CrucisCatechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official and comprehensive statement of Catholic belief and practice, promulgated by Pope St. John Paul II with the apostolic constitution Fidei Depositum in 1992, with a definitive Latin edition following in 1997. It was the fruit of a proposal made at an extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985, and was prepared over several years by a commission of cardinals and bishops, drawing on the whole of Scripture, Tradition, the Fathers, the councils, and the teaching of the Church, so as to present the faith in an ordered and sure form for the modern age.
It is arranged in four great parts, following an ancient pattern: the profession of faith as set out in the Creed; the celebration of the Christian mystery in the sacraments and the liturgy; life in Christ, treating of the moral life and the Ten Commandments; and Christian prayer, culminating in a rich commentary on the Lord's Prayer. Intended chiefly as a reference for bishops, catechists, and the writing of local catechisms, it has become a trusted guide for all the faithful seeking to know and live the Catholic faith, and a lasting fruit of the Second Vatican Council.
Selected quotes
“In many ways, throughout history down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest for God in their religious beliefs and behavior: in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals, and meditations.”
“These forms of religious expression, despite the ambiguities they often bring with them, are so universal that one may well call man a religious being.”
“God chose Abram and made him leave his country, his kindred and his father's house, to make of him Abraham — 'the father of a multitude of nations'.”