THE COMPANION TO THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH - 9780898704518

The Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a one-volume book of references that prints the full texts the Catechism cites. These include the passages of Sacred Scripture and more than 3,600 references to Church councils, papal documents, and the writings of the Church Fathers and saints, arranged by the Catechism paragraph in which each is cited. Because the Catechism often gives only a reference in its footnotes, this companion lets readers go straight to the source text without searching through dozens of other books. It is suited to catechists, teachers, students, clergy, and anyone studying the Catechism closely.

The references cover a long span of Church teaching, from the earliest creeds of the ancient Church through the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the teaching of Pope John Paul II. Reading a Catechism paragraph alongside the Scripture and tradition it draws on shows how each teaching is grounded. That makes the book useful for preparing a lesson, a homily, or a talk, as well as for personal study. At 975 pages, it works as a reference library in a single volume, kept beside a copy of the Catechism.

Use & care: Suited to keeping beside the Catechism for catechist formation, teaching, homily and talk preparation, and personal study. At nearly 1,000 pages in a paperback binding, open it gently, support the spine, and store it upright on a shelf.