Best Source for Authentic Catholic Teaching

[jwinch2]

I consider it in fact a duty of orthodox Catholicism to be faithful to the Holy See. So while catechisms such as Trent or the Baltimore Catechism can be useful to study from a historical perspective, the one I believe we should be turning to whenever we have a question on official Church teaching should be the one currently officially promulgated, and that’s either the CCC or the Compendium, or local ones spawned from the CCC.

Interesting. I am curious how using a Catechism from an earlier period would not be faithful to the Holy See, when Fidei Depositum specifically states:

This catechism is not intended to replace the local catechisms duly approved by the ecclesiastical authorities, the diocesan Bishops and the Episcopal Conferences, especially if they have been approved by the Apostolic See.

Thoughts?

 

[Julia_Mae]

The CCC was written with a primary audience of the bishops .

You know what? People say something long and loud enough and they believe it. Believe as you wish.

…you are free to use whichever legitimately approved catechism you prefer. However, so is everyone else, and they are perfectly within the mind of the Church in doing so

Exactly as I said, glad we agree.

As I also said, the thread is for people to list their choices, it was not intended as a debate thread. Please respect the thread topic.

 

[jwinch2]

You know what? People say something long and loud enough and they believe it.

No. I read all of the documents first before I came to these conclusions, not afterwards and not just the parts you quoted. Both Fidei Depositum and the preface to the Catechism state that the CCC was primarily intended for the Bishops and catechists. In addition, both state that the CCC was intended for the development of local catechisms as does the final report of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985. Furthermore, Fidei Depositum states that the CCC was not intended to supersede earlier ones. Both Fidei Depositum and the preface obviously state that the Laity are encouraged to read the CCC, but neither state that it was the primary intent and neither state that the CCC is the norm for teaching the Faith, rather that it is a norm.

As I also said, the thread is for people to list their choices, it was not intended as a debate thread. Please respect the thread topic.

You should probably consider taking a bit of your own advice considering that your implications earlier in the thread that catechisms other than the CCC were somehow inferior which helped to lead the thread in this direction.

 

[Saints_Alive]

Best is subjective I suppose, but this one is hard to beat.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DYYTTK69L.SL500_AA300.jpg

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

One good example is the doctrine “Extra ecclesiam, nulla salus”.

I should like to point out that this has always been adequately expressed. From the Catechism of Pope St.Pius X:

21 Q. What is the constitution of the Church of Jesus Christ?
A. The Church of Jesus Christ has been constituted as a true and perfect Society; and in her we can distinguish a soul and a body.

**22 Q. In what does the Soul of the Church consist?
A. The Soul of the Church consists in her internal and spiritual endowments, that is, faith, hope, charity, the gifts of grace and of the Holy Ghost, together with all the heavenly treasures which are hers through the merits of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and of the Saints.
**
**23 Q. In what does the Body of the Church consist?
A. The Body of the Church consists in her external and visible aspect, that is, in the association of her members, in her worship, in her teaching-power and in her external rule and government.
**
24 Q. To be saved, is it enough to be any sort of member of the Catholic Church?
A. No, to be saved it is not enough to be any sort of member of the Catholic Church; it is necessary to be a living member.

25 Q. Who are the living members of the Church?
A. The living members of the Church are the just, and the just alone, that is, those who are actually in the grace of God.

26 Q. And who are the dead members?
A. The dead members of the Church are the faithful in mortal sin.

27 Q. Can one be saved outside the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church?
A. No, no one can be saved outside the Catholic, Apostolic Roman Church, just as no one could be saved from the flood outside the Ark of Noah, which was a figure of the Church.

28 Q. How, then, were the Patriarchs of old, the Prophets, and the other just men of the Old Testament, saved?
A. The just of the Old Testament were saved in virtue of the faith they had in Christ to come, by means of which they spiritually belonged to the Church.

29 Q. But if a man through no fault of his own is outside the Church, can he be saved?
A. If he is outside the Church through no fault of his, that is, if he is in good faith, and if he has received Baptism, or at least has the implicit desire of Baptism; and if, moreover, he sincerely seeks the truth and does God’s will as best he can such a man is indeed separated from the body of the Church, but is united to the soul of the Church and consequently is on the way of salvation

30 Q. Suppose that a man is a member of the Catholic Church, but does not put her teaching into practice, will he be saved?
A. He who is a member of the Catholic Church and does not put her teaching into practice is a dead member, and hence will not be saved; for towards the salvation of an adult not only Baptism and faith are required, but, furthermore, works in keeping with faith.

31 Q. Are we obliged to believe all the truths the Church teaches us?
A. Yes, we are obliged to believe all the truths the Church teaches us, and Jesus Christ declares that he who does not believe is already condemned.

32 Q. Are we also obliged to do all that the Church commands?
A. Yes, we are obliged to do all that the Church commands, for Jesus Christ has said to the Pastors of the Church: “He who hears you, hears Me, and he who despises you, despises Me.”

33 Q. Can the Church err in what she proposes for our belief?
A. No, the Church cannot err in what she proposes for our belief, since according to the promise of Jesus Christ she is unfailingly assisted by the Holy Ghost.

34 Q. Is the Catholic Church infallible, then?
A. Yes, the Catholic Church is infallible, and hence those who reject her definitions lose the faith and become heretics.