Table of Contents I 906

Catechism of the Catholic Church

CONTENTS VII
APOSTOLIC LETTER LAETAMUR MAGNOPERE XVII
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION FIDEI DEPOSITUM 3
PROLOGUE 9
I. The Life of Man—To Know and Love God 9
II. Handing on the Faith: Catechesis 10
III. The Aim and Intended Readership of This Catechism 11
IV. Structure of This Catechism 11
V. Practical Directions for Using This Catechism 13
VI. Necessary Adaptations 13
PART 1: The Profession of Faith 15
SECTION 1: I Believe—We Believe 15
CH 1: Man’s Capacity for God 15
I. The Desire for God 15
II. Ways of Coming to Know God 16
III. The Knowledge of God According to the Church 18
IV. How Can We Speak about God? 19
IN BRIEF 20
CH 2: God Comes to Meet Man 21
ARTICLE 1: THE REVELATION OF GOD 21
I. God Reveals His “Plan of Loving Goodness” 21
II. The Stages of Revelation 22
III. Christ Jesus—“Mediator and Fullness of All Revelation” 24
IN BRIEF 25
ARTICLE 2: THE TRANSMISSION OF DIVINE REVELATION 26
I. The Apostolic Tradition 26
II. The Relationship Between Tradition and Sacred Scripture 28
III. The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith 29
IN BRIEF 31
ARTICLE 3: SACRED SCRIPTURE 32
I. Christ—The Unique Word of Sacred Scripture 32
II. Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture 33
III. The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture 34
IV. The Canon of Scripture 36
V. Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church 39
IN BRIEF 39
CH 3: Man’s Response to God 41
ARTICLE 1: I BELIEVE 41
I. The Obedience of Faith 41
II. “I Know Whom I Have Believed” 42
III. The Characteristics of Faith 43
ARTICLE 2: WE BELIEVE 47
I. “Lord, Look upon the Faith of Your Church” 48
II. The Language of Faith 48
III. Only One Faith 49
IN BRIEF 50
The Credo 51
SECTION 2: The Profession of the Christian Faith 53
The Creeds 53
CH 1: I Believe in God the Father 56
ARTICLE 1: “I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH” 56
Paragraph 1. I Believe in God 56
I. “I Believe in One God” 56
II. God Reveals His Name 57
III. God, “He Who Is,” Is Truth and Love 60
IV. The Implications of Faith in One God 62
IN BRIEF 63
Paragraph 2. The Father 64
I. “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” 64
II. The Revelation of God as Trinity 65
III. The Holy Trinity in the Teaching of the Faith 68
IV. The Divine Works and the Trinitarian Missions 70
IN BRIEF 71
Paragraph 3. The Almighty 73
IN BRIEF 74
Paragraph 4. The Creator 75
I. Catechesis on Creation 75
II. Creation—Work of the Holy Trinity 78
III. “The World Was Created for the Glory of God” 78
IV. The Mystery of Creation 79
V. God Carries Out His Plan: Divine Providence 82
IN BRIEF 85
Paragraph 5. Heaven and Earth 87
I. The Angels 87
II. The Visible World 89
IN BRIEF 92
Paragraph 6. Man 93
I. “In the Image of God” 93
II. “Body and Soul but Truly One” 94
III. “Male and Female He Created Them” 96
IV. Man in Paradise 97
IN BRIEF 98
Paragraph 7. The Fall 99
I. Where Sin Abounded, Grace Abounded All the More 99
II. The Fall of the Angels 100
III. Original Sin 102
IV. “You Did Not Abandon Him to the Domain of Death” 106
IN BRIEF 106
CH 2: I Believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord 108
ARTICLE 2: AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD 110
I. Jesus 110
II. Christ 111
III. The Only Son of God 113
IV. Lord 114
IN BRIEF 116
ARTICLE 3: WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY 117
Paragraph 1. The Son of God Became Man 117
I. Why Did the Word Become Flesh? 117
II. The Incarnation 118
III. True God and True Man 119
IV. How Is the Son of God Man? 121
IN BRIEF 123
Paragraph 2. Who Was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary 124
