Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - This morning in the Clementine Hall, Benedict XVI presided at a brief liturgical celebration for the official presentation of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. During his homily the Pope said: “this is certainly not a new Catechism, but rather a Compendium a faithful reflection of Catechism of the Catholic Church and the latter remains therefore the source from which to draw in order to better understand the Compendium, the model to which to refer unceasingly in order rediscover a harmonious and authentic exposition of Catholic faith and morals as well as a point of reference which should encourage the sharing of the faith and the elaboration of local catechisms. Today on the eve of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, and forty years after the closing of the Second Vatican, it is with great joy that I consign this Compendium which I have approved, not only to every member of the Church here significantly represented in all its components by all of you who are taking part in this solemn encounter. But through you...I wish ideally to consign this Compendium to every person of good will interested in learning about the unfathomable riches of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ.”
The Holy Father then recalled how, ever since the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1992, the need had been felt for a brief, concise catechism, containing all and only the essential and fundamental elements of Catholic faith and morals, formulated in a simple, universally-accessible, clear and succinct manner. The need was voiced in October 2002 by the participants at an International Congress on Catechetics with an explicit request made to Pope John Paul II who a year later instituted a special commission of cardinals, including Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, who began work on the compendium. “A first draft was sent to cardinals and presidents of Bishops’ conferences all over the world - Pope Benedict XVI said - Following the largely positive response to the draft, the commission proceeded to revise it taking into account the suggestions received.”
“The Compendium is a new announcement of the Gospel” the Holy Father said, explaining that like the Catechism of the Catholic Church the Compendium has four parts: “Christ, professed as the Only Son of the Father, the One who reveals perfectly the truth of God and the definitive Saviour of the world; Christ, celebrated in the sacraments as the source and subsistence of the Church’s life; Christ, listened to and followed in obedience to his commands obeyed, as the source of new life in charity and harmony; Christ imitated in prayer, a model and teacher for our prayerful attitude towards the Father”.
It presents the faith “in a dialogic format and the brevity of the responses favours the essential concision and clarity of communication” and as for the sacred images that appear at the beginning of each section, Benedict XVI said that they too are “an announcement of the Gospel and express the splendour of Catholic truth, showing the supreme harmony between the good and the beautiful, between the 'via veritatis' and the 'via pulchritudinis'.” The text has 205 pages containing 598 questions and answers, 15 images, an appendix (of the main Christian prayers and certain formulae of Catholic doctrine) and an alphabetical index..
At the end of his homily the Pope said he hoped the Compendium which is first and foremost, God’s gift to the Church in this third millennium, may give new impulse to evangelisation and catechesis on which depend ‘not only the geographical extension and numerical increase but also, and more so, the inner growth of the Church, her correspondence to God’s plan (CCC n. 7).” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 28/6/2005, righe 46, parole 620)
