Of The Catholic Church
– John Paul II in Fidei Depositum
I. Life of man – to know and love God
II. Handing on the Faith: Catechesis
III. Aim and Intended Readership of the Catechism
IV. Structure of this Catechism
V. Practical Directions for Using this Catechism
VI. Necessary Adaptations
1. Desire for God
2. Ways of Coming to Know God
3. Knowledge of God According to the Church
4. How Can We Speak about God?
1. God Reveals His “Plan of Loving Goodness”
2. Stages of Revelation
3. Christ Jesus — “Mediator and Fullness of All Revelation”
1. Apostolic Tradition
2. Relationship Between Tradition and Sacred Scripture
3. Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith
Art. 3: Sacred Scripture
1. Christ – The Unique Word of Sacred Scripture
2. Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture
3. Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture
4. Canon of Scripture
5. Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church
Chap. 3: Man’s Response to God
Art. 1: I Believe
1. Obedience of Faith
2. “I Know Whom I Have Believed”
3. Characteristics of Faith
Art. 2: We Believe
1. “Lord, Look Upon the Faith of Your Church”
2. Language of Faith
3. Only One Faith
The Credo
Sect. 2: Creeds
Chap. 1: I Believe in God the Father
Art. 1: “I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth”
Par. 1: I Believe in God
Par. 2: Father
Par. 3: Almighty
Par. 4: Creator
Par. 5: Heaven and Earth
Par. 6: Man
Par. 7: Fall
Chap. 2: I Believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God
Art. 2: “And in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord”
1. Jesus
2. Christ
3. The Only Son of God
4. Lord
Art. 3: “He Was Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit, and was Born of the Virgin Mary”
Par. 1: Son of God Became Man
Par. 2: “Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary”
Par. 3: Mysteries of Christ’s Life
Art. 4: “Jesus Christ Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified, Died, and was Buried”
Par. 1: Jesus and Israel
Par. 2: Jesus Died Crucified
Par. 3: Jesus Chrsit was Buried
Art. 5: “He Descended into Hell. On the Third Day He Rose Again”
Par. 1: Christ Descended into Hell
Par. 2: On the Third Day He Rose from the Dead
Art. 6: “He Ascended into Heaven and is Seated at the Right Hand of the Father”
Art. 7: “From Thence He Will Come Again to Judge the Living and the Dead”
1. He Will Come Again in Glory
2. To Judge the Living and the Dead
Chap. 3: I Believe in the Holy Spirit
Art. 8: “I Believe in the Holy Spirt”
1. Joint Mission of the Son and the Spirit
2. Name, Titles, and Symbols of the Holy Spirit
3. God’s Spirit and Word in the Time of the Promises
4. Spirit of Christ in the Fullness of Time
5. Spirit and the Church In the Last Days
Art. 9: “I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church”
Par. 1: Church in God’s Plan
Par. 2: Church – People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit
Par. 3: Church is One, Holy Catholic, and Apostolic
Par. 4: Christ’s Faithful – Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life
Par. 5: Communion of Saints
Par. 6: Mary – Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church
Art. 10: “I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins”
1. One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins
2. Power of the Keys
Art. 11: “I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body”
1. Christ’s Resurrection and Ours
2. Dying in Christ Jesus
Art. 12: “I Believe in the Life Everlasting”
1. Particular Judgment
2. Heaven
3. Final Purification, or Purgatory
4. Hell
5. Last Judgment
6. Hope of the New Heaven and the New Earth
“Amen”
