The Catechism Explained: How To Read and Use It To Learn Theology

Why the Structure and Footnotes Matter

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The Catechism is around 1,000 pages, 2,865 numbered paragraphs, and over 4,000 footnotes. In other words, an easy introduction to Catholicism. (Sarcasm).

The Catechism is a gift of information for Catholics. It is, very simply, a “reference text.”¹ Its inception was a response to the call of the Synod Fathers of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985 that the Catholic faithful desired a “catechism or compendium of all catholic doctrine regarding faith and morals”² to be written. It was also to be the “point of reference for the catechisms or compendiums that are prepared in various regions.”³

It is composed of four sections:

• The Profession of Faith

• The Celebration of the Christian Mystery

• Life in Christ

• Christian Prayer

“The Doctrinal Value of the Text,”⁴ according to Pope St. John Paul II, is that it is “a statement of the Church's faith and of Catholic doctrine, attested to or illumined by Sacred Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and the Church's Magisterium.”⁵ He then “declare[s] it to be a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion and a sure norm for teaching the faith.”⁶

Interestingly, the purpose of offering the Catechism to the bishops, as stated by Pope St. John Paul II, is to “be a sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine and particularly for preparing local catechisms.”⁷ In other words, first and foremost, the Catechism is given to the bishops to help them teach the faith and prepare local Catechisms for their people. It is then given to the Catholic faithful to deepen their knowledge of the faith.

In this essay, I would like to look at the Catechism—its structure, content, and purpose, so as to help you understand it, use it for your own study, and to help nurture of your faith in Christ and His Church at whatever level you are at.

We will look at:

1. The Structure of the Catechism (an overview of each part and section of the Catechism)

2. How to read it (for those without a theology degree)

3. How to use it for study (for those wanting to learn theology)

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The Structure of the Catechism and Its Four Parts

As I mentioned above, the Catechism is organized into four sections. Each of them serve as a roadmap to help you understand the different pillars of the faith.

Let us take a look in detail at each part and their corresponding sections.

Part I: The Profession of Faith (§1-1065)

This first part of the Catechism gives witness that “the Christian mystery is the object of faith.”⁸ This part of the Catechism is organized into two sections: “‘I believe’ - ‘We Believe’” and “The Profession of the Christian Faith.”

Section One: “I Believe” - “We Believe” (§26-184)

This structure helps the faithful to first understand what it means to believe, how we know God, how we can speak about God, the revelation of God in stages, the transmission of Divine Revelation, and Sacred Scripture. It concludes with our response to God in the form of belief.

Section Two: “The Profession of the Christian Faith” (§185-1065)

This then leads to the second section which specifically breaks down the articles of the Apostles’ Creed.

In this lengthy section, which concludes Part I, the Catechism goes into enormous theological detail of the faith and dogmas of the Church. In this section, you can find Ecclesiology, Mariology, Eschatology, creation, Anthropology, Sin, Christology, the Incarnation, and virtually any of the important theological dogmas of the Church.

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Part II: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (§1066–1690)

In this second part, the Catechism moves from the Christian mystery as the “object of faith” to its “celebrat[ion] and communicat[ion] in liturgical actions.”⁹ This mystery, which the Catechism has just spent over 1,000 numbered paragraphs discussing, is further celebrated and communicated to the faithful in the liturgical actions of the Church. This is why it is critically important that this section goes into great detail on the sacramental theology of the Church’s tradition.

Section 1: The Sacramental Economy (§1066–1209)

The “sacramental economy” is the phrase given, in the Tradition of both the East and the West, of Christ’s action in and through the sacraments of the Church.¹⁰ Furthermore, this economy is the “communication (or ‘dispensation’) of the fruits of Christ’s Paschal mystery in the celebration of the Church’s ‘sacramental’ liturgy.” As this section is laid out, it explains the “sacramental dispensation” of the fruits of the Paschal Mystery (chapter one) and then the actual liturgy itself (chapter two)¹¹ so that “the nature and essential features of liturgical celebration will…appear more clearly.”¹²

Section 2: The Seven Sacraments of the Church (§1210–1690)

This important second section of Part II is all about sacramental theology. It goes into a lengthy (400 paragraph) discussion of each of the seven sacraments.

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Part III: Life in Christ (§1691–2557)

This third part of the Catechism is intended to show the Christian mystery, celebrated in the liturgy, is “present to enlighten and sustain the children of God in their actions.”¹³ In light of this, the action of this third part becomes clearer because it is about the moral life, or how to live in accord with the mystery revealed to us by Christ.

Section 1: Man’s Vocation – Life in the Spirit (§1691–1876)

This first section opens by stating that “life in the Holy Spirit fulfills the vocation of man (chapter one). This life is made up of divine charity and human solidarity (chapter two). It is graciously offered as salvation (chapter three).”¹⁴ This particular section deals with anthropology, or the study of human beings, hence the emphasis on man’s vocation, the community of persons, and the moral law. In this section, you will find discussion of the virtues and vices, the “imago dei,” and discussion on moral philosophy.

Section 2: The Ten Commandments (§2052–2557)

This second and final section in Part III deals with the Commandments of God. This section goes into detail of each of the commandments and the Church’s teaching regarding each of them. In this section, you will find the Catholic interpretation of each of the commandments and the consequences in the moral life for each of them.

