Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church | Joseph Ratzinger; Pope Benedict XVI |...

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church | Joseph Ratzinger; Pope Benedict XVI | Wonderful

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Compendium of the ...

	Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Joseph Ratzinger; Pope Benedict XVI usccb, 2006 - 200 pages average customer review:based on 49 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Catholics' hunger for the faith continues to grow. Pope Benedict XVI gives the Church the "food" that is seeks in the 598 questions and answers in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This 200-page volume offers a quick synopsis of the essential contents of the faith as promulgated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Like the 1992 Catechism, the Compendium has a four-part structure, and includes a section on common prayers and Catholic doctrinal formulas. Because of the question-and-answer format, catechetical leaders-parents, pastors, teachers, principals, and catechists-have a unique opportunity to dialogue with the faithful, and reinvigorate the Church's ongoing mission of evangelization and catechesis. Individuals can come "to know the unfathomable riches of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ" by reading, using, and memorizing parts of the Compendium of the Catechism. An essential tool for youth and young adults, the Compendium is the perfect companion to a youth or young adult's Bible, spiritual reading, or textbook. Catechetical leaders in high schools, colleges, and parishes will appreciate its versatility-as a reference book, discussion starter, or core resource for RCIA programs. Fourteen images taken from masterpieces of Christian art set a tone for each part or section. "The sacred images, with their beauty, are also a proclamation of the Gospel and express the splendor of the Catholic truth," explained Pope Benedict XVI. The Compendium of the Catechism was prepared by a commission presided by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Following the request for greater appreciation of the Catechism, and in order to meet a widespread need that emerged during the 2002 International Catechetical Congress, in 2003 the Holy Father established a special commission, presided by the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that he charged with preparing a Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, containing a more concise and dialogic version of the same contents of Catholic faith and morals.

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Excellent for those seeking to learn about the faith!

I purchased this book for a faith formation class I'm taking, and let me just say that I am overjoyed to be reading such a fine piece of work.

When read hand-in-hand with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a very real, in-depth view of our faith arises; it accurately portrays the beauty and mystery of the faith that Christ has handed to us through His Bride, the Church.

I can't stress how fundamentally important it is for Catholics to actually know their faith, and how important this book is for an amateur apologist such as myself. This book is really helping me live the Catholic life, and not just falsely claim the title of being Catholic.

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Wonderful

This is a wonderful and informative publication. I have never been able to bring myself to tackle the actual Catechism because of its enormous size, so this little book is great for me. I am a CCD teacher and I find this book to be a wonderful reference as I prepare for classes. My parents have also borrowed it and really liked it. It really has a simple way of explaining the fundamentals of the Catholic faith.

Nice synopsis

If you're wondering whether or not the Pope is still Roman Catholic, you won't after reading this. I found it very handy, well referenced (lots of notes back to the Catechism itself) and clear to read. It is a reasonably short exposition of the key doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and presents itself well.

I offer this from the perspective of a catholic-minded Lutheran, who has been flipping through the CCC since it was published in the 1990's. While there is a risk that the Compendium will reduce reference to the Catechism, it does help clarify conversations between communions.

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Excellent overview of the basics

Strongly recommended for an incoming Catholic or an old Catholic brushing up on their knowledge. I am using the Compendium as an ordinary Catholic sitting in on RCIA classes with some soon to be Catholics. It has turned out to be a very readable primer (or review, in my case) on Catholic teaching, and I believe it covers the bases (with references to corresponding sections of the Catechism at margins in case anyone wants more depth). While we used this in a class format, I think it would be readable for oneself or in a group (or in a family). The format is Q&A and split into five sections--it's pretty manageable to go through it quickly (i.e., a couple months), although I would recommend taking time to digest the information. I do find it helpful to have someone more knowledgeable than me (priest, etc) to help when I don't understand something. There were a few "answers" that I needed help understanding. This is not a replacement for RCIA or formal catechism, but I think this book is now an essential in learning about and understanding the Catholic faith (unless you're inclined to tackle the whole Catechism). For me, it was a needed refresher course. There is a lovely prayer section in the back. My only complaint is that I wish the Apostle's Creed could be repeated in the back to make saying the Rosary from the book a little easier for those of us who haven't memorized it quite yet. It's not an extensive prayer handbook, however, so I don't know if it's fair to ask it to do this. It won't tell you how to go through mass (the How-to Book of Mass is good for this) if you're a new convert, or how to do confession, although it does discuss the spirit of these matters. I got the paperback version, and it seems to have taken abuse from my throwing it around in my bag quite a bit, so I believe even the paperback is well-made.

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Excellent summary!

The Compendium of Catechism of the Catholic Church is an excellent "condensation" (the right word to use escapes me now)of the Catechism. It's written in clear, easy-to-understand English without sounding pedestrian. It's in question and answer format but still following the CCC outline. It is not a substitute however for the CCC which might take much longer to read. But if you want a quick and easy reference to answer your own or others's questions, this is very helpful lest you want to lose the opportunity for some "apostolate" work. It took me less than three days to leisurely read the whole book. And now using it as quick reference as I read the CCC at the same time.

I have been impressed with the way Pope Benedict XVI writes. I suspect, much of the content of this book, reflect his personal style of writing. After all, he (as Cardinal Ratzinger) presided over the ICC that prepared the Compendium. The copy I have is the one printed by the USCCB. The texts are clearly printed and very legible. The choices of the of the photos and annotations are excellent. Another great feature of this publication is the compilation of popular prayers and devotions in English and in Latin so you won't need to have a separate prayer book while studying this one.

I would have given this copy 5 stars, but the binding broke apart after one reading. Although this could be a problem resulting from my country's climate.

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