Pt. 2: Celebration of the Christian Mystery
Sec. 1: Sacramental Economy
Chap. 1: Paschal Mystery in the Age of the Church
Art. 1: Liturgy – Work of the Holy Trinity
1. Father-Source and Goal of the Liturgy
2. Christ’s Work in the Liturgy
3. Holy Spirit and the Church in the Liturgy
Art. 2: Paschal Mystery in the Church’s Sacraments
1. Sacraments of Christ
2. Sacraments of the Church
3. Sacraments of Faith
4. Sacraments of Salvation
5. Sacraments of Eternal Life
Chap. 2: Sacramental Celebration of the Paschal Mystery
Art. 1: Celebrating the Church’s Liturgy
1. Who Celebrates?
2. How is the Liturgy Celebrated?
3. When is the Liturgy Celebrated?
4. Where is the Liturgy Celebrated?
Art. 2: Liturgical Diversity and the Unity of the Mystery
Sec. 2: Seven Sacraments of the Church
Chap. 1: Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Art. 1: Sacrament of Baptism
1. What is This Sacrament Called?
2. Baptism in the Economy of Salvation
3. How is the Sacrament of Baptism Celebrated?
4. Who can Receive Baptism?
5. Who can Baptize?
6. Necessity of Baptism
7. Grace of Baptism
Art. 2: Sacrament of Confirmation
1. Confirmation in the Economy of Salvation
2. Signs and the Rite of Confirmation
3. Effects of Confirmation
4. Who can Receive This Sacrament?
5. Minister of Confirmation
Art. 3: Sacrament of the Eucharist
1. Eucharist – Source and Summit of Ecclesial Life
2. What is This Sacrament Called?
3. Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation
4. Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist
5. Sacramental Sacrifice Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence
6. Paschal Banquet
7. Eucharist – “Pledge of the Glory To Come”
Chap. 2: Sacraments of Healing
Art. 4: Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
1. What is This Sacrament Called?
2. Why a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?
3. Conversion of the Baptized
4. Interior Penance
5. Forms of Penance in Christian Life
6. Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
7. Acts of the Penitent
8. Minister of This Sacrament
9. Effects of This Sacrament
10. Indulgences
11. Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance
Art. 5: Anointing of the Sick
1. Foundations in the Economy of Salvation
2. Who Receives and Who Administers This Sacrament?
3. How is This Sacrament Celebrated?
4. Effects of the Celebration of This Sacrament
5. Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian
Chap. 3: Sacraments at the Service of Communion
Art. 6: Sacrament of Holy Orders
1. Why Is This Sacrament Called “Orders”?
2. Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Economy of Salvation
3. Three Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders
4. Celebration of This Sacrament
5. Who Can Confer This Sacrament?
6. Who Can Receive This Sacrament?
7. Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders
Art. 7: Sacrament of Matrimony
1. Marriage in God’s Plan
2. Celebration of Marriage
3. Matrimonial Consent
4. Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony
5. Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love
6. Domestic Church
Chap. 4: Other Liturgical Celebrations
Art. 1: Sacramentals
Art. 2: Christian Funerals
1. Christian’s Last Passover
2. Celebration of Funerals
Part 3: Life in Christ
Sect. 1: Man’s Vocation Life in the Spirit
Chap. 1: Dignity of the Human Person
Art. 1: Man: The Image of God
Art. 2: Our Vocation to Beatitude
1. Beatitudes
2. Desire for Happiness
3. Christian Beatitude
Art. 3: Man’s Freedom
1. Freedom and Responsibility
2. Human Freedom in the Economy of Salvation
Art. 4: Morality of Human Acts
1. Sources of Morality
2. Good Acts and Evil Acts
Art. 5: Morality of the Passions
1. Passions
2. Passions and Moral Life
Art. 6: Moral Conscience
1. Judgment of Conscience
2. Formation of Conscience
3. To Choose in Accord With Conscience
4. Erroneous Judgment
Art. 7: Virtues
1. Human Virtues
2. Theological Virtues
3. Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Art. 8 Sin
1. Mercy and Sin
2. Definition of Sin
3. Different Kinds of Sins
4. Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin
5. Proliferation of Sin
Chap. 2: Human Communion
Art. 1: Person and Society
1. Communal Character of the Human Vocation
2. Conversion and Society
Art. 2: Participation in Social Life
1. Authority
2. Common Good
3. Responsibility and Participation
Art. 3: Social Justice
1. Respect For the Human Person
2. Equality and Differences Among Men
3. Human Solidarity
Chap. 3: God’s Salvation: Law and Grace
Art. 1: Moral Law
1. Natural Moral Law
2. Old Law
3. New Law or the Law of the Gospel
Art. 2: Grace and Justification
1. Justification
2. Grace
3. Merit
4. Christian Holiness
Art. 3: Church, Mother, and Teacher
1. Moral Life and the Magisterium of the Church
2. Precepts of the Church
3. Moral Life and Missionary Witness
Sec. 2: Ten Commandments
Chap. 1: You Shall Love the Lord Your God With All Your Heart, and With All Your Soul, and with All Your Mind.
