'I warmly recommend this new edition of the Catechism - for its corredted text, its developed index, and its thematic guide.' - David Konstant, Bishop of Leeds

The first edition of the new Catechism went out across the world in many language versions. This gave the local Churches the chance to study it in depth. Through their bishops and teachers they responded with comments on texts that needed refinement. The present edition was developed in the light of these comments and published in Latin as the definitive Editio Typica. This book is the English translation of the Editio Typica and now appears for the first time in a low-price, popular format.

Some examples of the changes:

The original text on capital punishment provoked a wideranging debate which led to further clarification in the encyclical Evangelium Vitae. Thus the original sentence on capital punishment has been omitted, reflecting a developing consensus within the Catholic Christian community against this practice.

Some texts have been edited so that a clearer weight is given to central concerns. A reference to angels has been dropped in a passage where it was not necessary to the main point and so was distracting. The present text is clearer.

There is more nuanced approach to some sexual issues, with a greater emphasis on psychological and social factors affecting the relative culpability of certain acts.

A stronger emphasis on justice and essential human rights has led to the alteration of some of the words in the section on private property.

On contemporary developments in medicine, in particular on the question of organ transplant, the approach is more positive, nuanced and open.

This Catechism retains the text of the Revised Baltimore Catechism, Number 2, but adds abundant explanations to help children understand the difficult parts of each lesson along with pictures to aid in understanding. Intended for grades 6-8.

Who is God? How does the Church help me to know God better? What is the connection between faith and reason, between the spiritual life and "real life"? Does it really matter what I believe, so long as I'm a good person?

These questions and many others are answered simply and with clarity by the bestselling author of Catholic and Christian. Based on Dt. Schreck's classic work Basics of the Faith, this book will give you a basic introduction to the Catholic faith that is both theologically sound and readily understandable.