New Catechism from the USCCB?

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Distressed said:
A Protestant friend just asked me if I liked the “new catechism from the American bishops.” … Has anyone taken a look yet? I can’t believe I just learned of this.
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JMJ + OBT​

What I’ve read in it so far has been rather good, even great. 🙂 Though I’m far from having read it cover to cover (I have done that with the CCC 😃 ).

In Christ.

IC XC NIKA
 
I have had it on backorder for several weeks, still waiting.
 
I have it, but haven’t read it. I’m thinking it is a simplified version of JPII’s Catechism of the Catholic Church.

It’s been a year since I started RCIA and I have accumulated four book shelves of Catholic books and a very long list of more I want to buy. 😃 Providing that my eyes hold out, I should get them read by the time I die.
 
Distressed said:
A Protestant friend just asked me if I liked the “new catechism from the American bishops.” I explained that the both the CCC and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church are from the Holy See, not the USCCB.

Well, I was proven wrong – there is a new catechism:

amazon.com/United-States-Catholic-Catechism-Adults/dp/1574554506/sr=8-1/qid=1161234097/ref=sr_1_1/102-1722458-7248930?ie=UTF8&s=books

Has anyone taken a look yet? I can’t believe I just learned of this.
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It’s been out for about 2 1/2 Months and is good. I got one a few weeks after it came out. I hope it becomes the text used in RCIA, with the full CCC as a reference.
 
I got my copy directly from the USCCB. I just started reading it. I find it easy to read and informative with short stories of Saints, reflection question on the chapter. I t also has some good appendcies in the back.
 
Orogeny said:
Is this from the USCCB? There is an on-line version from the Vatican. Is this the same as the one that’s only been out for 2 1/2 months?

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html#The%20Sacraments%20of%20Healing
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JMJ + OBT​

Nope. The one we’re talking about is newer even than the Compendium, published by the USCCB, and is only available in print at this time (I don’t expect it will be made freely available on-line, at least not for many years; the need to cover publication costs through books sales will prohibit that.):

images.barnesandnoble.com/images/11350000/11354400.jpg

In Christ.

IC XC NIKA
 
Thanks for the update. Now a little rant.

This catechism and a matching volume of the NAB (and maybe even the CCC itself and the Compendium of the CCC – I don’t think the Holy See would demand much of a royalty) should be printed in huge volumes by some Catholic monastic group outfitted with printing equipment and knowledge somewhere in the USA.

Copies could be printed under a 501(c)3 tax-exempt status and be made available for a donation of $2.00 or less/copy in any Catholic parish office or parish bookstore in the USA. There should be pallets of them circulating througout the USA. Catholics should be bombarded with the books. Once the supply chain was in place, Catholic groups could buy the books in quantity and use them as evangelization tools.

It would be great to see a commerical during a Sunday football game by the Church or the KofC offering free copies of the catechism…

This is precisely the sort of place where groups like the LDS and the JWs beat the pants off the Catholic Church.
 
Distressed said:
Thanks for the update. Now a little rant.

This catechism and a matching volume of the NAB (and maybe even the CCC itself and the Compendium of the CCC – I don’t think the Holy See would demand much of a royalty) should be printed in huge volumes by some Catholic monastic group outfitted with printing equipment and knowledge somewhere in the USA.

Copies could be printed under a 501(c)3 tax-exempt status and be made available for a donation of $2.00 or less/copy in any Catholic parish office or parish bookstore in the USA. There should be pallets of them circulating througout the USA. Catholics should be bombarded with the books. Once the supply chain was in place, Catholic groups could buy the books in quantity and use them as evangelization tools.

It would be great to see a commerical during a Sunday football game by the Church or the KofC offering free copies of the catechism…

This is precisely the sort of place where groups like the LDS and the JWs beat the pants off the Catholic Church.
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Amen!