Art. 1: First Commandment
1. “You Shall Worship the Lord Your God and Him Only Shall You Serve”
2. “Him Only Shall You Serve”
3. “You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me”
4. “You Shall Not Make For Yourself a Graven Image . . .”
Art. 2: Second Commandment
1. Name of the Lord is Holy
2. Taking the Name of the Lord in Vain
3. Christian Name
Art. 3: Third Commandment
1. Sabbath Day
2. Lord’s Day
Chap. 2: You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Art. 4: Fourth Commandment
1. Family in God’s Plan
2. Family and Society
3. Duties of Family Members
4 . Family and the Kingdom
5. Authorities In Civil Society
Art. 5: Fifth Commandment
1. Respect for Human Life
2. Respect for the Dignity of Persons
3. Safeguarding Peace
Art. 6: Sixth Commandment
1. “Male and Female He Created Them . . .”
2. Vocation to Chastity
3. Love of Husband and Wife
4. Offenses Against the Dignity of Marriage
Art. 7: Seventh Commandment
1. Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods
2. Respect for Persons and Their Goods
3. Social Doctrine of the Church
4. Economic Activity and Social Justice
5. Justice and Solidarity Among Nations
6. Love For the Poor
Art. 8: Eight Commandment
1. Living in the Truth
2. To Bear Witness to the Truth
3. Offenses Against Truth
4. Respect for the Truth
5. Use of the Social Communications Media
6. Truth, Beauty, and Sacred Art
Art. 9: Ninth Commandment
1. Purification of the Heart
2. Battle for Purity
Art. 10: Tenth Commandment
1. Disorder of Covetous Desires
2. Desires of the Spirit
3. Poverty of Heart
4. “I Want to See God”
Part 4: Christian Prayer
Sec. 1: Prayer in the Christian Life
Chap. 1: Revelation of Prayer – The Universal Call to Prayer
Art. 1 Old Testament
Art. 2 Fullness of Time
Art. 3 Age of the Church
1. Blessing and Adoration
2. Prayer of Petition
3. Prayer of Intercession
4. Prayer of Thanksgiving
5. Prayer of Praise
Chap. 2: Tradition of Prayer
Art. 1: Wellspring of Prayer
Art. 2: Way of Prayer
Art. 3: Guides for Prayer
Chap. 3: Life of Prayer
Art. 1: Expressions of Prayer
1. Vocal prayer
2. Meditation
3. Contemplative Prayer
Art. 2: Battle of Prayer
1. Objections to Prayer
2. Humble Vigilance of Heart
3. Filial Trust
4. Perservering in Love
Art. 3: Prayer of the Hour of Jesus
Sec. 2: Lord’s Prayer
Art. 1: “Summary of the Whole Gospel”
1. At the Center of the Scriptures
2. Lord’s Prayer
3. Prayer of the Church
Art. 2: “Our father Who Art in Heaven”
1. “We Dare To Say”
2. Abba – “Father!”
3. “Our” Father
4. “Who Art in Heaven”
Art. 3: Seven Petitions
1. “Hallowed be Thy Name”
2. “Thy Kingdom Come”
3. “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It is in Heaven”
4. “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”
5. “And Forgive Us Our Trespasses, as We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us”
6. “And Lead Us not into Temptation”
Art. 4: Final Doxology
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).