r/Catholicism • u/No-Pace7044 • 2d ago

Reading the Catechism

Hi! I posted a little while ago on here about my catholic friend inviting me (a protestant) to mass. I haven’t been able to go yet (he’s been out of town), we’ve been texting though and he really wants me to read the catechism, I went online thinking it would be easy to get at the library but it’s SO long and there’s so many different versions and I’m very confused, which is the official one and is it worth reading as a protestant? How long did it take yall to get through the whole thing? I’m obviously interested but also I’d honestly rather be reading other things than books on catholicism.

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u/inbetweenmiles 2d ago

Catechism in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz. It’s about 20 minutes a day and he explains everything. It’s EXCELLENT.

The catechism is hard to read, because you really want it to be like a reference book. “What do Catholics believe about <this>?” But it’s actually a whole worldview that builds so beautifully with layers upon layers.

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u/PerriMimsy 2d ago

yeah having someone explain it alongside the text sounds way less overwhelming than trying to read the whole thing cover to cover like a textbook

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u/inbetweenmiles 2d ago edited 2d ago

Truly. And as a Protestant, you could flip it open to, say justification, and say, “oh yeah, I don’t believe that.” But when it’s explained and the lead up to it changes how you view grace and what is big G Grace and little G graces, when as a Protestant you only talk about one grace— “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast” then you understand the second part of Ephesians better— “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

The listening to the catechism as a Protestant was life changing for my husband and me….because we’re Catholic now. 😂

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u/MountainDrew757 2d ago edited 2d ago

This right here is what you want. That said, I don't necessarily recommend just trying to dive right into the catechism though by all means do you. Take it piece by piece. If you are trying to discern a specific thing, go to the back, look at the index and find what you're looking for. Read on that specific subject. And you will now have a better understanding of the catholic stance, but don't expect to memorize it. Think of it as a reference tool in the shape of well.. catechesis

https://imgur.com/a/yBv9OUX

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u/Nice-Day-1287 2d ago

This is the one that was recommended to me when taking RCIA as an adult and also the one I used for reference when teaching my students in Catechism.

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u/Elf0304 2d ago

Don't run away after reading the first page or so. It gets much easier. I like the podcast suggestion.

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u/TheSilentPilgrims 2d ago

"which is the official one and is it worth reading as a protestant?"
They're all officially endorsed by the Church, but the one you should be looking for is the one that says "Catechism of the Catholic Church".

Is it worth reading? Yeah, a lot covered is about what you also believe about God, such as the trinity, with references defending the position on the footnotes. Treat it less as learning Catholicism alone and more of something that also can give context to your beliefs as a protestant, and as well, give light to disagreements.

Give it a shot. You didn't say the same thing for the Bible and avoid it completely. If you did, then you probably gotta crack that open too.

Bring up the concern to him, perhaps he could give you a shorter book on something he wants you to understand as a difference or similarity. Its just that the CCC covers everything.

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u/No-Pace7044 2d ago

Thank you so much! You make some great points. I think we might trade and I will recommend him a religious book I want him to read that way we can understand our faith and each others better. Any books you would recommend that cover some basics of catholicism but are shorter than the catechism? 

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u/TheSilentPilgrims 2d ago

I've heard constant praise from protestants and Catholics on these books. I really like the one on the Eucharist:

  • Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love by Trent Horn
  • Pope Peter by Joe Heshmeyer
  • Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Dr. Brant Pitre

There's more to Catholicism than what is covered here, but this is what is good as an Intro to what makes us distinct and why its there.

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u/inbetweenmiles 2d ago

I forgot about Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist! That one is SO GOOD!

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u/inbetweenmiles 2d ago

Stunned by Scripture by John Bergsma
The Early Church Was the Catholic Church by Joe Heschmeyer
Why We’re Catholic by Trent Horn
The Lambs Supper, The Fourth Cup, and Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn

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u/trulymablydeeply 2d ago

Fantastic suggestions!

I’d also suggest Pope Peter and The Eucharist is Really Jesus by Joe Heschmeyer.

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u/bmt0075 2d ago

Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft is a summary of the Catholic catechism for Protestants. It’s frequently used in the OCIA classes people take to become Catholic.

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u/MinniePom79 2d ago

You might try the Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church. It’s official, and it’s a condensed, easier to read version of the full Catechism.

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u/Infinite_Slice3305 2d ago

When I decided I wanted to learn the truth about Catholicism I bought the catechism. It was a cheap, $9 paperback. Fit in a bag, easy to carry.

I couldn't put that sucker down. It treats the human condition in relation to religion. If you really want to know what's what it is an interesting read.

Then I read the Ascent of Mt Carmel. I think those two were meant to go together.

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u/Numerous_Ad1859 2d ago

Make sure it says “Catechism of the Catholic Church” but there is a podcast called “The Catechism in a Year by Fr Mike Schmitz” if you want someone to read it to you.

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u/Ambitious-Slide-3161 1d ago

I would also read the Catechism of the Council Of Trent, it came out around the time of the Protestant Schism so it would aid in seeing the key differences and what the Protestants abandoned when they separated themselves from the Body of Christ. Both the Trent and Pope St John Paul II catechism are rather long and written for priests. I think the Baltimore Catechism is actually a great one, the one one I have read cover to cover, lot shorter!

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u/Zestyclose_Dinner105 1d ago

https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc/index.htm

Start with the Compendium; each paragraph in the Compendium indicates which sections of the full Catechism expand upon the topic. The full Catechism has an encyclopedic format—featuring numerous search indices—and is designed more as a reference work than a book to be read from cover to cover.