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Part IV: Christian Prayer (§2558–2865)

This final part of the Catechism gets into the Christian action in prayer and in communion with God. Pope St. John Paul II describes this section as the final conclusion flowing from the moral life and human actions as “the basis for our prayer, the privileged expression of which is the Our Father, and it represents the object of our supplication, our praise and our intercession.”¹⁵ This final part summarizes and neatly concludes the entirety of the Catechism. In other words, the Christian mystery is first and foremost the “object of faith”, is celebrated in the liturgy, sustains and nourishes the faithful, and is primarily the “basis for our prayer.”

Fundamentally, this final part represents the culmination of the Christian life, which is glory and worship of God in prayer and right relationship.

Section 1: Prayer in the Christian Life (§2558–2758)

This first section of Part IV deals generically with Christian prayer. It discusses the nature of prayer. Prayer, ultimately, is relationship with God. According to St. John Damascene, quoted in the Catechism, “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”¹⁶ Prayer is how we communicate with God, grow in love of God, and how we ultimately live the Christian life which the Catechism has been describing for the last 2,500 paragraphs!

Section 2: The Lord’s Prayer ("Our Father") (§2759–2865)

In this final section, the Catechism concludes with an exegesis of the Our Father, the perfect prayer taught by Our Lord in the Gospels. Tertullian, the towering Church Father in the second Century, states that the Our Father “is truly the summary of the whole gospel.”¹⁷ Since it is the summary of the Gospel, it is fitting that the conclusion of the Catechism is non-other than this prayer. The final paragraph of the Catechism is also the explanation of the conclusion of the Our Father. It says that “by the final ‘Amen,’ we express our ‘fiat’ concerning the seven petitions: ‘So be it.’”¹⁸

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How To Read The Catechism + a note on reading it cover-to-cover

Reading the Catechism can be daunting. Not only is it rather lengthy—as you can probably tell from the above discussion—but it is also filled, at times, with weighty theological language and thousands of footnotes. So, how can someone who is not versed in Catholic theology read the Catechism?

First, there are many Catholic guides to reading the Catechism. Ascension Press has a “Catechism in a Year” with Fr. Mike Schmitz. I have not personally listened to it, but as I am quite familiar with their other works, I am sure it is quite good.

If I were just starting out, I would find 3 topics I am interested in, such as the Eucharist, mortal vs. venial sin, and Baptism. Once you have your topics, I would search for the specific paragraph numbers, write them down, and then grab your Catechism, or find it online (for free), and begin to slowly read the paragraphs.

If you have questions or are unsure about something, Google it, or drop your comment below, and I can help you!

The main point is to take it little by little. Do not just open it for the first time and start reading; you will get overwhelmed!

*A note on reading the Catechism cover-to-cover*

Many Catholic sources offer reading plans of the Catechism, which can be very helpful. However, my general advice would be to treat the Catechism more as a resource and reference document and less like a book. It is not bad to read the Catechism, in fact in my introduction to theology in Seminary, the Catechism was our primary textbook in which we read a good majority of the text. However, it can become burdensome given the length and depth of the text. That is why I would suggest supplementing your reading or study of the Catechism with a guide or additional resources like the “Catechism in a Year” rather than just opening it up and blowing through it!

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How To Use The Catechism For Theological Study

The Catechism is an incredible resource for theological study. For instance, if I am writing anything or researching for a class, I will almost always start with the Catechism. It usually gives a wonderful overview of the Church’s teaching on any particular subject. Another helpful tip is to use and analyze the footnotes. The footnotes of the Catechism offer an incredibly easy resource to find source documents for the topic you are reading about.

Sample Case Study

Let’s say I am a newly converted Catholic who is in the process of further study, and I want to learn what the Church teaches on the Infallibility of the Pope and the Bishops.

I would first look up to see if the Catechism addresses the topic, which it does (§888-892). Once I read the paragraphs, if I still had questions or wanted to dive further into the doctrine, I would see what the Catechism footnotes in those paragraphs are.

Looking at the text, you will see the Catechism references:

• Presbyterorum Ordinis, 4

• Lumen Gentium, 12, 25

• Pastor aeternus of Vatican I (Footnote is “DS 3074” which is the universal citation in Denzinger—a subject for another time)

• Dei Verbum 10

By simply looking at the Catechism on this doctrinal subject, I now have three separate documents and multiple source paragraphs to read further and deeper on this subject.

This, I believe, is one of the greatest benefits of the Catechism. Without these paragraphs from the Catechism, it would have taken me much longer to research and find these sources for further reading. This can give you not only a deeper understanding of the Tradition, but can direct you to further reading of other Magisterial documents to aid in your study.

Conclusion

The Catechism is a wonderful resource for Catholics. It provides the most common and easily accessible doctrines of the Church. It goes over the beliefs in the Christian mystery, the liturgy, the moral life, and Christian prayer. By studying and using the Catechism as an invaluable resource, you can deepen your understanding of the Catholic faith and have an important source for studying the greater Tradition in a deeper way.

Now pick up your Catechism, your Bible, and a notebook and start to study the rich tradition of the Church that Christ established on earth!

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If you found this helpful, please share it with someone who needs to be introduced to the Catechism.

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1. Pope St. John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum on the Publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Prepared Following the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. 11 October 1992. at https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19921011_fidei-depositum.html (Hereinafter FD)

2. Fidei Depositum.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), §1076. (Hereinafter CCC).

11. CCC, §1076.

12. Ibid.

13. Fidei Depositum.

14. CCC, §1699.

15. Fidei Depositum.

16. CCC, §2559.

17. CCC, §2761.

18. CCC, §2865.