Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

What is the teaching of the Catholic Church ---?

Fill in the blanks. But how do we find the definitive answer to the question?

Is it a matter of canon law? Is it a matter of sacramental reality? Is it a matter of liturgical law?

The church has a body of teaching that is explicated through several sources. In 1992, Pope John Paul II promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in which could be found the body of doctrine as understood at that post Vatican II era. The catechism in fact was the result of a proposal of the Synod of Bishops in 1985 meeting to celebrate the 20th year after the close of the Second Vatican Council.

After the publication of the catechism in 1992, produced in its original form in French and translated thereto into other languages, the church accepted revisions to the text for clarification, and published the ‘Latin Source’ for what is now the formal text of the catechism. This ‘editio typica’ was issued in 1997.

In 2003, Pope John Paul II established a commission to draft a concise formulation of the contents of the catechism into a dialogic format. Thus, work was initiated to produce a ‘Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church’.Pope Benedict XVI promulgated this compendium on 28 June 2005.

It has been translated into English and is available through many publishing houses.

Read and reflect.