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Catechism of the Holy Catholic Church

The Catechism stands as the sacred foundation of our everlasting Christian being. It is the declaration of our steadfast conviction and resolute trust in the divine Creator, and His divine revelation through the Holy Spirit and the blessed Son of God, Jesus Christ. The Divine One has declared the meaning of the sacraments, the essence of life's questions, and the responses derived from the teachings of the Catholic Church and the divine message of the gospel.


The profession of Faith: Let it be known that with unwavering conviction, one shall believe and declare all that is encompassed within the Symbol of faith, which reads as follows: I profess my belief in one God, the omnipotent Father, creator of the celestial and terrestrial realms, of all that is perceivable and imperceptible.  

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The Christian Mystery is exalted and glorified through the divine Liturgy and the holy Sacraments. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Sacraments unveil the divine mysteries of God's revelation in Christ for us to behold. Behold, the divine gifts of salvation bestowed by the ministry of Christ are to be found in the sacred Liturgy and are at our disposal. The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity as the central Mystery of Christian faith and life.

 

Life in Christ: The divine Son of God, born in a humble manger, sacrificed Himself on the cross, conquered death by rising from the grave, and now dwells within the spirit of every faithful Christian through His Holy Spirit. This entity is known as "the embodiment of Christ."

 

Christian Prayer Prayer is unequivocally defined as a crucial and intimate communion with the living and genuine Deity in the Catechism (CCC, no. 2558). Prayer is divine, for it is the sacred communion with the Almighty (CCC, no. 2565). It is a covenant between the divine and humanity, established through Christ. 

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Contents

  • PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

  • PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY

    • SECTION ONE THE SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY

      • CHAPTER ONE THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE AGE OF THE CHURCH

        • Article 1 THE LITURGY - WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY

          • I. The Father-Source and Goal of the Liturgy

          • II. Christ's Work in the Liturgy

          • III. The Holy Spirit and the Church in the Liturgy

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 2 THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN THE CHURCH'S SACRAMENTS

          • I. The Sacraments of Christ

          • II. The Sacraments of the Church

          • III. The Sacraments of Faith

          • IV. The Sacraments of Salvation

          • V. The Sacraments of Eternal Life

          • IN BRIEF
             

      • CHAPTER TWO THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL MYSTERY

        • Article 1 CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY

          • I. Who Celebrates?

          • II. How is the Liturgy Celebrated?

          • III. When is the Liturgy Celebrated?

          • IV. Where is the Liturgy Celebrated?

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 2 LITURGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY

          • IN BRIEF
             

    • SECTION TWO THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH

      • CHAPTER ONE THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION

        • Article 1 THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

          • I. What is This Sacrament Called?

          • II. Baptism in the Economy of Salvation

          • III. How is the Sacrament of Baptism Celebrated?

          • IV. Who can Receive Baptism?

          • V. Who can Baptize?

          • VI. The Necessity of Baptism

          • VII. The Grace of Baptism

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 2 THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

          • I. Confirmation in the Economy of Salvation

          • II. The Signs and the Rite of Confirmation

          • III. The Effects of Confirmation

          • IV. Who can Receive This Sacrament?

          • V. The Minister of Confirmation

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 3 THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST

          • I. The Eucharist - Source and Summit of Ecclesial Life

          • II. What is This Sacrament Called?

          • III. The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation

          • IV. The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist

          • V. The Sacramental Sacrifice Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence

          • VI. The Paschal Banquet

          • VII. The Eucharist - "Pledge of the Glory To Come"

          • IN BRIEF
             

      • CHAPTER TWO THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING

        • Article 4 THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION

          • I. What is This Sacrament Called?

          • II. Why a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?

          • III. The Conversion of the Baptized

          • IV. Interior Penance

          • V. The Many Forms of Penance in Christian Life

          • VI. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

          • VII. The Acts of the Penitent

          • VIII. The Minister of This Sacrament

          • IX. The Effects of This Sacrament

          • X. Indulgences

          • XI. The Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 5 THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK

          • I. Its Foundations in the Economy of Salvation

          • II. Who Receives and Who Administers This Sacrament?

          • III. How is This Sacrament Celebrated?

          • IV. The Effects of the Celebration of This Sacrament

          • V. Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian

          • IN BRIEF
             

      • CHAPTER THREE THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION

        • ARTICLE 6 THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

          • I. Why Is This Sacrament Called "Orders"?

          • II. The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Economy of Salvation

          • III. The Three Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

          • IV. The Celebration of This Sacrament

          • V. Who Can Confer This Sacrament?

          • VI. Who Can Receive This Sacrament?

