Week 1 - (09/08/07) - Fidei Depositum by Pope John Paul II

“Are Catholics Christian?”
Week 1 09/08/07
www.geocities.com/laurence_gonzaga/study.htm

“Fidei Depositum”

I. Opening Prayer
a. St. Thomas Prayer for Students
II. Study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
a. Introduction to the Catechism – Fidei Depositum
III. DVD – Father Corapi – Introduction to the Catechism
IV. Closing Prayer
a. Angelus

Study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) - Introduction to the Catechism – Fidei Depositum Apostolic Constitution of Pope John Paul II

“Are Catholics Christian?”
Week 109/08/07
www.geocities.com/laurence_gonzaga/study.htm

SUMMARY:

Covered: Fidei Depositum by Pope John Paul II (http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/aposcons.htm)

1. A catechism is a compendium of texts in one volume, which explains the teachings of the Catholic Church.
2. The first universal catechism was the Catechism of the Council of Trent which was produced after that Council (still published by TAN).
3. Likewise the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a product of the Second Vatican Council, undoubtedly a valid Ecumenical Council of the Universal Church.
4. The deposit of faith is the entirety of the revelation which God gave us.
5. We are not God’s editors; we are His mail-carriers.
6. Jesus Christ taught us the Truth, handed it to the Apostles to guard and teach, and the mission of the Church throughout the ages, was not to edit the message, but to transmit it.
7. Imagine a “box of truth”, which Christ gave us. We start taking some stuff out of it which we don’t like, then we no longer have the fullness of the Truth which will save us.
8. Cafeteria Catholicism, just like Protestantism has this “box”, except lighter. That’s what happens if we take Our Blessed Mother, the Saints, The Mass, the Eucharist, 7 OT books, etc, out of the box.
9. Not all traditions were condemned in the NT; Jesus condemns traditions of men which run contrary to the Word of God. Yet, St. Paul commands us to hold to the traditions which they gave us:
~ 2Th 2:15 DRB (2:14) Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions, which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle.
10. The Gospel was preached orally, before anything was ever written down.
11. Revelation therefore comes to us through two “streams”: (1) Sacred Scripture and (2) Sacred Tradition.