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Faith in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

In preparation for the Year of Faith, Dr Alan Schreck reviews how the beginning of the Catechism of the Catholic Church answers basic questions about the virtue of faith.

Pope Benedict XVI, announcing the up-coming ‘Year of Faith,’ begins his apostolic letter Porta Fidei (The Door of Faith): ‘The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church’ (PF1). However, he notes we can no longer assume that people in traditionally Christian lands believe in God: ‘because of a profound crisis of faith that has affected many people’ (PF2).

The Catechism begins (Part I, Section I, Chapter I, subsection one) ‘The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God, and God never ceases to draw man to Himself’ (CCC27). Even people who are hardened against the concept of God experience that ‘restlessness’ that St. Augustine speaks of at the very beginning of his Confessions. Of course, some would deny or fail to recognize that this ‘restlessness’ in their hearts or spirits has anything to do with God, or try to ignore, suppress, or ‘sublimate’ it, but nonetheless it is there. Often, it appears that this inchoate desire or restlessness is the only way that God can ‘hint at’ His presence, when the beauty of creation or of art or music, or rational arguments for God’s existence have no apparent effect.

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Dr. Alan Schreck is a professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, specializing in Catholic doctrine, Church history, and the teachings of Vatican II. He is the author of several books including The Essential Catholic Catechism, published in 1999; Vatican II: The Crisis and the Promise, published by St. Anthony Messenger Press in 2005. In 2004 his noted apologetic book, Catholic and Christian: An Explanation of Commonly Misunderstood Catholic Beliefs, was reprinted in a 20th Anniversary edition. His latest book is The Legacy of Pope John Paul II: The Central Teaching of His 14 Encyclical Letters, which can be ordered through this website. He and his wife Nancy have five children and reside in Steubenville.

This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

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Adult Faith Formation

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33.2

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About Franciscan Catechetics

The Catechetics Degree Programs and the Catechetical Institute (CI) at Franciscan University of Steubenville work in concert to prepare clergy, religious and laity to join the “army of catechists” called for by St. John Paul II, eager to help the Church in her mission of making all nations joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. We combine a thorough formation in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Magisterial documents with training in effective pedagogical techniques to help those we serve to grasp the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Father’s plan, and to bear witness to others faithfully of the wonderful life of grace in the Holy Spirit.

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