Catechism Of The Council Of Trent

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2021 Reprint of the 1934 Edition. Facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The Council of Trent clarified ambiguities that plagued the early Catholic church through the Middle Ages, including The precise number and nature of the sacraments, The veneration of saints and relics, Purgatory, The authority of the pope, and The use of indulgences. The "either/or" doctrines of the Protestant reformers-justification by faith alone, the authority of Scripture alone-were rejected in favor of a "both/and" doctrine of justification by both faith and works on the basis of the authority of both Scripture and tradition. Additionally, the Latin Vulgate Bible was reaffirmed against Protestant insistence upon the original Hebrew and Greek texts of Scripture. In addition to its impact on Roman Catholic doctrine, the legislation of Trent also reformed the internal life and discipline of the church. Providing for the proper education of its future clergy in Catholic seminaries Requirements for the clergy, and especially the bishops, give more attention to the task of preaching. Financial abuses were brought under control, and Strict rules requiring the residency of bishops in their dioceses were established. The council also established specific prescriptions about the form of the mass and liturgical music. Contents: Catechism of the Council of Trent -- Appendix I. Definition of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Pius IX -- Appendix II. Definition of the infallibility of the Roman pontiff / Vatican Council [I] -- Appendix III. The inseparability of the contract and sacrament in Christian marriage / from the encyclical of Leo XIII -- Appendix IV. Dispositions for frequent and daily Communion / from the Decree approved by Pius X.

Over 3 million copies sold! Essential reading for Catholics of all walks of life. Here it is - the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics around the world commonly believe. The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject. The word catechism means "instruction" - this book will serve as the standard for all future catechisms. Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a positive, coherent and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation.

This classic is organized as follows: Devotions. I. Prayers and Precepts of the Church. II. Prayers which may be used Daily at Different Times. III. Prayers to be said at Different Times when the Church Bell is Heard. IV. Devotions for Confession and Communion. VI. Special Prayers. Introduction. I. For What End Are We on This Earth? II. How Are We to Attain to Eternal Happiness? III. Can We Attain Perfect Happiness on Earth? Part I. Faith I. The Knowledge of God. II. Divine Revelation. III. The Preaching of the Gospel. IV. Holy Scripture and Tradition". V. The Christian Faith. VI. The Motives of Faith. VII. On the Absence and Loss of Faith. VIII. On the Duty of Confessing Our Faith. IX. The Sign of the Cross. X. The Apostles’ Creed. Part II. A. The Commandments. B. Good Works, Virtue, Sin, Vice. C. Christian Perfection. Part III. The Means of Grace. I. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. II. The Sacraments. III. The Sacramentals. IV. Prayer.

During the Catholic Counter-Reformation, the Council of Trent commissioned the Roman Catechism (or Catechism of the Council of Trent, published 1566) to expound doctrine and to improve the theological understanding of the clergy. It differs from other summaries of Christian doctrine for the instruction of the people in two points: it is primarily intended for priests having care of souls (ad parochos), and it enjoyed an authority within the Catholic Church equalled by no other catechism until the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992). The need of a popular authoritative manual arose from a lack of systematic knowledge among pre-Reformation clergy and the concomitant neglect of religious instruction among the faithful.The Council intended the projected Catechism to be the Church's official manual of popular instruction. The seventh canon, "De Reformatione", of Sess. XXIV, runs: "That the faithful may approach the Sacraments with greater reverence and devotion, the Holy Synod charges all the bishops about to administer them to explain their operation and use in a way adapted to the understanding of the people; to see, moreover, that their parish priests observe the same rule piously and prudently, making use for their explanations, where necessary and convenient, of the vernacular tongue; and conforming to the form to be prescribed by the Holy Synod in its instructions (catechesis) for the several Sacraments: the bishops shall have these instructions carefully translated into the vulgar tongue and explained by all parish priests to their flocks . . .". In the mind of the Church the Catechism, though primarily written for the parish priests, was also intended to give a fixed and stable scheme of instruction to the faithful, especially with regard to the means of grace, so much neglected at the time. To attain this object the work closely follows the dogmatic definitions of the council. It is divided in four parts: I. The Apostles' Creed; II. The Sacraments; III. The Decalogue; IV. Prayer, especially The Lord's Prayer. It deals with the papal primacy and with Limbo, points which were not discussed or defined at Trent; on the other hand, it is silent on the doctrine of Indulgences, which is set forth in the "Decretum de indulgentiis", Sess. XXV. The bishops urged in every way the use of the new Catechism; they enjoined its frequent reading, so that all its contents would be committed to memory; they exhorted the priests to discuss parts of it at their meetings, and insisted upon its being used for instructing the people. To some editions of the Roman Catechism is prefixed a "Praxis Catechismi", i.e. a division of its contents into sermons for every Sunday of the year adapted to the Gospel of the day. There is no better sermonary. The people like to hear the voice of the Church speaking with no uncertain sound; the many Biblical texts and illustrations go straight to their hearts, and, best of all, they remember these simple sermons better than they do the oratory of famous pulpit orators. The Catechism has not of course the authority of conciliary definitions or other primary symbols of faith; for, although decreed by the Council, it was only published a year after the Fathers had dispersed, and it consequently lacks a formal conciliary approbation. During the heated controversies de auxiliis gratiae between the Thomists and Molinists, the Jesuits refused to accept the authority of the Catechism as decisive. Yet it possesses high authority as an exposition of Catholic doctrine. It was composed by order of a council, issued and approved by the pope; its use has been prescribed by numerous synods throughout the whole Church; Leo XIII, in a letter to the French bishops (8 Sept., 1899), recommended the study of the Roman Catechism to all seminarians.