          • VII. The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 7 THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

          • I. Marriage in God's Plan

          • II. The Celebration of Marriage

          • III. Matrimonial Consent

          • IV. The Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony

          • V. The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love

          • VI. The Domestic Church

          • IN BRIEF
             

      • CHAPTER FOUR OTHER LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS

        • Article 1 SACRAMENTALS

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 2 CHRISTIAN FUNERALS

          • I. The Christian's Last Passover

          • II. The Celebration of Funerals
             

  • PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

    • SECTION ONE MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

      • CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

        • Article 1 MAN: THE IMAGE OF GOD

        • Article 2 OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE

        • Article 3 MAN'S FREEDOM

          • I. Freedom and Responsibility

          • II. Human Freedom in the Economy of Salvation

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 4 THE MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS

          • I. The Sources of Morality

          • II. Good Acts and Evil Acts

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 5 THE MORALITY OF THE PASSIONS

          • I. Passions

          • II. Passions and Moral Life

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 6 MORAL CONSCIENCE

          • I. The Judgment of Conscience

          • II. The Formation of Conscience

          • III. To Choose in Accord With Conscience

          • IV. Erroneous Judgment

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 7 THE VIRTUES

          • I. The Human Virtues

          • II. The Theological Virtues

          • III. The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 8 SIN

          • I. Mercy and Sin

          • II. The Definition of Sin

          • III. The Different Kinds of Sins

          • IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin

          • V. The Proliferation of Sin

          • IN BRIEF
             

      • CHAPTER TWO THE HUMAN COMMUNION

        • Article 1 THE PERSON AND SOCIETY

          • I. The Communal Character of the Human Vocation

          • II. Conversion and Society

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 2 PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL LIFE

          • I. Authority

          • II. The Common Good

          • III. Responsibility and Participation

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 3 SOCIAL JUSTICE

          • I. Respect For the Human Person

          • II. Equality and Differences Among Men

          • III. Human Solidarity

          • IN BRIEF
             

      • CHAPTER THREE GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE

        • Article 1 THE MORAL LAW

          • I. The Natural Moral Law

          • II. The Old Law

          • III. The New Law or the Law of the Gospel

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 2 GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION

          • I. Justification

          • II. Grace

          • III. Merit

          • IV. Christian Holiness

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 3 THE CHURCH, MOTHER AND TEACHER

          • I. Moral Life and the Magisterium of the Church

          • II. The Precepts of the Church

          • III. Moral Life and Missionary Witness

          • IN BRIEF
             

    • SECTION TWO THE TEN COMMANDMENT​​​

      • IN BRIEF

        CHAPTER ONE YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND

        • Article 1 THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

          • I. "You Shall Worship the Lord Your God and Him Only Shall You Serve"

          • II. "Him Only Shall You Serve"

          • III. "You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me"

          • IV. "You Shall Not Make For Yourself a Graven Image . . ."

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 2 THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

          • I. The Name of the Lord is Holy

          • II. Taking the Name of the Lord in Vain

          • III. The Christian Name

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • Article 3 THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

          • I. The Sabbath Day

          • II. The Lord's Day

          • IN BRIEF
             

        • CHAPTER TWO YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

          • ARTICLE 4 THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

            • I. The Family in God's Plan

            • II. The Family and Society

            • III. The Duties of Family Members

            • IV. The Family and the Kingdom

            • V. The Authorities In Civil Society

            • IN BRIEF
               

          • Article 5 THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

            • I. Respect for Human Life

            • II. Respect for the Dignity of Persons

            • III. Safeguarding Peace

            • IN BRIEF
               

          • Article 6 THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

            • I. "Male and Female He Created Them . . ."

            • II. The Vocation to Chastity

            • III. The Love of Husband and Wife

            • IV. Offenses Against the Dignity of Marriage

            • IN BRIEF
               

          • Article 7 THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

            • I. The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods

            • II. Respect for Persons and Their Goods

            • III. The Social Doctrine of the Church

            • IV. Economic Activity and Social Justice

            • V. Justice and Solidarity Among Nations

            • VI. Love For the Poor

            • IN BRIEF
               

          • Article 8 THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

            • I. Living in the Truth

            • II. To Bear Witness to the Truth

            • III. Offenses Against Truth

            • IV. Respect for the Truth

            • V. The Use of the Social Communications Media

            • VI. Truth, Beauty, and Sacred Art

            • IN BRIEF
               

          • Article 9 THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

            • I. Purification of the Heart

            • II. The Battle for Purity

            • IN BRIEF
               

          • Article 10 THE TENTH COMMANDMENT

            • I. The Disorder of Covetous Desires

            • II. The Desires of the Spirit

            • III. Poverty of Heart

            • IV. "I Want to See God"

            • IN BRIEF
               

  • PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER

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