Compendium of the Catechism available soon

Washington - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that the new Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a 200-page synthesis of the 1992 Catechism, will be available starting March 31, 2006. It will be published exclusively by USCCB Publishing, the publishing office of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

USCCB Publishing will launch the Compendium in English and Spanish at the 2006 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

“The Compendium . . . is a faithful and sure synthesis of the Catechism of the Catholic Church,” Pope Benedict XVI said. “It contains, in concise form, all the essential and fundamental elements of the Church’s faith.”

The Compendium consists of 598 questions and answers, echoing to some degree the format of the very popular “Baltimore Catechism” which was a standard text in many Catholic parishes and schools from 1885 to the 1960s. It is structured in four parts, much like the widely-used Catechism of the Catholic Church. While the text does contain some direct quotes from the Catechism used in a sidebar fashion, the questions and answers themselves are original text.

To order visit www.usccbpublishing.org or call USCCB Publishing at 800-235-8722. The Compendium will be available in English and Spanish and in paperback (publication number: English-5-720; Spanish-5-920; list price of $14.95) and hardcover (publication number English-5-725; Spanish-5-921; list price of $24.95).