 2017, following my true awakening into the faith I had been raised in only casually and fairly noncommittally. It was a very rewarding experience to revisit it, and also to reflect upon how my own spiritual life has developed since then. And so, to conclude, I wish to thank my Lord, Jesus Christ, for always staying my side despite my weakness in the face of sinful temptation, my propensity for lukewarmess, pride, anger, lust and distraction. In everything I do of value, it is through His love and guidance, and I pray that He continue to walk beside me, sustaining and deepening my faith. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this when it came out, flipped through it, and then put it on the shelf, where the poor thing was never moved until I gave an explanatory talk last night to the RCIA class about how to navigate your way around the Catechism (and other related topics such as Imprimatur stamps, etc.)

When I was looking through it this morning to attempt to answer a question (this group is sharp and curious, although I TOLD them I wasn't an expert on the Catechism, but was good at navigating the numbering system) ... anyway, so I was looking for specific info and realized I'd never given this a proper read.

The Q&A structure originally put me off, although now that I read the introduction I see it is meant to reflect an ancient style, to "reflect an imaginary dialogue between master and disciple ... that invite the reader to go deeper in discovering ever new aspects of his faith." And now that I've had more experience with having to answer the unpredictable questions that RCIA attendees ask, I can appreciate the format more. Also, it is intentionally kept brief, intending to spark interest in digging deeper in the actual Catechism.

Digging deeper I saw there are some very good features I never noticed. For example, although it has some absolutely gorgeous art, I never noticed that each illustration is accompanied by a thorough explanation, whether it be of the symbolism, related commentary, Church Fathers' meditations, prayers, or a combination thereof. Not only do these invite further reflection, they serve as examples of how to "read" devotional art.

Also, there's a nice appendix of common prayers.

I believe I'll be reading this along with my daily Catechism pages.

[Alan A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple Catechism that's good for both neophytes and long-standing practicing Catholics. It would be far preferable if people approached this, like the Baltimore or St. Pius X Catechism first before dwelling into the Pope St. John Paul II Catechism. Teaching in both secular and religious knowledge is pedagogical. That's what makes Catechesis so important: the offering of a spiritual formation to the Christian is fundamental to their faith and morals.

''But I, brothers,[a] could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready-''
1 Corinthians 3:1-3

[Tanja Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started seriously dating my now husband, who is Catholic, a few years ago, a close friend, who is also Catholic, gave me this as a way to understand my husband’s faith. This seems to be a concise, yet comprehensive, overview, of what Catholics are expected to believe. I was surprised at how much I, as a mainline Protestant, agreed with what is in there. Of course, there are some things that are challenging, like why Catholics are not to use artificial birth control. But I feel more educated about his faith and a lot of it makes more sense now. Thanks, Alice! (Who is not on Goodreads but really should be!)

[Yee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading this book together with Evangelium Participants’ Book . This book can be challenging to read but it's a great reference book. I feel it’s more like a pocket dictionary for me. A comprehensive guide on Catholic doctrinal teachings which can be used to clear my doubts or confusion for certain subjects.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ve got questions? The Catechism has the answers. Listened for 365 days with commentary from Fr Mike through Ascension Press Catechism in a Year. Truly a gift 🫶🏼

[Robbie Deacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is an excellent distillation of the most recent Catechism that covers all the essential teachings. It is nicely laid out in question & answer format, has beautiful full-colour art throughout, and has a helpful collection of common prayers in English/Latin at the end. Great read for Catholics or other people (Christian or otherwise) who want to know what the Catholic Church teaches without reading the full 600 page Catechism.

[Karina]

This little book costs more than the actual Catechism that it's meant to summarize. But I have the Catechism and it's a little daunting, whereas this looks manageable, and I like the question-answer format and all the nice color illustrations, haha.

This is good. I know that it's brief, and I still have questions about certain questions, but like I said, it's more manageable reading it in this shorter format, and I enjoy the illustrations, and the explanations of the symbolic meaning of these illustrations are fantastic.

Question 58 "Why does God permit evil?" isn't answered fully, because I know that there is more to it, having to do with the freedom of will. I guess I'll try to look up the full Catechism in a bit.

This in the Question 87 struck me as highly significant: "He [Jesus] was made true man, our brother, without ceasing to be God, our Lord." Sometimes, it's good to be reminded of the familial relation, and sometimes I can take this fact that Jesus is our brother rather for granted and forget the other part.

Question 90 says that the Son of God "knew fully the eternal plans which he had come to reveal". Right, except that if I recall correctly even the Son of Man doesn't know the hour of the end times. And also here I had a question if He knew he'd rise from the dead; and then duh! of course.

[D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting to see how progressive the Church is with interpreting the 7th Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Steal. Includes not using too much of our natural resources. Looking forward to the revision for the 21 century regarding the 6th Commandment, particularly for our LGBT community, birth control, and just generally a sex-positive approach to life.

Reminder of the 7 Capital Sins
1. Price
2. Covetousness
3. Lust
4. Anger
5. Gluttony
6. Envy
7. Sloth

7 Corporal Works of Mercy
1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty
3. Clothe the naked
4. Shelter the homeless
5. Visit the sick
6. Visit the imprisoned
7. Bury the dead.

7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
1. Counsel the doubtful
2. Instruct the ignorant
3. Admonish sinners
4. Comfort the afflicted
5. Forgive offenses
6. Bear wrongs patiently
7. Pray for the living and the dead.