I. Who Was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, 124
II. Born of the Virgin Mary 124
IN BRIEF 130
Paragraph 3. The Mysteries of Christ’s Life 131
I. Christ’s Whole Life Is Mystery 131
II. The Mysteries of Jesus’ Infancy and Hidden Life 133
III. The Mysteries of Jesus’ Public Life 138
IN BRIEF 147
ARTICLE 4: JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED AND WAS BURIED 148
Paragraph 1. Jesus and Israel 149
I. Jesus and the Law 150
II. Jesus and the Temple 151
III. Jesus and Israel’s Faith in the One God and Savior 153
IN BRIEF 154
Paragraph 2. Jesus Died Crucified 155
I. The Trial of Jesus 155
II. Christ’s Redemptive Death in God’s Plan of Salvation 157
III. Christ Offered Himself to His Father for Our Sins 159
IN BRIEF 163
Paragraph 3. Jesus Christ Was Buried 164
IN BRIEF 165
ARTICLE 5: HE DESCENDED INTO HELL; ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD 166
Paragraph 1. Christ Descended into Hell 166
IN BRIEF 167
Paragraph 2. On the Third Day He Rose Again from the Dead 168
I. The Historical and Transcendent Event 168
II. The Resurrection—A Work of the Holy Trinity 171
III. The Meaning and Saving Significance of the Resurrection 172
IN BRIEF 173
ARTICLE 6: HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY 174
IN BRIEF 175
ARTICLE 7: FROM THERE HE WILL COME AGAIN TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD 176
I. He Will Come Again in Glory 176
II. To Judge the Living and the Dead 179
IN BRIEF 180
CH 3: I Believe in the Holy Spirit 181
ARTICLE 8: I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT 182
I. The Joint Mission of the Son and the Spirit 183
II. The Name, Titles, and Symbols of the Holy Spirit 184
III. God’s Spirit and Word in the Time of the Promises 188
IV. The Spirit of Christ in the Fullness of Time 192
V. The Spirit and the Church in the Last Days 195
IN BRIEF 198
ARTICLE 9: I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH 199
Paragraph 1. The Church in God’s Plan 199
I. Names and Images of the Church 199
II. The Church’s Origin, Foundation, and Mission 201
III. The Mystery of the Church 205
IN BRIEF 207
Paragraph 2. The Church—People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit 208
I. The Church—People of God 208
II. The Church—Body of Christ 210
III. The Church Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit 213
IN BRIEF 215
Paragraph 3. The Church Is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic 216
I. The Church Is One 216
II. The Church Is Holy 220
III. The Church Is Catholic 222
IV. The Church Is Apostolic 229
IN BRIEF 232
Paragraph 4. Christ’s Faithful—Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life 233
I. The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church 233
II. The Lay Faithful 239
III. The Consecrated Life 243
IN BRIEF 247
Paragraph 5. The Communion of Saints 249
I. Communion in Spiritual Goods 249
II. The Communion of the Church of Heaven and Earth 251
IN BRIEF 252
Paragraph 6. Mary—Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church 253
I. Mary’s Motherhood with Regard to the Church 253
II. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin 255
III. Mary—Eschatological Icon of the Church 255
IN BRIEF 256
ARTICLE 10: I BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS 256
I. One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins 257
II. The Power of the Keys 258
IN BRIEF 259
ARTICLE 11: I BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY 260
I. Christ’s Resurrection and Ours 261
II. Dying in Christ Jesus 264
IN BRIEF 267
ARTICLE 12: I BELIEVE IN LIFE EVERLASTING 268
I. The Particular Judgment 268
II. Heaven 269
III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory 270
IV. Hell 271
V. The Last Judgment 273
