The Catechism of the Catholic Church

PROLOGUE

• I. The Life of Man – To Know and Love God
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  II. Handing on the Faith: Catechesis

• 
  

  III. The Aim and Intended Readership of This Catechism

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  IV. Structure of This Catechism

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  V. Practical Directions for Using This Catechism

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  VI. Necessary Adaptations

PART ONE – THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

SECTION ONE: “I BELIEVE” – “WE BELIEVE”

• 
  

  CHAPTER ONE: MAN’S CAPACITY FOR GOD

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    I. The Desire for God

  • 
    

    II. Ways of Coming to Know God

  • 
    

    III. The Knowledge of God According to the Church

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    IV. How Can We Speak about God?

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  IN BRIEF

CHAPTER TWO: GOD COMES TO MEET MAN

• 
  

  ARTICLE 1: THE REVELATION OF GOD

  • 
    

    I. God Reveals His “Plan of Loving Goodness”

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    II. The Stages of Revelation

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    III. Christ Jesus – “Mediator and Fullness of All Revelation”

• 
  

  IN BRIEF

• 
  

  ARTICLE 2: THE TRANSMISSION OF DIVINE REVELATION

  • 
    

    I. Apostolic Tradition

II. The Relationship between Tradition and Sacred Scripture

III. The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: SACRED SCRIPTURE

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  I. Christ – The unique Word of Sacred Scripture

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  II. Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture

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  III. The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture

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  IV. The Canon of Scripture

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  V. Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER THREE: MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD

• 
  

  ARTICLE 1: I BELIEVE

  • 
    

    I. The Obedience of Faith

  • 
    

    II. “I Know Whom I Have Believed”

  • 
    

    III. The Characteristics of Faith

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  ARTICLE 2: WE BELIEVE

  • 
    

    I. “Lord, Look Upon the Faith of Your Church”

  • 
    

    II. The Language of Faith

  • 
    

    III. Only One Faith

• 
  

  IN BRIEF

The Credo Chart

SECTION TWO: THE PROFESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

The Creeds

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  CHAPTER ONE: I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER

  • 
    

    ARTICLE 1: “I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH”

    • 
      

      Paragraph 1. I Believe in God

      • 
        

        I. “I Believe in One God”

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        II. God Reveals His Name

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        III. God, “He Who Is,” Is Truth and Love

      • 
        

        IV. The Implications of Faith in One God

    • 
      

      IN BRIEF

Paragraph 2. The Father

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  I. “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

• 
  

  II. The Revelation of God as Trinity

III. The Holy Trinity in the Teaching of the Faith

IV. The Divine Works and the Trinitarian Missions

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 3. The Almighty

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 4. The Creator

• I. Catechesis on Creation

• II. Creation – Work of the Holy Trinity

• III. “The World Was Created for the Glory of God”

• IV. The Mystery of Creation

• V. God Carries Out His Plan: Divine Providence

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 5. Heaven and Earth

• I. The Angels

• II. The Visible World

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 6. Man

• I. “In the Image of God”

• II. “Body and Soul but Truly One”

• III. “Male and Female He Created Them”

• IV. Man in Paradise

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 7. The Fall

• I. Where Sin Abounded, Grace Abounded All the More

• II. The Fall of the Angels

• III. Original Sin

• IV. “You Did Not Abandon Him to the Power of Death”

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER TWO: I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY SON OF GOD

• ARTICLE 2: “AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD”

  • I. Jesus

  • II. Christ

  • III. The Only Son of God

  • IV. Lord

• IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: “HE WAS CONCEIVED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND WAS BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY”

• Paragraph 1. The Son of God Became Man

  • I. Why Did the Word Become Flesh?

  • II. The Incarnation

  • III. True God and True Man

  • IV. How Is the Son of God Man?

• IN BRIEF

Paragraph 2. “Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary”

• I. Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit. . .

