Katechismen der katholischen Lehre

Christian instruction

What is a catechism?

A catechism is an ordered explanation of the principal truths of the Christian faith, prepared so that they can be learned, remembered and applied in Christian life. It does not add a new revelation beside Scripture and apostolic Tradition. It gathers the Church’s teaching into a pedagogical form suited to instruction: what the Christian believes, how grace is received in the sacraments, how the commandments order moral life, and how the faithful pray and live in communion with God and the Church.

Different catechisms may use questions and answers, continuous exposition or thematic chapters, yet their purpose remains practical and doctrinal at once. They introduce the Creed, the sacraments, the moral law and prayer in a coherent order, enabling children, converts, families, teachers and adult believers to acquire the foundations necessary for an informed profession of faith and a genuinely Christian life.