On the Publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

The short apostolic constitution by which John Paul II ordered the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, dated 11 October 1992, the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. It recalls that the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops of 1985 asked for a catechism of the whole of Catholic doctrine on faith and morals, describes the process and spirit of drafting the text by a commission of cardinals and bishops with consultation of the world's bishops, and explains the arrangement of the material in four parts: the Creed, the sacraments, the life in Christ and the commandments, and prayer. In its section on the doctrinal value of the text he declares the Catechism 'a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion and a sure norm for teaching the faith', and asks that it serve as a reference text for local catechisms. The Catechism itself, a collective work, is not listed as his.