• II. . . .Born of the Virgin Mary

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 3. “The Mysteries of Christ’s Life”

• I. Christ’s Whole Life Is Mystery

• II. The Mysteries of Jesus’ Infancy and Hidden Life

• III. The Mysteries of Jesus’ Public Life

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 4: “JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED”

• Paragraph 1. Jesus and Israel

  • I. Jesus and the Law

  • II. Jesus and the Temple

  • III. Jesus and Israel’s Faith in the One God and Savior

• IN BRIEF

• Paragraph 2. Jesus Died Crucified

  • I. The Trial of Jesus

  • II. Christ’s Redemptive Death in God’s Plan of Salvation

  • III. Christ Offered Himself to his Father for Our Sins

• IN BRIEF

• Paragraph 3. Jesus Christ Was Buried

• IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 5: “HE DESCENDED INTO HELL ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN”

• Paragraph 1. Christ Descended into Hell

• IN BRIEF

Paragraph 2. On the Third Day He Rose from the Dead

• I. The Historical and Transcendent Event

• II. The Resurrection – A Work of the Holy Trinity

• III. The Meaning and Saving Significance of the Resurrection

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 6: “HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER”

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 7: “FROM THENCE HE WILL COME AGAIN TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD”

• I. He Will Come Again in Glory

• II. To Judge the Living and the Dead

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER THREE: I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

• ARTICLE 8: “I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT”

  • I. The Joint Mission of the Son and the Spirit

  • II. The Names, Titles, and Symbols of the Holy Spirit

III. God’s Spirit and Word in the Time of the Promises

IV. The Spirit of Christ in the Fullness of Time

V. The Spirit and the Church in the Last Days

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 9: “I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH”

• Paragraph 1. The Church in God’s Plan

  • I. Names and Images of the Church

  • II. The Church’s Origin, Foundation, and Mission

III. The Mystery of the Church

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 2. The Church – People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit

• I. The Church – People of God

• II. The Church – Body of Christ

• III. The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 3. The Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

• I. The Church Is One

• II. The Church Is Holy

III. The Church Is Catholic

IV. The Church Is Apostolic

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 4. Christ’s Faithful – Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life

• I. The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church

II. The Lay Faithful

III. The Consecrated Life

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 5. The Communion of Saints

• I. Communion in Spiritual Goods

• II. The Communion of the Church of Heaven and Earth

IN BRIEF

Paragraph 6. Mary – Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church

• I. Mary’s Motherhood with Regard to the Church

• II. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

• III. Mary – Eschatological Icon of the Church

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 10: “I BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS”

• I. One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins

• II. The Power of the Keys

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 11: “I BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY”

• I. Christ’s Resurrection and Ours

II. Dying in Jesus Christ

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 12: “I BELIEVE IN LIFE EVERLASTING”

• I. The Particular Judgement

• II. Heaven

• III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory

• IV. Hell

• V. The Last Judgement

• VI. The Hope of the New Heaven and the New Earth

IN BRIEF

“Amen”

PART TWO – THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY

CHAPTER ONE: THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE AGE OF THE CHURCH

• ARTICLE 1: THE LITURGY – WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY

  • I. The Father – Source and Goal of the Liturgy

  • II. Christ’s Work in the Liturgy

  • III. The Holy Spirit and the Church in the Liturgy

• IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE CHURCH’S SACRAMENTS

• I. The Sacraments of Christ

  • II. The Sacraments of the Church

  • III. The Sacraments of Faith

  • IV. The Sacraments of Salvation

  • V. The Sacraments of Eternal Life

• IN BRIEF

CHAPTER TWO: THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION

• ARTICLE 1: CELEBRATING THE CHURCH’S LITURGY

  • I. Who Celebrates?

  • II. How Is the Liturgy Celebrated?

III. When Is the Liturgy Celebrated?

IV. Where Is the Liturgy Celebrated?

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: LITURGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY

IN BRIEF

SECTION TWO: THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

• CHAPTER ONE: THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION

  • ARTICLE 1: THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

    • I. What Is the Sacrament Called?

    • II. Baptism in the Economy of Salvation

    • III. How Is the Sacrament of Baptism Celebrated?

