What is your favorite version of our Catechism?

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Eliza10

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I have, and have enjoyed very much Thomas A. Hardon’s Catholic Catechism. Here is a link to it in case anyone likes to read Amazon reviews like I do: Thomas A. Hardon’s The Catholic Catechism

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One reviewer called it:

" Far and away the best Catechism available. If I could give this 6 stars out of 5, I would."

It was recommended highly like that, to me, back when I converted in 2000, and I read it a lot then and have referred to it several times since. But I have not picked it up to read in sometime. Apparently it’s not something I do unless I PUT it in my schedule. I am finding that with other things. I want to make reading the Catechism through to the end, carefully, a priority in my routine.

So I still value Hardon’s Catechism very much, but I just ordered this one, just to be familiar with another version, and also because of everything in this description:

“The authoritative catechism produced by the Council of Trent and published by order of St. Pius V. was originally commissioned during the Reformation period, in order to explain the Faith clearly and calmly in the face of Protestant objections. It still serves as an excellent compendium of the Church’s traditional life and belief.”

Good reasons to pick this! It’s authoritative, it’s from St.Pious V, it’s from the reformation period (and I am a convert from Protestantism). And a bonus it it looks nice:

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Catechism of the Council of Trent

Things happening in Our Church that I love - connected very much to things that happened and things I was seeing when I converted to Catholic - are troubling. The good for me that has come out of my bad feelings about that is a more ordered devotional life. Also there is confusion these days, which is also troubling to me, so I want to be sure I have the truth in my own head, and besides the Bible, the other good place to get a good grounding in that is the Catholic Catechism. Also we are told we must be always ready to give reason for the hope that is within us.

Here that is; I looked it up. The words of our very own first Pontiff!:

15 But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you. -1 Peter 3:15

I find it is very hard to be ready to give reason for our hope to people if we are not continually refreshing our minds in the truth. And also, our standardly recommended Catholic devotions - Mass, Rosary, Adoration are the efficacious help we need to keep Our Lord in our hearts at all times.
 
Wife.of.Gabriel said:
I only like the CCC.
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This one?
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It sums up, in book form, the beliefs of the Catholic faithful.
Originally published 1992
Original language: French
[Wikipedia]

(also, you said “only like” - just wondering, are you saying you did a comparative study?)
 
Just to be clear: there is only one “our Catechism”, and it is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The catechism of Trent (officially commissioned but no longer current) and the one by John Hardon (not an official catechism) while possibly quite good are not the official Catechism of the Catholic Church. Only the CCC is currently authoritative for the whole Catholic Church.

Peace and God bless!
 
I like the style and cadence of the Baltimore Catechism. It’s like poetry.

The CCC is my reference book, and it reads like one too.
 
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I’ll be teaching 7th grade Religion this fall. This will be at my fingertips.
 
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Beryllos said:
I like the style and cadence of the Baltimore Catechism. It’s like poetry.

The CCC is my reference book, and it reads like one too.
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Hmm! Since you say that, I think I have it. I think my copy is a thick, small paperback. And I think that I also found it reference-like, and having read Hardon’s, which is so readable (and he is an esteemed theologian) I didn’t spend much time with it or refer to it again, and always referred to Hardon’s after that.

I wonder if I will find the Council of trent one “reference-like”? We’ll see.
 
prayerrider said:
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I’ll be teaching 7th grade Religion this fall. This will be at my fingertips.
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I haven’t heard of this one! I might be looking for a used copy somewhere, just to have one on hand to make comparisons.

Here are some reviews of that from Amazon (and yes, he was one of the greatest popes of all time so good reason to check out his catechism!):

“If you want a Q & A style TRUE (pre-Vat II) catechism by one of the greatest popes of all time, this is for you. Less then a half inch thick, it is light and easy to carry around for reference. Highly recommended.”

“This Catechism was written by Pope Pius X, and it was intentioned for the masses, and written at a level of question/answers for anyone to understand.”

"A very good Catechism for the Catholic Faith which retains it’s value even today. In the words of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI): “The faith, as such, is always the same. Therefore, St. Pius X’s catechism always retains its value.”

(Thanks for introducing me to this version!)
 
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I don’t agree with every single detail (like, burn Protestant Bibles!), but it is a superbly concise summation of the Christian faith and (big plus) written in Q and A format.
I actually heard some uncalled for bashing of that format, in reference to the Baltimore Catechism, at a class for diocesan catechists. Sad.
 
I have two different Kindle editions. 😊
I have the Trent in hardcover.
 
prayerrider said:
I don’t agree with every single detail (like, burn Protestant Bibles!), but it is a superbly concise summation of the Christian faith and (big plus) written in Q and A format.
I actually heard some uncalled for bashing of that format, in reference to the Baltimore Catechism, at a class for diocesan catechists. Sad.
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Wow, I am surprised on the bashing. I used that for my son, and it is perfect for a young child. Just perfect. i also highly recommend that!

Burning Protestant Bibles - hmm! I’d say not such a good idea! When I was a newly born-again Christian in college, (Protestant, having grown up Protestant) I was glued every day to The Living Bible. It’s considered a bad paraphrase version! King James is much better! But this had such a friendly readable format, and it seemed just for college students like me, and I loved it! I memorized so much of what I read, without even trying to. So, it’s God’s Word, even when it’s a bad translation of it! It blessed me. Now I like only Douay Rheims and King James. I am pickier now…

I am checking out used copies because I think this this straightforward Q&A version would be good (and readable) for my nephews who just got confirmed.
 
Pope St. Pius X wasn’t known for his ecumenical diplomacy, I reckon. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
 
prayerrider said:
I think the Trent Catechism is beautifully written.
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Good to hear! It’s why i like Douay Rheims and King James best. I like to have both around, because if it’s a special verse, i want to see how each translates it.

(Though occasionally I refer back my old Living Bible because I remember a verse or passage I first read there).

My husband occasionally CRINGES at the NRSV reading at the local Mass. I used to be impatient with his face palms at Mass, but then, occasionally, I would find myself saying “Whaaat??” Sometimes those funky new translations have word choices that are just plain ODD. And my husband is a linguist, and knows the original Latin (extensively) and knows when the translation is changing the original meaning. So I get it now (while also acknowledging that some others, at the same time, are not snagged by the word choice and can get meaning out of it.).
 
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I’m taking an Old Testament course online from Liberty University. I use whatever Bible is handy for that, even the NIV.
Why Liberty? Because the price is right, and nobody teaches Biblical exegesis like the Evangelicals (except maybe the Baptists). And I’m not worried about anti-Catholic slurs or anything. That would actually violate LU’s student code of conduct.
I’m also tired of the SJWs and the low low Christology I’ve encountered in online courses from certain Catholic schools.
 
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If only for the glorious language of Psalm 23, the KJV is worth having around.
 
Hmm, okay. Price is right is good, but being an ex-Evangelical myself, some of the Bible-based teachings I learned in Bible Studies and Bible conferences were misleading in my life. So now I want good solid Catholic theology. If I could take a course now, I would take something at New Saint Thomas Institute New Saint Thomas Institute. The theology is solid, and the price is supposed to be right (but I cannot tell you for sure on that, as I have not researched as I just can’t do that right now).

Also totally excellent is Jeff Cavins Bible Study. I have done some of that, and it is awesome. Both represent SO MUCH MORE than what I got as a Protestant. But there are good Protestant theologians out there, - though many of them converted to Catholic now! Hopefully you feel you have discernment in these matters.

[Yes, Psalm 23 is totally best in KJV!]
 
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