[Marcos Petrucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exatamente o que o livro se propõe, o compêndio do catequismo da igreja católica traz os fundamentos da teologia católica.

Não é um livro para qualquer um, ele não vai te "provar" nada, não dá argumentos por A+B, é um livro que vem ensinar, trazer e condensar 2 mil anos de tradição, evangelizar.

Simplesmente maravilhoso ter terminado o compêndio. Se antes de lê-lo eu não sabia sequer o que era um sacramento, da presença real de Cristo na eucaristia, hoje eu me sinto muito mais seguro e consciente da minha fé graças a ele.

Sim, o livro não cobre tudo, não é o suficiente para satisfazer a vontade de aprender e crescer na fé, mas para quem não conhece absolutamente nada e quer ir na fonte: é literalmente a fonte (1 Tim 14:15)

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the one my husband and I read for our Understanding the Catholic Faith class (aka RCIA). The question and answer format is easy to understand and it's much less daunting than the unabridged version.

[Gille Liath · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was produced under the oversight of Pope Benedict (not the US bishops), and his fingerprints are all over it. Claiming to be a compendium or digest of the complete catechism, it seems to me to have an entirely different tone; not, perhaps, that the two explicitly contradict each other, but editing is a matter of what you choose to emphasise and there seems here to be the definite desire to row back on Vatican II that Benedict showed throughout his papacy. There is far less about God, and for that matter also much less about Man (these books are unapologetic redoubts of non-inclusive language), and the relationship between the two; instead this book majors on the worst and weakest part of the catechism, the rights and rules of the church.

For example where, on Society, the Catechism talks about social justice and solidarity, this one only mentions:
'...respect for justice, a just hierarchy of values, and the subordination of material dimensions to spiritual ones'.
In other words (and to quote Monty Python), 'Blessed is everyone with a vested interest in the status quo'.

And on the church, it claims that the Pope and bishops 'enjoy the certain charism of truth' in interpreting tradition, an apparent claim of infallibility much more far-reaching than before, and one that is obviously wrong and frankly ludicrous in the light of history. I don't believe that the church actually does claim such a thing, but the compilers of this book want us to think they do.

In short, it is a bunch of right-wing crap, and you are much better off sticking to the complete catechism. It's a nice book physically, though, with some good pictures.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did it!!
At the beginning of 2023, I thought I’d give reading the Catechism a try. Now, life happens, so I fell a few days behind, but today I officially completed the full 365 days! I splurged and got myself the beautiful Ascension Press edition, and I followed along with the amazing Father Mike Schmitz and his “Catechism in a Year” podcast on the free version of the Hallow app. Each session averaged 15-20 min. a day, and once it became routine, it became a comfortable addition to my prayer life. It helped ground me. As a “cradle Catholic”, it helped clear up misconceptions that the secular world loves to impose about the Catholic faith and taught me scripture, history, and sacred tradition that ccd failed to teach me in elementary school. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to strengthen their understanding of Church teaching or even to non-Catholics looking to learn more. As Father repeatedly said, “It’s not about transfer of information, but transformation.” What’s next? I’m not sure… maybe Father Mike’s “Bible in a Year”…

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this alongside the Catechism of the Catholic Church. While it could be a standalone, it's more a summary of its heftier counterpart and there are many parts that may not make sense without it. I like the question-and-answer format, and the summaries helped see the bigger picture of the Catechism's teachings. But I do recommend reading the Catechism first (or concurrently) rather than this by itself.

[Matthew Lauderdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when I first heard that this existed I thought it was a dumb idea. After all, why use a compendium when you can use the actual catechism? Well I was completely wrong about that. This breaks the material of the CCC into a nice question and answer format while giving citations to all relevant paragraphs dealing with the subject matter. It's extremely quick and easy to read and would make a good tool to use alongside the main book. I'd also highly recommend this to anyone intimidated by the size of the catechism and wants something a little more easily digestible.

[Roque Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente!

Este libro debe ser leído por cada católico. Requerido para fortalecer nuestra fe y conocimiento de la fe católica. Con conocimiento podemos ayudar a proteger nuestra Iglesia.

[Steven Westervelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning my conversion to the Catholic Church after being raised Protestant for 28 years of my life. Learned really interesting things for the first time while reading the Catechism. Never knew that the name Jesus means "God Saves"! Really puts things into perspective!

[Trey Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a decent summary of the faith, however, I would recommend the Baltimore Catechism instead. It seems somewhat rushed and needs to be revised; the Baltimore Catechism is better written and goes over the same topics.

[JhonyHandsome596 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This article is pretty much fantastic.

[Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good resource for the meaning an definitions of the many aspects of the Catholic Church. It is a supplement of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love learning the tidbits of my faith.

[Rick Lilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb summation in question and answer format of the much larger Catechism of the Catholic Church.

[Rachel Olvera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buen libro para referencia

Este libro está muy bien escrito. Explica con detalle información necesaria para contestar preguntas con uno puede tener en su fe.

[Željko Filipin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A summary of catholic catechism. Not an easy read at all.

[Richard Ripamonti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orthodoxy, need I say more?

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book to rush through but one to think about for the rest of your life. The more I read, the more I pondered. I will definitely read again.

[Skrc]

super za uspavat se i definitivno zgodno za imat doma ako djeca pocnu ispitivati kojekakva pitanja. inace, moglo bi to biti i detaljnije.

[Peter Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent version of the modern Catechism, in the traditional Q&A format.