VI. The Hope of the New Heaven and the New Earth 274
IN BRIEF 276
“Amen” 278
PART 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery 279
SECTION 1: The Sacramental Economy 282
CH 1: The Paschal Mystery in the Age of the Church 282
ARTICLE 1: THE LITURGY—WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY 282
I. The Father—Source and Goal of the Liturgy 282
II. Christ’s Work in the Liturgy 284
III. The Holy Spirit and the Church in the Liturgy 285
IN BRIEF 290
ARTICLE 2: THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE CHURCH’S SACRAMENTS 291
I. The Sacraments of Christ 291
II. The Sacraments of the Church 291
III. The Sacraments of Faith 293
IV. The Sacraments of Salvation 294
V. The Sacraments of Eternal Life 294
IN BRIEF 295
CH 2: The Sacramental Celebration of the Paschal Mystery 296
ARTICLE 1: CELEBRATING THE CHURCH’S LITURGY 296
I. Who Celebrates? 296
II. How Is the Liturgy Celebrated? 298
III. When Is the Liturgy Celebrated? 303
IV. Where Is the Liturgy Celebrated? 307
IN BRIEF 309
ARTICLE 2: LITURGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY 311
IN BRIEF 312
SECTION 2: The Seven Sacraments of the Church 313
CH 1: The Sacraments of Christian Initiation 313
ARTICLE 1: THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM 314
I. What Is This Sacrament Called? 314
II. Baptism in the Economy of Salvation 315
III. How Is the Sacrament of Baptism Celebrated? 317
IV. Who Can Receive Baptism? 320
V. Who Can Baptize? 322
VI. The Necessity of Baptism 322
VII. The Grace of Baptism 323
IN BRIEF 326
ARTICLE 2: THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION 327
I. Confirmation in the Economy of Salvation 328
II. The Signs and the Rite of Confirmation 329
III. The Effects of Confirmation 332
IV. Who Can Receive This Sacrament? 333
V. The Minister of Confirmation 334
IN BRIEF 334
ARTICLE 3: THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST 336
I. The Eucharist—Source and Summit of Ecclesial Life 336
II. What Is This Sacrament Called? 337
III. The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation 338
IV. The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist 341
V. The Sacramental Sacrifice: Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence 344
VI. The Paschal Banquet 351
VII. The Eucharist — “Pledge of the Glory to Come” 356
IN BRIEF 357
CH 2: The Sacraments of Healing 359
ARTICLE 4: THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILLIATION 359
I. What Is This Sacrament Called? 359
II. Why a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism? 360
III. The Conversion of the Baptized 361
IV. Interior Penance 361
V. The Many Forms of Penance in Christian Life 362
VI. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation 363
VII. The Acts of the Penitent 366
VIII. The Minister of This Sacrament 369
IX. The Effects of This Sacrament 371
X. Indulgences 372
XI. The Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance 374
IN BRIEF 375
ARTICLE 5: THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK 377
I. Its Foundations in the Economy of Salvation 377
II. Who Receives and Who Administers This Sacrament? 381
III. How Is This Sacrament Celebrated? 381
IV. The Effects of the Celebration of This Sacrament 382
V. Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian 383
IN BRIEF 384
CH 3: The Sacraments at the Service of Communion 385
ARTICLE 6: THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS 385
I. Why Is This Sacrament Called “Orders”? 386
II. The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Economy of Salvation 386
III. The Three Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders 390
IV. The Celebration of This Sacrament 395
V. Who Can Confer This Sacrament? 396
VI. Who Can Receive This Sacrament? 396