I constantly am distressed that I see JW’s with their literature, (even though it has to be bought) everywhere.
Why don’t we see Catholic literature everywhere?
Why does John Martignoni have to scrape by, just to offer free CD’s when we have a whole worldwide organization that should make things like this and support distribution like that.

It doesn’t have to be showy, shiny or expensive, just something printed that shows the faith and is readily available for mass distribution.

In Christ
Scylla
 
scylla said:
Amen!

I constantly am distressed that I see JW’s with their literature, (even though it has to be bought) everywhere.
Why don’t we see Catholic literature everywhere?
Why does John Martignoni have to scrape by, just to offer free CD’s when we have a whole worldwide organization that should make things like this and support distribution like that.

It doesn’t have to be showy, shiny or expensive, just something printed that shows the faith and is readily available for mass distribution.

In Christ
Scylla
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I think it’s because the USA is divided-up into about 200 (arch)dioceses. Each one is a little fiefdom with its own little king. Collaboration with their fellow kings has always been problematic.
 
Distressed said:
I think it’s because the USA is divided-up into about 200 (arch)dioceses. Each one is a little fiefdom with its own little king. Collaboration with their fellow kings has always been problematic.
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That’s right, kinda like those disciples argueing over who will be first in the kingdom. Sometimes it is up to the laypeople to stand up and unite. That is how places like Catholic Answers have stepped up when needed.

God Bless
Scylla
 
scylla said:
That’s right, kinda like those disciples argueing over who will be first in the kingdom. Sometimes it is up to the laypeople to stand up and unite. That is how places like Catholic Answers have stepped up when needed.

God Bless
Scylla
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you gotta be kidding-blame the bishops because they don’t hand out free catechisms?
who is going to pay for them? publishers don’t print them for free.
you really think Catholics, who support the Church to the tune of about 10% of what Protestants give, are going to contribute to a slush find to supply free catechisms?
most parishes won’t even buy textbooks, bibles and catechisms for their own parishioners in CCD, they think RE should be self-supporting and the parents should pay the entire expense.
You really think American Catholics, with this mentality, will give bishops the dough for this project?
right.
 
puzzleannie said:
you gotta be kidding-blame the bishops because they don’t hand out free catechisms?
who is going to pay for them? publishers don’t print them for free.
you really think Catholics, who support the Church to the tune of about 10% of what Protestants give, are going to contribute to a slush find to supply free catechisms?
most parishes won’t even buy textbooks, bibles and catechisms for their own parishioners in CCD, they think RE should be self-supporting and the parents should pay the entire expense.
You really think American Catholics, with this mentality, will give bishops the dough for this project?
right.
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Printing and distributing catechisms (especially their own where there would be zero royalty) isn’t all that expensive – certainly not if done on a national basis, perhaps with the help of a religious order or society using the Church’s tax-free status.

I’m guessing it could be done in quantity at less than $1.00/copy, FOB any parish in the 48 states.

I look at the money my parish wastes of CCD and RCIA and we could certainly afford a half-dozen pallets.

Ain’t gonna happen though with the 200+ fiefdoms…
 
Distressed said:
I look at the money my parish wastes of CCD and RCIA and we could certainly afford a half-dozen pallets.
CCD and RCIA are a waste in your Parish? Heavens, are they having class and keeping the lights on and ordering good quality textbooks then no one comes to attend the class? That is really a shame!

Perhaps you can help let people know that they made baptismal promises about teaching the Faith to thier children, and that CCD is going on right there in the Parish (with no one attending so it becomes a waste) that will help the parents to re-enforce the teaching of the Faith.

Then, you could go let people know that RCIA is going on in the same manner - that they can come to the Parish and learn about the Faith - that this is available for non-Catholics and for Catholics who long to know more about their faith.

In fact, if you will let us know where this Parish is, many on this board would be willing to come help bring people in to attend these programs!

