Youcat English : youth catechism of the Catholic Church

YOUCAT is the Catechism of the Catholic Church for adolescents and young people. The most important elements of the faith are summarized briefly and comprehensibly in a question-and-answer format. The YOUCAT was approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome and officially published by the Austrian Bishops' Conference. With more than 5 million copies sold, it is one of the best-selling Catholic books in the world. YOUCAT is short for Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, which will be launched on World Youth Day. Developed with the help of young Catholics and written for high-school age people and young adults, YOUCAT is an accessible, contemporary expression of the Catholic Faith. The appealing graphic format includes Questions-and-Answers, highly-readable commentary, summary definitions of key terms, Bible citations and inspiring and thought-provoking quotes from Saints and others in the margins. What's more, YOUCAT is keyed to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, so people can go deeper. It explains: What Catholics believe and why (doctrine) How Catholics celebrate the mysteries of the faith (sacraments) How Catholics are to live (moral life) How they should pray (prayer and spirituality) The questions are direct and honest, even at times tough; the answers straightforward, relevant, and compelling. YOUCAT will likely become the "go-to" place for young people to learn the truth about the Catholic faith. Pope Benedict XVI on the YOUCAT project: "Dear young friends! Today I recommend for your reading an unusual book ... Should we not attempt to translate the Catechism of the Catholic Church into the language of young people? Should we not bring its great riches into the world of today's youth? Of course, there are many differences even among the youth of today's world. And so now, under the capable direction of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schoenborn, YOUCAT has been produced for young people. I hope that many young people will let themselves be fascinated by this book. Many people say to me: The youth of today are not interested in this. I disagree, and I am certain that I am right. The youth of today are not as superficial as some think. They want to know what life is all about ... This book is exciting because it speaks of our own destiny and so deeply engages every one of use. So I invite you: Study this Catechism! That is my heartfelt desire. This catechism was not written to please you. It will not make life easy for you, because it demands of you a new life. It places before you the Gospel message as the "pearl of great value" (Mt 13:45) for which you must give everything. So I beg you: Study this Catechism with passion and perseverance. Make a sacrifice of your time for it! Study it in the quiet of your room; read it with a friend; form study groups and networks; share with each other on the Internet. By all means continue to talk with each other about your faith ... " PART ONE What We Believe 13 Why We Are Able to Believe 14 Man Is Receptive to God 14 God Approaches Us Men 16 Man Responds to God 25 The Christian Profession of Faith 27 I Believe in God the Father 31 I Believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son 51 I Believe in the Holy Spirit 73 PART TW0 How We Celebrate the Christian Mysteries 101 God Acts in Our Regard by Means of Sacred Signs 102 God and the Sacred Liturgy 104 How We Celebrate the Mysteries of Christ 108 The Seven Sacraments of the Church The Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist) 116 The Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick) 133 The Sacraments of Communion and Mission (Holy Orders and Marriage) 143 Other Liturgical Celebrations 156 PART THREE How We Are to Have Life in Christ 161 Why We Are Put on Earth, What We Are Supposed to Do, and How God's Holy Spirit Helps Us to Do It 162 The Dignity of the Human Person 162 Human Community 180 The Church 190 The Ten Commandments 193 You Shall Love the Lord Your God with All Your Heart, and with All Your Soul, and with All Your Mind 193 You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself 202 PART FOUR How We Should Pray 257 Prayer in Christian Life 258 How to Pray: The Gift of God's Presence 258 The Sources of Prayer 270 The Way of Prayer 274 The Lord's Prayer: The "Our Father" 280 INDEX Subject Index 288 Definitions Index 298 Abbreviations 300 Acknowledgments 301
YOUCAT is short for Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the official catechism for World Youth Day. Written for high-school age people and young adults, YOUCAT is an accessible, contemporary expression of the Catholic Faith. The popular format includes Questions-and-Answers, highly-readable commentary, margin pictures and illustrations, summary definitions of key terms, Bible citations, and quotes from the Saints and other great teachers. What's more, YOUCAT is keyed to the Catechism of the Catholic Faith, so people can go deeper. It explains:

What Catholics believe (doctrine)
How they celebrate the mysteries of the faith (sacraments)
How Catholics are to live (moral life)
How they should pray (prayer and spirituality)

The questions are direct and honest, even at times tough; the answers straightforward, relevant, and compelling. After the Bible, YOUCAT will likely become the "go-to" place for young people to learn the truth about the Catholic faith. Pope Benedict XVI wrote the foreword; Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the editor of YOUCAT and the Archbishop of Vienna, Austria, wrote the afterword.

The Youth Catechism [YOUCAT], which is written in language suitable for young people, deals with the entire Catholic faith as it was presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC of 1997), without aiming, however, at the completeness provided in that volume. (p. 3)