VII. The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders 397
IN BRIEF 400
ARTICLE 7: THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY 402
I. Marriage in God’s Plan 402
II. The Celebration of Marriage 407
III. Matrimonial Consent 408
IV. The Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony 411
V. The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love 412
VI. The Domestic Church 415
IN BRIEF 416
CH 4: Other Liturgical Celebrations 417
ARTICLE 1: SACRAMENTALS 417
IN BRIEF 420
ARTICLE 2: CHRISTIAN FUNERALS 420
I. The Christian’s Last Passover 420
II. The Celebration of Funerals 421
PART 3: Life in Christ 423
SECTION 1: Man’s Vocation Life in the Spirit 426
CH 1: The Dignity of the Human Person 426
ARTICLE 1: MAN: THE IMAGE OF GOD 426
IN BRIEF 428
ARTICLE 2: OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE 428
I . The Beatitudes 428
II. The Desire for Happiness 429
III. Christian Beatitude 430
IN BRIEF 431
ARTICLE 3: MAN’S FREEDOM 432
I. Freedom and Responsibility 432
II. Human Freedom in the Economy of Salvation 433
IN BRIEF 435
ARTICLE 4: THE MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS 435
I. The Sources of Morality 435
II. Good Acts and Evil Acts 437
IN BRIEF 437
ARTICLE 5: THE MORALITY OF THE PASSIONS 438
I. Passions 438
II. Passions and Moral Life 438
IN BRIEF 439
ARTICLE 6: MORAL CONSCIENCE 440
I. The Judgment of Conscience 440
II. The Formation of Conscience 442
III. To Choose in Accord with Conscience 442
IV. Erroneous Judgment 443
IN BRIEF 444
ARTICLE 7: THE VIRTUES 445
I. The Human Virtues 445
II. The Theological Virtues 448
III. The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit 452
IN BRIEF 453
ARTICLE 8: SIN 454
I. Mercy and Sin 454
II. The Definition of Sin 455
III. The Different Kinds of Sins 456
IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin 456
V. The Proliferation of Sin 459
IN BRIEF 460
CH 2: The Human Community 461
ARTICLE 1: THE PERSON AND SOCIETY 461
I. The Communal Character of the Human Vocation 461
II. Conversion and Society 463
IN BRIEF 464
ARTICLE 2: PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL LIFE 465
I. Authority 465
II. The Common Good 466
III. Responsibility and Participation 468
IN BRIEF 469
ARTICLE 3: SOCIAL JUSTICE 470
I. Respect for the Human Person 470
II. Equality and Differences Among Men 471
III.Human Solidarity 473
IN BRIEF 474
CH 3: God's Salvation: Law and Grace 475
ARTICLE 1: THE MORAL LAW 475
I. The Natural Moral Law 476
II. The Old Law 478
III. The New Law or the Law of the Gospel 479
IN BRIEF 482
ARTICLE 2: GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION 483
I. Justification 483
II. Grace 485
III. Merit 488
IV. Christian Holiness 490
IN BRIEF 491
ARTICLE 3: THE CHURCH, MOTHER AND TEACHER 492
I. Moral Life and the Magisterium of the Church 493
II. The Precepts of the Church 495
III. Moral Life and Missionary Witness 496
IN BRIEF 497
The Ten Commandments 498
SECTION 2: The Ten Commandments 500
IN BRIEF 506
CH 1: "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND" 507
ARTICLE 1: THE FIRST COMMANDMENT 507
I. “You Shall Worship the Lord Your God and Him Only Shall You Serve” 507
II. “Him Only Shall You Serve” 510
III. “You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me” 514
IV. “You Shall Not Make for Yourself a Graven Image . . .” 518
IN BRIEF 519
ARTICLE 2: THE SECOND COMMANDMENT 520
I. The Name of the Lord Is Holy 520
II. Taking the Name of the Lord in Vain 522
III. The Christian Name 523
IN BRIEF 524
ARTICLE 3: THE THIRD COMMANDMENT 525
I. The Sabbath Day 525
II. The Lord’s Day 526
IN BRIEF 531
CH 2: “You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” 532
ARTICLE 4: THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT 532
