Catechism of Saint Pius X

Catechismo della Dottrina Cristiana.

The Catechism of Saint Pius X is a 1908 short book, issued by Pope Pius X with questions and answers regarding the essentials of Christian faith. A shortened version was published in 1930 with the addition of illustration.

Characteristics

Saint Pius X intended a Catechism, that all Catholic faithful could relate to and understand. Issued at the beginning of the twentieth century in Italian, Catechismo della dottrina Cristiana, Pubblicato per Ordine del Sommo Pontifice San Pio X, deals in less than 50 pages with all questions of faith and morality in a simple but comprehensive form. The Catechism begins with a listing of the most important prayers of the Catholic Church. The book has only thee parts, Faith, the Ten Commandments and Grace. The Catechism of Pope Pius X is still popular, as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger confirmed in 2002.

Pope Benedict XVI

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, when discussing the forthcoming Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church referred to the catechism of Saint Pius X.: "The faith, as such, is always the same. Therefore, St. Pius X's catechism always retains its value, … There can be persons or groups that feel more comfortable with St. Pius X's catechism. ... that Catechism stemmed from a text that was prepared by the Pope himself [Pius X] when he was Bishop of Mantua. The text was the fruit of the personal catechetical experience of Giuseppe Sarto, whose characteristics were simplicity of exposition and depth of content. Also because of this, St. Pius X's catechism might have friends in the future".^[1]

Marital obligations

The to the point characteristics of the Catechism are exemplified in the short treatise on the obligations of married persons.

• Which are the principal obligations of married persons? A. Married persons should: (1) Guard inviolably their conjugal fidelity and behave always and in all things as Christians; (2) Love one another, be patient with one another, and live in peace and concord; (3) Think seriously of providing for their children, if they have any, according to their needs; bring them up as Christians, and leave them free to choose the state of life to which they are called by God.^[2]

Sources

• Catechismo della dottrina Cristiana, Pubblicato per Ordine del Sommo Pontifice San Pio X, Il Sabato, 1999
• The Catechism of St.Pius X http://www.ewtn.com/library/catechsm/piusxcat.htm

References