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zerinus
Guest
I think you are confusing the Catechism with basic instructional material of the church. The role of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, initially, was simply to provide basic instructional material for use by new members, or those learning to become members of the church—hence the meaning of the words to “catechise” and “catechist”. In that capacity, I have no objection to a catechism. We too have such instructional materials in our Church. We have a book called Gospel Principles that is used to teach investigators and new members (“catechists” if you like) the basic doctrine of the Church. It is used as a text book to teach new members, for the first year after they join, the basic doctrines of the Church. After that they graduate to the Gospel Doctrine class where the text book of study is the scriptures themselves. There are even online resources for people who want to familiarize themselves with the basic beliefs and doctrines of the Church. You can see them here, and here. In that sense of the term, I have no objection to a catechism, and I am sure the LDS Church wouldn’t either. But the Catechism over the centuries has acquired a different significance in the Catholic Church. As the Catholic Church has over many centuries drifted away from its original home ground, the Catechism has acquired a significance that it originally did not have—it has become a standard document to officially and authoritatively define church doctrine. That is a role which we are not willing to give it. To us the scriptures (the standard works) are, and can ever be, the only source that authoritatively defines Church doctrine. There is nothing else that can ever assume that role.
zerinus