Glossary

Even before the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a Glossary had been proposed to provide assistance to those who would use the new Catechism. This Glossary has been prepared by Archbishop William J. Levada, who served as a member of the Editorial Committee of the Special Commission of the Holy See for the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It has been reviewed by the NCCB ad hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism, as well as by the chairman and staff of the NCCB Committee on Doctrine.

This Glossary has been composed with reference to the language of the Catechism itself: the numbers in parentheses refer to the number(s) in the Catechism where the term or concept is explained. The criterion for the selection of words included in this Glossary is twofold: (1) unfamiliar or technical terms are defined in order to assist readers who are not acquainted with them through formal religious or theological studies; and (2) multiple meanings or uses of familiar terms are presented, thus alerting readers to the various uses of the term in Church doctrine. Common words and most proper names are not listed in this Glossary, nor are religious terms which are not directly or indirectly present in the Catechism.

It is important to remember that this Glossary, like the Catechism’s Indexes, is an additional instrument by which readers may find assistance in their use of the Catechism itself. While the Glossary is faithful to the language of the Catechism, it does not participate in the approval of the text of the Catechism given in the Apostolic Constitution Fidei depositum of Pope John Paul II.