Too Many Catechisms?
A new Catholic — or a returning Catholic — who decides to study the faith quickly encounters a problem: there seem to be too many catechisms. The Penny Catechism. The Baltimore Catechism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Compendium. YOUCAT. The Roman Catechism. Each one claims to teach the faith. Each one looks different. Which one do you use? Are they saying different things?
The short answer: no. They are all saying the same things — but at different lengths, for different audiences, and in different styles. Think of them as maps of the same territory at different scales. A street map, a road atlas, and a satellite photograph all show you the same city. They just show it in different levels of detail.
What a Catechism Is
A catechism is a systematic summary of Catholic doctrine, organised for teaching. The word comes from the Greek katechein — to instruct by word of mouth. Catechisms have existed since the earliest centuries of the Church, when converts were taught the faith orally before Baptism.
Every catechism — from the smallest to the largest — is organised around the same four pillars, which correspond to the four parts of the Christian life:
What we believe — the Creed. What we celebrate — the Sacraments. What we live — the Commandments and the moral life. How we pray — Prayer, especially the Our Father.
This structure is not arbitrary. It mirrors the structure of the earliest baptismal instruction and has been used consistently for two thousand years. When you open any catechism, you will find these four sections — though they may be arranged slightly differently or given different names.
The Major Catechisms
The Roman Catechism (1566)
The oldest of the standard catechisms still in use. It was commissioned by the Council of Trent and published under Pope St Pius V. Unlike later catechisms, it was written for priests, not for the laity — it is a manual for those who teach the faith, not a textbook for those learning it.
The Roman Catechism is thorough, authoritative, and still valuable — particularly for its clear exposition of the sacraments and the Creed. But it is not an easy read for a beginner. Its intended audience is the educated clergy.
The Penny Catechism (1889)
Produced by the bishops of England and Wales for use in Catholic schools. It is the shortest and simplest of the major catechisms — 370 questions and answers covering the whole of the faith in about fifty pages.
Its strength is its memorisability. Every answer is concise enough to learn by heart. Its limitation is that it provides answers without much explanation — it tells you what to believe but does not always tell you why.
The Penny Catechism was the standard teaching text across the English-speaking Catholic world — including Australia — for most of the twentieth century.
The Baltimore Catechism (1885)
The American counterpart to the Penny Catechism, produced by the bishops of the United States at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. It follows the same question-and-answer format but is somewhat longer and more detailed.
The Baltimore Catechism went through several editions, with versions tailored to different age groups. It shaped the catechetical formation of generations of American Catholics and remains popular among those who value clear, direct doctrinal instruction.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992)
The most important and comprehensive catechism produced since the Roman Catechism of 1566. It was commissioned by Pope St John Paul II in response to a proposal at the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985, and it represents the first universal catechism produced by the Church in over four hundred years.
The CCC is not a question-and-answer book. It is a systematic, narrative exposition of the faith — over 900 pages, covering the same four pillars in great depth. It draws extensively on Scripture, the Church Fathers, the documents of the ecumenical councils, and the writings of the saints. It is abundantly footnoted, allowing the reader to trace every teaching back to its sources.
The CCC is the definitive reference text for Catholic doctrine in the contemporary world. When there is a question about what the Church teaches on any subject, the CCC is the place to look. It is authoritative, comprehensive, and thoroughly cross-referenced.
Its limitation is its size. At over 900 pages, it is not designed for casual reading or quick reference. It is a reference work — invaluable for study, but not a starting point for someone who is just beginning to learn the faith.
The Compendium (2005)
A condensed version of the CCC, produced under Pope Benedict XVI. It distils the CCC into question-and-answer format — about 600 questions — making it more accessible while retaining the substance. Each answer includes a reference to the relevant paragraphs of the full CCC, so you can go deeper on any topic.
The Compendium is the best of both worlds: the accessibility of the Penny Catechism with the authority and depth of the CCC. It is an excellent tool for personal study and for group discussion.
YOUCAT (2011)
A catechism designed specifically for young people, produced for World Youth Day 2011. It covers the same four pillars in a contemporary style, with questions phrased in the language of young adults, commentary from the saints, and quotations from Scripture.
YOUCAT is not a substitute for the CCC. It is an entry point — a way of engaging young Catholics (and young enquirers) with the content of the faith in a format that feels accessible. Some critics find its tone too casual. Others appreciate its directness. It is one tool among many.
Which One Should You Use?
The answer depends on where you are and what you need.
If you are a complete beginner — start with the Penny Catechism or the Compendium. They give you the essential framework quickly, in manageable pieces. Read a few questions a day. Get the skeleton of the faith into your head.
If you want to study seriously — use the Catechism of the Catholic Church as your primary reference. Read it section by section, not cover to cover. Use the index to find topics that interest you. Follow the footnotes to Scripture and the Fathers.
If you are teaching others — the Penny Catechism and Baltimore Catechism are ideal for children and for adults who prefer a direct, memorisable format. The CCC is essential background for the teacher, even if the students never read it directly.
If you want to go deep — read the Roman Catechism alongside the CCC. The Roman Catechism’s exposition of the sacraments, in particular, is richer and more detailed than any other catechism.
They Are All Saying the Same Thing
The most important thing to understand is that these catechisms do not compete. They complement. The Penny Catechism and the CCC are not saying different things — one is saying it in fifty pages and the other in nine hundred. The doctrine is the same. The level of detail differs.
You can start anywhere. The Penny Catechism will give you the bones. The Compendium will give you the flesh. The CCC will give you the blood, the muscles, and the lifeblood. And the Roman Catechism will show you how the same faith was taught four centuries ago — in the same words, with the same conviction, about the same God.
The faith does not change. The catechisms — from the oldest to the newest — are proof of that. Read any of them and you are reading the same faith the Apostles preached — organised, clarified, and handed to you as a gift.