POPE APPROVES SYNTHESIS OF CATECHISM, SETS UP WORK COMMISSION

VATICAN CITY, MAR 7, 2003 (VIS) - In a letter to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dated February 2 and published today, Pope John Paul approved a request to prepare a compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He asked the cardinal to set up and chair, in agreement with the Secretariat of State, a Special Commission to prepare this synthesis, and to also establish an editorial committee.

The Letter to the cardinal prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was the result of a request put forth by participants in the October 8-11, 2002 meeting in Rome of an International Catechetical Congress. The principal participants were the presidents of the Catechetical Commissions of the various episcopal conferences and representatives of local Churches committed to catechesis in their countries, in national institutes or in various international organisms. The meeting had been called to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the December 7, 1992 publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the fifth anniversary of both the promulgation of the Latin edition and the new edition of the General Catechetical Directory.

During this encounter many participants agreed with the proposal to prepare a synthesis or compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, saying that "this new work should contain all and only the essential and basic elements of Catholic faith and morals, formulated in a brief and clear manner, using as its source the Catechism of the Catholic Church."

The aim of such a proposal is to create an authoritative, integral and complete text regarding the essential aspects of the Catholic faith, approved by the Holy Father, possibly translated into various languages and used as a "reference point" for preparing local compendiums.

This proposal was presented to Pope John Paul who, in his February 2 letter, approved the project.

The Holy Father, in his letter, said "the broad circulation of the (Catechism) in the various regions of the world is evident proof of its usefulness and its timeliness." He noted that the many regional syntheses of the Catechism in various languages "demonstrate how widespread and heartfelt is the need for a brief compendium ... which contains all the basic elements of Catholic faith and morals formulated in a simple and clear manner. Experience, however, proves that it is not easy in syntheses to always and fully preserve the completeness and integrity of the content of the Catholic faith."

The Pope remarked that what emerged from the October congress was "the urgency to have available a brief Catechism for all the faithful," adding that it was for this reason he approved the project. He said that the Compendium should become a kind of "'vademecum' that allows people, believers and non-believers, to embrace, in a glance together, the entire panorama of the Catholic faith." He stressed that "before it is approved, the Compendium will be submitted for the evaluation of all the cardinals and the presidents of episcopal conferences."

John Paul II concluded the Letter to Cardinal Ratzinger by telling him, "I am aware that this new work will not be an easy endeavor but, trusting in God's help and knowing the capabilities amd industriousness of you and your collaborators, I am sure that this will be brought to conclusion in a relatively brief time."

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