I. The Family in God’s Plan 533
II. The Family and Society 535
III. The Duties of Family Members 536
IV. The Family and the Kingdom 541
V. The Authorities in Civil Society 541
IN BRIEF 545
ARTICLE 5: THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT 546
I. Respect for Human Life 546
II. Respect for the Dignity of Persons 553
III. Safeguarding Peace 556
IN BRIEF 560
ARTICLE 6: THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT 562
I. “Male and Female He Created Them . . .” 562
II. The Vocation to Chastity 563
III. The Love of Husband and Wife 569
IV. Offenses Against the Dignity of Marriage 574
IN BRIEF 577
ARTICLE 7: THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT 579
I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods 579
II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods 580
III. The Social Doctrine of the Church 583
IV. Economic Activity and Social Justice 585
V. Justice and Solidarity Among Nations 587
VI. Love for the Poor 589
IN BRIEF 591
ARTICLE 8: THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT 593
I. Living in the Truth 593
II. To Bear Witness to the Truth 594
III. Offenses Against Truth 596
IV. Respect for the Truth 598
V. The Use of the Social Communications Media 599
VI. Truth, Beauty, and Sacred Art 601
IN BRIEF 602
ARTICLE 9: THE NINTH COMMANDMENT 603
I. Purification of the Heart 604
II. The Battle for Purity 605
IN BRIEF 607
ARTICLE 10: THE TENTH COMMANDMENT 608
I. The Disorder of Covetous Desires 608
II. The Desires of the Spirit 610
III. Poverty of Heart 611
IV. “I Want to See God” 612
IN BRIEF 613
PART 4: Christian Prayer 615
SECTION 1: Prayer in the Christian Life 615
What Is Prayer? 615
CH 1: The Revelation of Prayer 618
THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO PRAYER 618
ARTICLE 1: IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 618
IN BRIEF 625
ARTICLE 2: IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME 626
IN BRIEF 632
ARTICLE 3: IN THE AGE OF THE CHURCH 633
I. Blessing and Adoration 634
II. Prayer of Petition 634
III. Prayer of Intercession 635
IV. Prayer of Thanksgiving 636
V. Prayer of Praise 637
IN BRIEF 638
CH 2: The Tradition of Prayer 639
ARTICLE 1: AT THE WELLSPRINGS OF PRAYER 639
IN BRIEF 641
ARTICLE 2: THE WAY OF PRAYER 642
IN BRIEF 646
ARTICLE 3: GUIDES FOR PRAYER 647
IN BRIEF 649
CH 3: The Life of Prayer 650
ARTICLE 1: EXPRESSIONS OF PRAYER 650
I Vocal Prayer 650
II. Meditation 651
III. Contemplative Prayer 652
IN BRIEF 654
ARTICLE 2: THE BATTLE OF PRAYER 655
I. Objections to Prayer 655
II. Humble Vigilance of Heart 656
III. Filial Trust 657
IV. Persevering in Love 659
ARTICLE 3: THE PRAYER OF THE HOUR OF JESUS 661
IN BRIEF 662
SECTION 2: The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father!” 663
ARTICLE 1: “THE SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE GOSPEL” 664
I. At the Center of the Scriptures 664
II. “The Lord’s Prayer” 665
III. The Prayer of the Church 665
IN BRIEF 667
ARTICLE 2: “OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN” 667
I. “We Dare to Say” 667
II. “Father!” 668
III. “Our” Father 670
IV. “Who Art in Heaven” 672
IN BRIEF 673
ARTICLE 3: THE SEVEN PETITIONS 674
I. “Hallowed Be Thy Name” 675
II. "Thy Kingdom Come” 677
III. “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven” 679
IV. “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” 681
V. “And Forgive Us Our Trespasses, as We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us” 683
VI. “And Lead Us Not into Temptation” 686
VII. “But Deliver Us from Evil” 687
ARTICLE 4: THE FINAL DOXOLOGY 689
IN BRIEF 689
INDEX OF CITATIONS 691
INDEX 755
ABBREVIATIONS 863
GLOSSARY 866

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