IV. Who Can Receive Baptism?

V. Who Can Baptize?

VI. The Necessity of Baptism?

VII. The Grace of Baptism

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

• I. Confirmation in the Economy of Salvation

• II. The Signs and the Rite of Confirmation

• III. The Effects of Confirmation

• IV. Who Can Receive This Sacrament?

• V. The Minister of Confirmation

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST

• I. The Eucharist – Source and Summit of the Ecclesial Life

• II. What Is This Sacrament Called?

• III. The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation

IV. The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist

V. The Sacramental Sacrifice: Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence

VI. The Pascal Banquet

VII. The Eucharist – “Pledge of the Glory to Come”

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER TWO: THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

• ARTICLE 4: THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION

  • I. What Is This Sacrament Called?

  • II. Why a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?

  • III. The Conversion of the Baptized

  • IV. Interior Penance

  • V. The Many Forms of Penance in Christian Life

VI. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

VII. The Acts of the Penitent

VIII. The Minister of This Sacrament

IX. The Effects of This Sacrament

X. Indulgences

XI. The Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 5: THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK

• I. It’s Foundation in the Economy of Salvation

• II. Who Receives and Who Administers This Sacrament?

• III. How Is This Sacrament Celebrated?

• IV. The Effects of the Celebration of This Sacrament

• V. Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER THREE: THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION

• ARTICLE 6: THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

  • I. Why Is This Sacrament Called “Orders”?

  • II. The Sacramant of Holy Orders in the Economy of Salvation

III. The Three Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

IV. The Celebration of This Sacrament

V. Who Can Confer This Sacrament?

VI. Who Can Receive This Sacrament?

VII. The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 7: THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

• I. Marriage in God’s Plan

II. The Celebration of Marriage

III. Matrimonial Consent

IV. The Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony

V. The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love

VI. The Domestic Church

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER FOUR: OTHER LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS

• ARTICLE 1: SACRAMENTALS

• IN BRIEF

• ARTICLE 2: CHRISTIAN FUNERALS

  • I. The Christian’s Last Passover

  • II. The Celebration of Funerals

PART THREE – LIFE IN CHRIST

SECTION ONE: MAN’S VOCATION: LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

• CHAPTER ONE: THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

  • ARTICLE 1: MAN: THE IMAGE OF GOD

  • IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE

• I. The Beatitudes

• II. The Desire for Happiness

• III. Christian Beatitude

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: MAN’S FREEDOM

• I. Freedom and Responsibility

• II. Human Freedom in the Economy of Salvation

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 4: THE MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS

• I. The Sources of Morality

• II. Good Acts and Evil Acts

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 5: THE MORALITY OF THE PASSIONS

• I. Passions

• II. Passions and Moral Life

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 6: MORAL CONSCIENCE

• I. The Judgement of Conscience

• II. The Formation of Conscience

• III. To Choose in Accord with Conscience

• IV. Erroneous Judgement

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 7: THE VIRTUES

• I. The Human Virtues

II. The Theological Virtues

III. The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 8: SIN

• I. Mercy and Sin

• II. The Definition of Sin

• III. The Different Kinds of Sins

• IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin

• V. The Proliferation of Sin

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER TWO: THE HUMAN COMMUNITY

• ARTICLE 1: THE PERSON AND SOCIETY

  • I. The Communal Character of the Human Vocation

  • II. Conversion and Society

• IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL LIFE

• I. Authority

• II. The Common Good

• III. Responsibility and Participation

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: SOCIAL JUSTICE

• I. Respect for the Human Person

• II. Equality and Differences among Men

• III. Human Solidarity

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER THREE: GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE

• ARTICLE 1: THE MORAL LAW

  • I. The Natural Moral Law

  • II. The Old Law

III. The New Law or the Law of the Gospel

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION

• I. Justification

• II. Grace

III. Merit

IV. Christian Holiness

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: THE CHURCH, MOTHER AND TEACHER

