John Hardon, S.J. book

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I just received a book as a gift. It is ‘The Catholic Catechism’ by John A Hardon, S.J. It bills it self as ‘A contemporary Catechism of the teachings of the Catholic Church’. It has ‘Imprimi Potest’, ‘Nihil Obstat’ and ‘Imprimature’. I have read only a few pages and it seems to be a good book. Can anyone tell me if it is orthadox. I have read that just because it receives all the above seals it could still be in error. Thanks for your help.
 
I have always heard that Fr. Hardon is great, and very orthodox. I don’t have his catechism, but I have his prayer book with meditations and I highly recommend it!

👍
 
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Lance:
I just received a book as a gift. It is ‘The Catholic Catechism’ by John A Hardon, S.J. It bills it self as ‘A contemporary Catechism of the teachings of the Catholic Church’. It has ‘Imprimi Potest’, ‘Nihil Obstat’ and ‘Imprimature’. I have read only a few pages and it seems to be a good book. Can anyone tell me if it is orthadox. I have read that just because it receives all the above seals it could still be in error. Thanks for your help.
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It is a good book. It was written before the currect Catechism of the Catholic Church. I have a few of them around here still and have given a few others away.
 
It is an excellent book and entirely orthodox. If I want a clear explanation of what the Church teaches on a certain subject in laymans terms, I turn here first.

Not only that, but this large book with the bright yellow cover and large red print (“The Catholic Catechism”) is an great conversation starter when carried about in public! 😉
 
I have Fr. Hardon’s Catholic Catechism and his prayer book. I’ve heard him speak at a couple Catholic home schooling conferences. He’s very orthodox and very holy. I would trust anything he wrote.

Mary Fran
 
Thanks to all of you. I have read a few more pages and find it well writen and easy to understand. I may buy a few copies for some of my friends.
 
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Lance:
I just received a book as a gift. It is ‘The Catholic Catechism’ by John A Hardon, S.J. It bills it self as ‘A contemporary Catechism of the teachings of the Catholic Church’. It has ‘Imprimi Potest’, ‘Nihil Obstat’ and ‘Imprimature’. I have read only a few pages and it seems to be a good book. Can anyone tell me if it is orthadox. I have read that just because it receives all the above seals it could still be in error. Thanks for your help.
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a WONDERFUL book. Father Hardon by the way was a REAL Jesuit, and a holy priest!!!
 
Fr Hardon’s Catechism was written before the current CCC had been translated into English and made widely available in low cost editions. It is a masterful compendium of Catholic teaching, unequalled (in my humble opinion) until the CCC. It was written primarily for education of catechists, which is how I came to find it. For the most part it is entirely in line with the CCC, although at times his interpretation is a bit stricter. The formation materials from his Marian Catechist training program are available at www.intermirifica.org and are still among the best you will find anywhere for adult education and home study.

As well as high regard for all his writings, and I have most issues of his magazine Catholic Faith, I have a personal affection and honor for him because he was instrumental in bringing someone I love back to the Catholic faith after a 30 year absence.
 
Forgive me, but even though this book is recommended for Catholics, I would not recommend it for Protestants who want to learn about the Catholic faith. I have found some of his statements easily subject to misinterpretation by the Protestant mind, akin to the rather effervescent expressions of St. Alphonsus’ The Glories of Mary.

God bless,

Greg
 
This book was instrumental in my conversion. I didn’t have Scott Hahn, Steve Wood, “Surprised by Truth”, etc. available-- that stuff was still several years in the future. But this work told the truth in an understandable way with support from Scripture and the Fathers and really made a big impression on me.
 
Fr Hardon is perhaps the greatest catechist of the 20th century. His different tape series are worth having also.
 
You may want to check out this website— www.therealpresence.org —which is full of Fr. Hardon’s stuff. I ordered some leaflets from Eternal Life on the Real Presence and Eucharist adoration that he wrote. It’s so good I’m going to show it to our pastor to see if I can buy a large quantity to put on the window sills at our church for people to take.

