Foreword

Any institution with as long and influential a history as the Roman Catholic Church is worth getting to know better, particularly because its teachings have often been the subject of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Whether you are a Catholic seeking to know more about this faith that believers consider divinely inspired, or simply curious about this church of more than a billion members, I suspect you will be helped, surprised, challenged, and even inspired by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official text of what the Catholic Church believes and teaches.

But aren’t official documents, by their nature, usually not an easy read? Not to worry. This addition to the Complete Idiot’s Guide series offers a look at the Catechism by a friend and former colleague whose writing combines intelligence and clarity, a respect for what the Church teaches, and an appreciation for the concerns and struggles real people face. Mary DeTurris Poust is a wife, mom, believer, inquirer, and journalist with more than two decades of experience writing about Catholic issues. She is, in my view, just the person to walk you through the Catechism. Your technical advisor, Monsignor David Fulton, is a brother priest and a distinguished theologian with a deep understanding of the faith and fidelity to the Church’s teaching.

I hope you will enjoy this approachable and entertaining guide to the riches of the Catholic faith. More important, I hope that, like all good study guides, this one will also stir you to pick up and read the original, thereby adding to your knowledge and enriching your life.

Monsignor William Benwell, J.C.L.

Vicar General, Diocese of Metuchen