• I. Moral Life and the Magisterium of the Church

• II. The Precepts of the Church

• III. Moral Life and Missionary Witness

IN BRIEF

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS CHART

SECTION TWO: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER ONE: “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOU GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND”

• ARTICLE 1: THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

  • I. “You Shall Worship the Lord Your God and Him Only Shall You Serve”

  • II. “Him Only Shall You Serve”

III. “You Shall Have No Other Gods before Me”

IV. “You Shall Not Make for Yourself a Graven Image”

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

• I. The Name of the Lord Is Holy

• II. Taking the Name of the Lord in Vain

• III. The Christian Name

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

• I. The Sabbath Day

• II. The Lord’s Day

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER TWO: “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF”

• ARTICLE 4: THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

  • I. The Family in God’s Plan

  • II. The Family and Society

III. The Duties of Family and the Kingdom

IV. The Family and the Kingdom

V. The Authorities in Civil Society

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 5: THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

• I. Respect for Human Life

II. Respect for the Dignity of Persons

III. Safeguarding Peace

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 6: THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

• I. “Male and Female He Created Them . . .”

II. The Vocation to Chastity

III. The Love of Husband and Wife

IV. Offenses against the Dignity of Marriage

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 7: THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

• I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods

• II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods

III. The Social Doctrine of the Church

IV. Economic Activity and Social Justice

V. Justice and Solidarity among Nations

VI. Love for the Poor

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 8: THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

• I. Living in the Truth

• II. To Bear Witness to the Truth

• III. Offenses against Truth

• IV. Respect for the Truth

• V. The Use of the Social Communications Media

• VI. Truth, Beauty, and Sacred Art

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 9: THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

• I. Purification of the Heart

• II. The Battle for Purity

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 10: THE TENTH COMMANDMENT

• I. The Disorder of Covetous Desires

• II. The Desires of the Spirit

• III. Poverty of Heart

• IV. “I Want to See God”

IN BRIEF

PART FOUR – CHRISTIAN PRAYER

• SECTION ONE: PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

  • WHAT IS PRAYER?

CHAPTER ONE: THE REVELATION OF PRAYER

• THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO PRAYER

ARTICLE 1: IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: IN THE AGE OF THE CHURCH

• I. Blessing and Adoration

• II. Prayer of Petition

• III. Prayer of Intercession

• IV. Prayer of Thanksgiving

• V. Prayer of Praise

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER TWO: THE TRADITION OF PRAYER

• ARTICLE 1: AT THE WELLSPRINGS OF PRAYER

• IN BRIEF

• ARTICLE 2: THE WAY OF PRAYER

• IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: GUIDES FOR PRAYER

IN BRIEF

CHAPTER THREE: THE LIFE OF PRAYER

• ARTICLE 1: EXPRESSIONS OF PRAYER

  • I. Vocal Prayer

  • II. Meditation

  • III. Contemplative Prayer

• IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: THE BATTLE OF PRAYER

• I. Objections to Prayer

• II. Humble Vigilance of Heart

III. Filial Trust

IV. Persevering in Love

ARTICLE 3: THE PRAYER OF THE HOUR OF JESUS

IN BRIEF

SECTION TWO: THE LORD’S PRAYER: “OUR FATHER!”

• ARTICLE 1: “THE SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE GOSPEL”

  • I. At the Center of the Scriptures

  • II. “The Lord’s Prayer”

  • III. The Prayer of the Church

• IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 2: “OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN”

• I. “We Dare to Say”

• II. “Father!”

• III. “Our” Father

• IV. “Who Art in Heaven”

IN BRIEF

ARTICLE 3: “THE SEVEN PETITIONS”

• I. “Hallowed Be Thy Name”

V. “And Forgive us Our Trespasses, as We Forgive Those Who Trespass against Us”

VI. “And Lead Us Not into Temptation”

VII. “But Deliver Us From Evil”

ARTICLE 4: THE FINAL DOXOLOGY

IN BRIEF

II. “Thy Kingdom Come”

III. “The Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven”

IV. “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”