On your other point…

I’ve never yet been in a Parish where if someone comes in and asks for a Bible or a Cathecism they are not given one… Sure, a group like the American Bible Society or the Gideons giving out Catholic Bibles and literature would be fabulous. Will you donate to support it? Just because a group is tax exempt does NOT mean it has vast stores of wealth.
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Distressed said:
Each one is a little fiefdom with its own little king.
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Distressed,

While I can understand your point about collaboration for the good of the Universal Church, and that this is, in fact, something that is one of the duties of the Bishops, I must object to your characterization of our Bishops as “little king(s)”, and their Dioceses as “little fiefdom(s)”.

I would rather characterize our Bishops as our shepherds, and successors to the Apostles.

See Lumen Gentium 20:
Therefore, the Sacred Council teaches that bishops by divine institution have succeeded to the place of the apostles, as shepherds of the Church, and he who hears them, hears Christ, and he who rejects them, rejects Christ and Him who sent Christ.
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LG 27:
But the faithful must cling to their bishop, as the Church does to Christ, and Jesus Christ to the Father, so that all may be of one mind through unity,and abound to the glory of God.
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See Lumen Gentium paragraphs 18-27 for further reading (including a discussion of your point on collegiality).

Again, my objection does not go to the the merits of your argument about whether or not the Bishops are able to agree with one another, nor to the practical, prudential, or financial considerations of publishing catechisms. I just wanted to lodge my objection to your characterization of my Bishop, to whom I owe my obedience and docile reverence. 👍

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program 🙂
VC
 
kage_ar said:
CCD and RCIA are a waste in your Parish? Heavens, are they having class and keeping the lights on and ordering good quality textbooks then no one comes to attend the class? That is really a shame!

I’ve never yet been in a Parish where if someone comes in and asks for a Bible or a Cathecism they are not given one… Sure, a group like the American Bible Society or the Gideons giving out Catholic Bibles and literature would be fabulous. Will you donate to support it? Just because a group is tax exempt does NOT mean it has vast stores of wealth.
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First, I did not suggest that CCD and RCIA is a waste in my parish – you did and that’s wrong.

I have never been part of a parish that gives out Bibles or catechisms.

Finally, your comments about the tax exempt status is also wrong. I never suggested that such status “mean it has vast stores of wealth” – you did and again, that’s wrong.
 
Distressed said:
I look at the money my parish wastes of CCD and RCIA and we could certainly afford a half-dozen pallets.

.
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If I misunderstood the above, please explain what you meant…

Machines to print and bind books are expensive, very expensive. To distribute those items also costs money. I’ve worked in distribution, I have seen the costs first hand. In order to purchase that equiptment and set up the facilities, the entity in question would need large sums of money. You did toss the tax-exempt phrase around earlier, and my point was just because a religious order or Parish or Diocise is tax exempt does not mean they can afford to set up a printing and distribution network.

Lastly, when I speak of a Parish giving away Bibles - I do not mean there is a rack in the vestibule with a “free, take one” sign - I mean if a person went to your Parish office or Priest or the DRE and said “I do not have a Bible, could you give me one?” they would not give that person a Bible? Wow, that is truly shocking. I live in a poor state, and we have so few Catholics here - yet, I’ve never seen anyone ask for a Bible and be denied. I’ve seen our staff go and pay full price at the retail book store to keep Bibles on the shelf for those who need them. When I went through RCIA (different Parish hundreds of miles away), a copy of the CCC was given to everyone, I don’t have that one anymore, I since gave it away to someone else…

I am sorry your Parish is this way, perhaps you could check with Bishop’s office about making some changes?
 
I think that one should not complain unless one is willing to “put their money where their mouth is”. Now I am not suggesting that anyone is not already doing that but if you would like to see distributions of literature in your parish I would suggest the following:
  1. Write a letter to the people of your parish with your concern that people receive such information for free. Request that the letter be published in your bulletin and request donations that are disignated to go directly to this cause. In other words, the parish could not spend the money for anything else.
  2. Donate money and time yourself to get this set up and going. Work with the parish administration on finding what literature to give out and how to obtain it for a reasonable price.
 
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