Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum

The Enchiridion is a compendium of all basic texts of Catholic dogma and morality since the apostles. Commissioned by Pope Pius IX, it has been in use since 1854, and has been updated since. Enchiridion (from Greek cheir, "hand") means "handbook."

Description

The Enchiridion is sometimes referred to as Denzinger, after its first editor, Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger. It is commonly abbreviated 'Dz' in early editions and 'DS'^[1] in editions edited by Schönmetzer due to a revisioning in numbering. By including all basic texts of Catholic teachings, it is a compendium of faith through the centuries. It is also a search instrument for theologians, historians and anybody interested in Christianity. The latest updates extend to the teachings of Pope John Paul II. The Enchiridion can thus be used for research on contemporary issues, such as the social teachings of the Church, subsidiarity, poverty, social justice, death penalty, birth control or the ordination of women. The Enchiridion, published originally as "Enchiridion Symbolorum et Definitionum" is today published as "Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum". In 2012 Ignatius Press published a bilingual Latin-English version of the 43rd 2010 edition of Denzinger-Hünermann with entries up to 2008 A.D. This English edition was edited by Robert Fastiggi and Anne Englund Nash.

Structure

The Enchiridion is chronologically ordered, starting with the Symbolum Apostolicum. It includes the teachings of popes and ecumenical councils since. It does not repeat all the full texts, but only those central parts which are relevant to dogmatic or moral theology. All texts in Denzinger-Schönmetzer listed in Latin. Since the 37th edition of Denzinger-Hünermann (1991), the original language (mostly Latin) is put in the left-hand column with a corresponding vernacular translation in the right hand column. In addition to the 2012 English edition of Denzinger-Hünermann, there are also editions in French, Italian, Spanish, and other languages (as well as the original German of Denzinger-Hünermann).

In addition to the texts, the Enchiridion supplies certain indices:

• Index scripturisticus, on the uses of scripture in various dogmas
• Index systematicus of dogmatic and moral Church teachings
• Index alphabeticus of names and subjects

Sources

• Denzinger, Heinrich, and Adolf Schönmetzer. Enchiridion symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum. Freiburg, Basel, Rome & Vienna: Herder, 1997.
• Denzinger, Heinrich, and Peter Hünermann. Compendium of Creeds,Definitions, and Declarations on Matters of Faith and Morals 43rd ed. San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2012.
• Heinrich Denzinger, The Sources of Catholic Dogma

online sources, CD-Roms

The online sources are based on various earlier editions. The latest editions are not available online.

• Latin text - documents to 1957
• French translation - documents to 1959
• Spanish translation - documents to 1957
• English translation documents to 1950 and old numbering only

The following CD-Rom includes all documents up to 1950.

• Welcome to the Catholic Church. Gervais: Harmony Media, n.d. (Welcome reproduces this print version: Denzinger, Henry. The Sources of Catholic Dogma. Trans. Roy J. Deferrari. St. Louis and London: Herder, 1957. This in turn is translated from: Denzinger, Heinrich, ed. Enchiridion Symbolorum et Definitionum. Rev. Karl Rahner. 30th ed. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 1954.)

The following CD-Rom includes all documents up to 1995.

• CD-Rom for Windows and Macintosh in Latin, Greek and German: Enchiridion symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum : Griechisch/Lateinisch - Deutsch = Kompendium der Glaubensbekenntnisse und kirchlichen Lehrentscheidungen [Computerdatei] / Heinrich Denzinger. Verb., erw., ins Deutsche übertragen und unter Mitarb. von Helmut Hoping hrsg. von Peter Hünermann. - Freiburg [u.a.] : Herder, 1997. - CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh—ISBN 3-451-31503-3 [4677]

References