Today I finally received my Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and am very excited about it. Although the complete Catechism is the primary source for all things Catholic, the Compendium nicely summarizes and condenses the larger Catechism. I want to highlight some of the important aspects of the Compendium:

1. The "Question and Answer" Format

This marks in some ways a return to the catechisms of old (especially the popular Baltimore Catechism), which were set up in this manner. I think the Q&A setup will make the Compendium great for quick reference and for answering questions about what Catholicism really teaches (whether for inquirers, seekers, converts, or the poorly catechized). This setup makes the Compendium great for teaching, especially for Catholic school courses, parishes studies, and RCIA classes.

Example:
Q: How are sins remitted:
A: The first and chief Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins is Baptism. For those sins committed after Baptism, Christ instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance through which a baptized person is reconciled with God and the Church.

2. The Art

Pope Benedict has rightly emphasized the importance of good liturgical art and architecture. And there is no better way to teach about the value of liturgical art than to include it in a catechism!  Each section of the Compendium contains a piece of traditional artwork and an explanation of it. Hopefully, this will help improve the quality of Catholic art and architecture over the long term.

Example: El Greco, Prayer of Jesus in the Garden

3. The Extras

There are many other exciting "extras" in the Compendium as well. First, when referencing traditional documents like the Creed, it includes the Latin text. Second, the final section has many common prayers of the Church, including the Our Father, Hail Mary, Magnificat, Angelus, Te Deum, and more. And, all the prayers are in both English and Latin! Once again, the Compendium should help increase in readers a basic sense of Church Latin which is sadly being lost. Eastern Catholic prayers are also included, which should help remind Roman Catholics that the Catholic Church includes more than just the West. Third, there is a list of formulas of Catholic Doctrine. This is a very handy reference list.

In conclusion, the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a great resource that should serve the needs of many people. Perhaps the greatest selling point is that the Compendium condenses the Faith into readable and accessible "chunks" in an easy to engage format. Although scholars and more serious students of the Faith will prefer the larger Catechism and even go beyond to the original sources, in an age of the unchurched and the barely churched, the Compendium serves an important role and is an invaluable resource.

To order: