The Catechism of the Catholic Church

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phoage

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My wife and I have started a program using a book called “A Year with the Catechism: 365 Day Reading Plan” by Petroc Willey (Author), Dominic Scotto (Author), Donald Asci (Author), Elizabeth Siegel (Author). So far it is wonderful and we plan to get a lot out of it.

My point in this post though is a reference in the two Apostolic Letters at the beginning written by pope St John Paul II. in these he states that this catechism is a definitive document, by the entire episcopate, defining Catholic belief in faith and morals. He signed both letters.

Does this make the current CCC an infallible teaching?

Patrick
AMDG
 
Awesome! I didn’t realize Petroc had put out a book on the Catechism. I hope it goes well for you!

The Catechism is not just one teaching but is a compendium of Catholic teachings. The teachings gain their authority from their original sources, not by virtue of being in the Catechism.

So, yes, it includes infallible teachings, and is—as St. John Paul II states—“a sure norm for teaching the faith.” But the Catechism itself is not an exercise in infallibility per se.

Which is not to say that there are passages in the Catechism that are wrong or that we should doubt. It’s just what a catechism is. It’s a collection of teachings gathered together.

Even the Catechism notes (in CCC 20) that some passages appear in small print because they include historical or apologetic explanations. We wouldn’t put those paragraphs on equal footing with those that quote from an ecumenical council or some papal pronouncement declaring a dogma.

Hopefully I haven’t added to your confusion. 😝 I’m sure it will become clearer as your study moves forward.
 
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How long does it take each day? I might be interested in doing something like this as I investigate Catholicism.
 
The readings in the book are one page per day, about 10 minutes. But they refer to sections of the CCC which vary in length for reading. We started Jan 1 so we are only four pages into the book but that covers 2 Apostolic Letters, the first of which, Fidei Depositum, took about 30-40 minutes for me to read.

Patrick
AMDG
 
Is it primarily on how to live out the doctrines in the CCC or on their origins?
 
That sounds like a great book.

Definitely adding that one to my reading list.

Thanks for the post

God Bless
 
I am not sure I understand the question. This is from the book description at:
https://www.amazon.com/Year-Catechi...ocphy=9028031&hvtargid=pla-491551957842&psc=1

The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives Catholics everything they need to have a greater understanding of the faith. But reading the Catechism cover to cover can be difficult and intimidating.

A Year with the Catechism: 365 Day Reading Plan brings the treasures of the Catechism to aspiring readers in manageable, bite-sized pieces. Each day, a brief reflection breaks open the selected text, explains unfamiliar terms, and unlocks the spiritual and pastoral meaning. This collaborative commentary, written by internationally respected experts, makes the Catechism accessible to those seeking to deepen their own faith as well as to those teaching the faith to others.

Whether used alone or in a group setting, A Year with the Catechism provides a manageable and enjoyable experience. This practical handbook can be read alongside any version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Readers will discover the treasures of the Catholic faith and learn to appreciate the wealth of information and inspiration the Catechism has to offer.

From that I would say it is a bit of both but as I said earlier, we are four days into it and so I guess we will find out as we read. I hope this helps some.

Patrick
AMDG
 
MT1926 said:
That sounds like a great book.

Definitely adding that one to my reading list.
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Same here. One of the cardinals who helped draft the Catechism said of Willey that there isn’t a person alive who knows the Catechism better than he does. I’m adding this to my list of books to get.
 
phoage said:
Does this make the current CCC an infallible teaching?
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No. The CCC per se is not an infallible document but it does contain a summary of all Church teachings, both infallible and non-infallible.
It does not matter which of these categories a teaching falls under because Catholics are bound by both.
 
To anyone interested, OSV has just selected this title as one of their four monthly $3 books!

https://www.orderosv.com/offer/rfpjan19

Note, you have to order at least 10 books in any combination of the 4 titles to get the discount. Still, that means you can get ten copies of this book for $30 when one copy retails for $25!

I know I’ll be picking up a bunch of these for my parish (and probably a bunch of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on holiness—which I also highly recommend).
 
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Correct.CCC is not as such any new teaching or instructions to follow but only a proper compilation and the consequent explanation with regard to various matters Catholics are bound to take notice and follow in the light of mainly the Scriptures.
 
As Cardinal Ratzinger noted on the authority of the Catechism:
The individual doctrine which the Catechism presents receive no other weight than that which they already possess.
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He elaborates further on this point:
The catechism must certainly avoid giving the impression that all the statements it contains have the same degree of certainty. It would be neither practical nor desirable constantly to indicate these degrees (de fide, de fide definita, sententia communis, etc.). Rather, the doctrine’s degree of certainty should be evident from the context from the way it is stated, from the doctrinal authority of the statement.
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If I had one criticism of the CCC, is that it really doesn’t make these distinctions well, especially for someone who is not trained as a theologian.

Here is a helpful chart on the different degrees of certainty/theological notes:

http://www.the-pope.com/theolnotes.html
 
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Thanks for bringing up these Ratzinger quotes. I know I’ve come across them many times, and his line that “The individual doctrine which the Catechism presents receive no other weight than that which they already possess” is the sentiment I always try to convey when this question arises, though I forgot that Ratzinger is the one who already said it. 😄

For those interested, it is from the book “Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church” by Ratzinger and Schonborn (two of the cardinals who were probably most involved in the creation of the Catechism). This is reminding me that I really should read this book. 🙂
 
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