Why is my Baltimore Catechism missing questions?

[jmisk]

I did not grow up with the Baltimore catechism. My parents did and refernece it jokingly occasionally but not as a serious source or catechism. I bought the first volume from the 2010 TAN books version because I’m a new dad who plans on home schooling my son. My wife was homeschooled and her mom thought them the faith with the Baltimore catechism so I know it can be effective . My question in in the 2010 TAN books version there are a number of questions missing. Whole sections of questions in some of the chapters. Where did the questions go and why were they taken out? Am I missing important information or was this a editing error? I don’t want to buy the second volume of this modern printing of it is a watered down version.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

There are different versions of the Baltimore Catechism.

In 1885 the original full version of the Baltimore Catechism was produced containing 421 questions. Shortly thereafter Bishop Spalding produced an edited versions containing 208 questions, yet he kept the original numbers so the question numbering sometimes skip several numbers. Thus in Lesson One the reader finds Q1, Q2, Q3, Q6, Q9. For whatever reason the shorter version became known as Baltimore Catechism Number One and the longer version as Baltimore Catechism Number Two.

In the 20th century the Baltimore Catechism was revised and expanded into 4 volumes. Whereas the originals only had a few hundred Q&A’s the revised volumes have over a thousand. Volume 1 contains 33 lessons addressing the basics of faith geared toward younger children. Volume 2 contains 37 lessons geared towards adolescents. Volume 3 is 37 lessons geared towards teenagers. Volume 4 is a kind of teacher’s manual or advanced studies book.

If I had to guess, what you have is the Bishop Spalding version of the original Baltimore Catechism. That is the version that skips certain questions but keep the original numbering system