The Catechism of the Catholic Church & Apologetics

Guarding the Deposit The Catechism of the Catholic Church & Apologetics

Presented by: Edmund Mitchell

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

“Guarding the Deposit of Faith is the mission which the Lord entrusted to His Church, and which she fulfills in every age.

The principal task entrusted to the Council by Pope John XXIII was to guard and present better the precious deposit of Christian doctrine in order to make it more accessible to the Christian faithful and to all people of good will.” Pope John Paul II, Fidei Depositum

Catechesis Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church's efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ. CCC 4

“We do not believe in formulas, but in those realities they express, which faith allows us to touch. "The believer's act [of faith] does not terminate in the propositions, but in the realities [which they express]." All the same, we do approach these realities with the help of formulations of the faith which permit us to express the faith and to hand it on, to celebrate it in community, to assimilate and live on it more and more.” CCC 170

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I approved 25 June last and the publication of which I today order by virtue of my Apostolic Authority, is a statement of the Church's faith and of catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, the Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium. I declare it to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion. Pope John Paul II, Fidei Depositum

"We need to discover the catechism's pulsating heart. And what is this heart? It is not a dogma...It is a person: Jesus Christ!" Fr Raniero Cantalamessa

“The catechism was and is a breach in the bulletproof walls of indifference.” Cardinal Ratzinger in Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism

Intended Readership: Bishops, Priests, catechists, lay faithful, and anyone curious about the teachings of the Church (See Fidei Depositum and CCC 11-12)

Sources: Sacred Scripture, eastern and western traditions (Church Fathers), the Liturgy, Magisterium, Code of Canon Law, and the life and teaching of the Saints Origins of the Catechism

CREED LITURGY MORALITY PRAYER Part of the Father’s Plan prefigured in the Old Testament…

The Shema Code of Worship Morality in Creation The Hallel Psalms (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) (Leviticus 1-7) and the Decalogue (especially Psalms 113- (Genesis 1-3 / Exodus 20, 118) “Hear, O Isreal: The Lord our “And the priest shall offer the Deuteronomy 4) God is one Lord…” whole, and burn it on the “I love the Lord….Because he (Deuteronomy 6:4) altar; it is a burnt offering, in “So God created man in his inclined his ear to me, offering by fire, a pleasing own image, in the image of therefore I will call on him as odor to the Lord.” God he created him; male long as I live…” (Leviticus 1:13) and female he created them.” (Psalm 116:1-2) (Genesis 1:27) Brought into effect by Christ… Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Lived out faithfully in the life of the Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit… And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of the bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42)

Early Antecedants: The Gospels, Didache, On Catechesis by St. Augustine, Sentences

The Catechism of the Council of Trent “The Roman Catechism”

The Creed The Sacraments The Ten The Lord’s Prayer Commandments

***The Catechism of the Second Vatican Council***

The Profession of The Celebration Life in Christ Christian Prayer Faith of the Christian Mystery Structure and Method of the Catechism

The structure and method of the catechism gives us insight into the Divine Pedagogy of God

“O Timothy, guard well the deposit that has been entrusted to you!” 1 Timothy 6:20

Dimensions of the Catechism: Conciliar - Authentic fruit of Vatican II - VAII quoted heavily Missionary - Central nucleus of Christian proclamation evident throughout - Positively presents originality and novelty of the Christian proclamation - Gives open and constructive vision to the dialogue with non-Christian religions

Major Methods of the Catechism Primacy of Grace Christocentricty Hierarchy of Truth Symphony of Faith / Organic Unity

Primacy of Grace Creed 39%, Sacraments 23%, Commandments 27%, Prayer 11% First two parts take up two thirds = “God is first, grace is first.”

Christocentricity “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2

The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must always be made accessible, so that anyone can see that all the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love. CCC 25

“At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father...who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever."…Catechesis aims at putting "people ... in communion ... with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.” CCC 426

“In catechesis "Christ, the Incarnate Word and Son of God,... is taught — everything else is taught with reference to him — and it is Christ alone who teaches… Every catechist should be able to apply to himself the mysterious words of Jesus: 'My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.'" CCC 427

Hierarchy of Truth The mutual connections between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found in the whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ. "In Catholic doctrine there exists an order or hierarchy of truths, since they vary in their relation to the foundation of the Christian faith.” CCC 90

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the "hierarchy of the truths of faith". The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men "and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin". CCC 234