Mary Fran
 
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puzzleannie:
. For the most part it is entirely in line with the CCC, although at times his interpretation is a bit stricter…
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Yes it is a bit olde worldy, not a critisism, my copy is well thumbed but worth bearing in mind when you read it.

E.G. Limbo, what appears to be rather grudgingly Fr John notes that ‘The Church has never defined the existance of limbo’, and continues, ‘although she has more then once supported the fact by her authority.’

Limbo is purely theological speculation.

Its very Latin centered as well, numerous mentions of Roman Catholic Church where it should be Catholic Church.

E.G. CATHOLICISM - ‘The faith rituals and morals of the Roman Catholic Church as a historical reality…’

Apart from that, worth having.
 
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GAssisi:
Forgive me, but even though this book is recommended for Catholics, I would not recommend it for Protestants who want to learn about the Catholic faith. I have found some of his statements easily subject to misinterpretation by the Protestant mind, akin to the rather effervescent expressions of St. Alphonsus’ The Glories of Mary.

God bless,

Greg
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We don’t apologize for being CATHOLIC, sorry.
 
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JGC:
Yes it is a bit olde worldy, not a critisism, my copy is well thumbed but worth bearing in mind when you read it.

E.G. Limbo, what appears to be rather grudgingly Fr John notes that ‘The Church has never defined the existance of limbo’, and continues, ‘although she has more then once supported the fact by her authority.’

Limbo is purely theological speculation.

Its very Latin centered as well, numerous mentions of Roman Catholic Church where it should be Catholic Church.

E.G. CATHOLICISM - ‘The faith rituals and morals of the Roman Catholic Church as a historical reality…’

Apart from that, worth having.
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Well, hopefully a Western Catholic is ROMAN Catholic, unless they are of the Eastern Right. However, if one is from the Roman tradition, UNITY IN ALL WITH ROME: we are ROMAN!!, sorry if that may offend the so called: “American Church.”
 
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Lance:
I just received a book as a gift. It is ‘The Catholic Catechism’ by John A Hardon, S.J. It bills it self as ‘A contemporary Catechism of the teachings of the Catholic Church’. It has ‘Imprimi Potest’, ‘Nihil Obstat’ and ‘Imprimature’. I have read only a few pages and it seems to be a good book. Can anyone tell me if it is orthadox. I have read that just because it receives all the above seals it could still be in error. Thanks for your help.
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It read it in March of '03 and it helped me return to the Church after being away 20 yrs.

Steve
 
I’ve got both that & his Catholic dictionary. Orthodox is putting it mildly and I consider them literary treasures. They were part of the Intermirifica catechetics course and sadly that is no longer available. Fr. Hardon was a credit to the Society of Jesus

Pax Vobiscum. 🙂
 
Church Militant:
I’ve got both that & his Catholic dictionary. Orthodox is putting it mildly and I consider them literary treasures. They were part of the Intermirifica catechetics course and sadly that is no longer available. Fr. Hardon was a credit to the Society of Jesus

Pax Vobiscum. 🙂
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AMEN!!! Very few real Jesuits like that left.
 
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misericordie:
Well, hopefully a Western Catholic is ROMAN Catholic, unless they are of the Eastern Right. However, if one is from the Roman tradition, UNITY IN ALL WITH ROME: we are ROMAN!!, sorry if that may offend the so called: “American Church.”
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Not with you I’m afraid, the Catholic Church is the Catholic Church, the Roman Church is only one, albeit the largest part and it is the Church of the Pope (bishop of Rome) I refer to myself as a Latin Catholic, the Roman term is historically a term of abuse in these parts (Scotland)

The below may interest you if you are not aware of them

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_02051995_orientale-lumen_en.html
byzantinecatholic.com/radio.htm
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=233132&postcount=14
 
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