What is the Handbook on the Conformity Review Process?

The Subcommittee on the Catechism, at the direction of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, has put together the Handbook on the Conformity Review Process.

This document is a statement and resource that highlights the history, purpose, procedure and structure of the conformity review process.  

Our Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei, requests that “in this Year, then, the Catechism of the Catholic Church will serve as a tool providing real support for the faith, especially for those concerned with the formation of Christians” (12). The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s Note with Pastoral Recommendations for the Year of Faith also states, “It is hoped that local catechisms and various catechetical supplements in use in the particular Churches would be examined to ensure their complete conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. ” 

The conformity review process has served the Church in the United States over the past twenty years since the publication of the Catechism to assist in the conformity of catechetical texts in an authentic and complete way.

The following links are available for download:

Handbook on the Conformity Review Process
(the Main Document, 15 pgs)

Appendices for the Handbook on the Conformity Review Process
(the Appendices to the Handbook, 280 pgs)

Handbook on the Conformity Review Process and Appendices
(the full Handbook: main document and the Appendices, 295 pgs)

As the Conclusion to the Handbook on the Conformity Review Process states, "At this moment in history, the Church has unprecedented opportunities to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people. By her vocation as the Mother of God, Mary is a singular model for the Church's mission of evangelization and catechesis. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 'Star of Evangelization,' continue to inspire and enlighten our efforts 'to make disciples of all nations'" (Handbook, 15).