Symphony of Faith / Organic Unity This catechism aims at presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church's Tradition. Its principal sources are the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the liturgy, and the Church's Magisterium. CCC 11

This catechism is conceived as an organic presentation of the Catholic faith in its entirety. It should be seen therefore as a unified whole. Numerous cross-references in the margin of the text (numbers found at the end of a sentence referring to other paragraphs that deal with the same theme), as well as the analytical index at the end of the volume, allow the reader to view each theme in its relationship with the entirety of the faith. CCC 18

Four Pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Primary Threads Secondary Threads Trinity Grace Jesus: God and Man Symphonic/Organic Nature of the Paschal Mystery Faith Dignity of the Human Person Reasonableness of the Faith The Church

Part One: The Profession of the Faith (the Creed) Section One: “I Believe – We Believe” Section Two: The Profession of the Christian Faith Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Liturgy) Section One: The Sacramental Economy Section Two: The Seven Sacraments of the Church Part Three: Life in Christ (Morality) Section One: Man’s Vocation: Life in the Spirit Section Two: The Ten Commandments Part Four: Christian Prayer Section One: Prayer in the Christian Life Section Two: The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father”

Table of Contents: Illustrates the overall structure of the Catechism and gives page numbers. The Catechism is organized into four “Parts”. Each part is divided into two “sections”. These sections are grouped according to “Chapters”. And Chapters are broken into “Articles”.

Apostolic Letter Laetamur Magnopere: Apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II in 1992, this is the approval of the publication of the text of the catechism.

Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum: The apostolic constitution of Pope John Paul II in 1992 includes a brief explanation of the arrangement of the catechism and its importance to catechesis.

Paragraphs: These are the individual chunks of the content found in the catechism. When referencing the catechism, we cite using the paragraph numbers. So, “CCC 48” would be Catechism paragraph 48. Small print is used for extended quotations and supplemental explanation.

Marginal References: These are italicized numbers in the margin of paragraphs. These indicate other paragraphs in the catechism that relate to a word or concept on that line of a paragraph.

Footnotes: Used to cite documents, Scripture, Saints, Church Fathers, etc. in a paragraph. The guide to the abbreviations used is in the back of the Catechism.

In Brief Sections: At the end of each thematic unit, a series of brief texts in small italics sums up the essentials of that unit's teaching in condensed formula. These IN BRIEF summaries may suggest to local catechists brief summary formula that could be memorized.

Index of Citations: Divided into nine different sections: Sacred Scripture, Profession of Faith, Ecumenical Councils, Particular Councils and Synods, Pontifical Documents, Ecclesiastical Documents, Canon Law, Liturgy, and Ecclesiastical Writers. This is a list of all citations throughout the catechism. For example, one of the most beneficial ways to use this would be to read the Scriptures for the day’s Mass and then look up doctrine related to those Scriptures.

Index: Topical index contains major doctrines and other topics arranged alphabetically

Glossary: Helpful succint definitions based on paragraphs of the catechism and using the language of the catechism. It is important to note that “while the Glossary is faithful to the language of the Catechism, it does not participate in the approval of the text of the Catechism given (by) Pope John Paul II.”

**The use of small print in certain passages indicates observations of an historical or apologetic nature, or supplementary doctrinal explanations.

**The quotations, also in small print, from patristic, liturgical, magisterial or hagiographical sources, are intended to enrich the doctrinal presentations. These texts have often been chosen with a view to direct catechetical use. Tips for Using the Catechism of the Catholic Church in Apologetics

• What does this doctrine reveal about Jesus? What light does the Mystery of Jesus shed onto this doctrine? (Christocentricity) • How does this doctrine relate to the whole? (Organic Unity/Hierarchy of Truth) • Culture is a response to Revelation! • Propose the Faith, don’t presuppose it • Be able to quickly navigate the Catechism • Use the Glossary and Index • Use the Index of Citations to reverse search a Scripture verse • Use catholiccrossreference.com/catechism to search the catechism • Pray with the Catechism on a regular basis (Lectio Divina) • Read CCC 1-3 and Section I of each Pillar to understand the Unity of Divine Revelation • Memorize In Brief sections, significant passages, or concepts o The Plan of Salvation CCC 1, 26, 2558, o Four Reasons for the Incarnation CCC 457-460 o 4 Part Structure: Creed, Sacraments, Morality, Prayer o Apostle’s Creed, Church and Sacraments, 10 Commandments, Beatitudes, Our Father o Man’s Capacity for God, God Comes to Meet Man, Man’s Response to God CCC 27-73