• I. The life of man - to know and love God
• II. Handing on the Faith: Catechesis
• III. The Aim and Intended Readership of the Catechism
• IV. Structure of this Catechism
• V. Practical Directions for Using this Catechism
• VI. Necessary Adaptations

PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

• SECTION ONE "I BELIEVE" - "WE BELIEVE"



• CHAPTER ONE - MAN'S CAPACITY FOR GOD



• I. The Desire for God
• II. Ways of Coming to Know God
• III. The Knowledge of God According to the Church
• IV. How Can We Speak about God?
• IN BRIEF



• CHAPTER TWO - GOD COMES TO MEET MAN



• Article 1 THE REVELATION OF GOD
• I. God Reveals His "Plan of Loving Goodness"
• II. The Stages of Revelation
• III. Christ Jesus -- "Mediator and Fullness of All Revelation"
• IN BRIEF



• Article 2 THE TRANSMISSION OF DIVINE REVELATION
• I. The Apostolic Tradition
• II. The Relationship Between Tradition and Sacred Scripture
• III. The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith
• IN BRIEF



• Article 3 SACRED SCRIPTURE
• I. Christ - The Unique Word of Sacred Scripture
• II. Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture
• III. The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture
• IV. The Canon of Scripture
• 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



• 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



• SECTION TWO "THE CREEDS"



• 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
• Paragraph 2. THE FATHER
• Paragraph 3. THE ALMIGHTY
• Paragraph 4. THE CREATOR
• Paragraph 5. HEAVEN AND EARTH
• Paragraph 6. MAN
• Paragraph 7. THE FALL



• 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
• Paragraph 2. "CONCEIVED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY"
• Paragraph 3. THE MYSTERIES OF CHRIST'S LIFE



• Article 4 "JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED AND WAS BURIED"
• Paragraph 1. JESUS AND ISRAEL
• Paragraph 2. JESUS DIED CRUCIFIED
• Paragraph 3. JESUS CHRIST WAS BURIED



• Article 5 "HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN"
• Paragraph 1. CHRIST DESCENDED INTO HELL
• Paragraph 2. ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD



• 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 AGAlN 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 Name, 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
• Paragraph 2. THE CHURCH - PEOPLE OF GOD, BODY OF CHRIST, TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
• Paragraph 3. THE CHURCH IS ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC
• Paragraph 4. CHRIST'S FAITHFUL - HIERARCHY, LAITY, CONSECRATED LIFE
• Paragraph 5. THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
• Paragraph 6. MARY - MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH



• Article 10 "I BELIEVE IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"
• I. One Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins
• II. The Power of the Keys



• Article 11 "I BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY"
• I. Christ's Resurrection and Ours
• II. Dying in Christ Jesus
• IN BRIEF



• Article 12 "I BELIEVE IN LIFE EVERLASTING"
• I. The Particular Judgment
• II. Heaven
• III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory
• IV. Hell
• V. The Last Judgment
• VI. Hope of the New Heaven and the New Earth
• IN BRIEF
• "Amen"

• SECTION ONE "THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY"



• 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 OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY



• 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 This 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 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 Paschal 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. Its Foundations 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 Sacrament 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

• 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 Judgment of Conscience
• II. The Formation of Conscience
• III. To Choose in Accord With Conscience
• IV. Erroneous Judgment
• 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 COMMUNION



• 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



• SECTION TWO "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"
• IN BRIEF



• CHAPTER ONE - YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR 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 Members
• 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"



• 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. Perservering in Love



• Article 3 THE PRAYER OF THE HOUR OF JESUS
• IN BRIEF



• SECTION TWO "THE LORD'S PRAYER"



• 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. Abba - "Father!"
• III. "Our" Father
• IV. "Who Art in Heaven"
• IN BRIEF



• Article 3 THE SEVEN PETITIONS
• I. "Hallowed be Thy Name"
• II. "Thy Kingdom Come"
• III. "Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It is in Heaven"
• IV. "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"
• 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