This list is a response to the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, and his call that "everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations the faith of all times." (Porta Fidei, 7)

The books focus on presenting the reasonableness and the beauty of the Catholic faith. They treat of the content of the faith ("fides quae") and the act of belief ("fides qua").

This is a meant to be a short list: these are some of the most essential books that you can use as a starting point for acquiring a deeper knowledge of and love for the faith. In addition to the books listed below, other obvious sources include the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (or Compendium), the documents of Vatican II, and writings of the Fathers of the Church.

"We must not forget that in our cultural context, very many people, while not claiming to have the gift of faith, are nevertheless sincerely searching for the ultimate meaning and definitive truth of their lives and of the world. Human reason, in fact, bears within itself a demand for 'what is perennially valid and lasting'". (Porta Fidei, 10)