In 2003 I had the privilege of attending a conference with Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, and one of the primary figures involved in the writing and editing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I remember him commenting that those involved with creating the CCC were surprised at how well it sold, especially among lay Catholics, because the audience it was written for was primarily bishops, priests, and the catechists who worked for them.
When I was a youth minister I worked hard to put the CCC in the hands of every teen that I could. I made it a Confirmation gift, a graduation present, or gave it away at retreats. I didnʼt expect a young person to read it cover to cover, but at least it was something they could own to find answers about their faith, especially after they went off to college.
If I was in youth ministry today, Iʼd give everyone a copy of the YOUCAT instead.
Itʼs not fair to compare it to the CCC because the CCC and the YOUCAT are trying to do two different things. Simply put, the CCC is there for the work of catechetics; the YOUCAT was created to do catechesis.
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