| The new Catechism of the Catholic Church is not all that new. It contains layers of doctrine, beliefs, and traditions built up like a candle repeatedly dipped into a vat of molten wax. It states teachings from the traditional order found in the Catechism of the Council of Trent published over 400 years ago and the more recent Second Vatican Council. It also presents teachings and expressions of faith that are more sensitive to the questions and issues of our own times. It's a good reference book that can help make Catholicism more accessible to everyone and to answer many questions.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is not a book you sit down and read cover to cover. While that is encouraged, the catechism is much more an encyclopedia of the Catholic Church's official beliefs. It is interesting to peruse the vast expanse of doctrine the Church communicates in this work.
Here are some brief examples which summarize primary teachings of the Catholic faith. Numbers in parenthesis refer to paragraph numbers in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) where you can find this and more information.
Why we exist: God created us out of love. God wanted to share his divine life with us and make us his children through Jesus Christ. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #1)
Of all visible creatures, only humans are able to know and love the Creator. Through knowledge and love, we are called to share in God's own life. This is the source of our dignity. (CCC #356)
Because we are created by God and for God, the desire for God is written in our hearts. Only in God do we find the truth and happiness for which we never stop searching. (CCC #27)
What God revealed: God's very being is love. By sending Jesus and the Spirit of Love, God has revealed an innermost divine secret. God is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and God has destined us to share in that exchange. (CCC #51)
God desires all persons to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that is, Christ Jesus. (CCC #74)
About faith: Believing in and loving God with all our being has enormous consequences for our lives. It means coming to know God's greatness and majesty. It means knowing the unity and true dignity of all persons. It means trusting God in every circumstance, even in adversity. (CCC #222, #223, #225, #227)
Faith involves two things: our personal adherence to God, and our acceptance of the whole truth that God has revealed. (CCC #150)
Faith is our personal, free response to God. We cannot be forced to embrace the faith against our will. Faith is entirely a free gift that God offers to us. (CCC #166, #160, #162)
For Christians, faith cannot be separated from believing in Jesus Christ, the beloved Son sent by the Father. (CCC #161)
Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. (CCC #159)
About evil: God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil. God permits evil to respect and ensure the freedom of every human being. God, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from evil. (CCC #311)
All things work for good for those who love God. (CCC 313)
|
