DOGMATIC AND SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION FOR CATECHISTS
NOTES ON BALTIMORE CATECHISM No. 3
by
REV. FRANCIS J. CONNELL, C.SS.R., S. T . D., LL. D .
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
N. C. W. C.
CONFRATERNITY PUBLICATIONS
508 Marshall St.
Paterson 3, N. J.
COPYRIGHT, 1955 , BY
CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
Imprimi potest :
VERY REV. JAMES CONNOLLY, C.SS.R .
Provincial of the Baltimore Province of
the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
Nihil obstat:
BEDE BABO, O.S.B.;
Censor librorum.
Imprimatur :
+ JAMES A. MCNULTY,
Bishop of Paterson.
April 12, 1955.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FOREWORD
This booklet presents the notes which I distributed to the stu-
dents of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in my classes
on the Baltimore Catechism, No! 3. I conducted these classes
for eight years at the summer school of the Catholic University
of America. These notes are not intended to be a complete
commentary on the Catechism. Their purpose is to propose some
points of doctrine not contained in the Catechism and to present
in a somewhat different form the teaching of the text. They are
being published for wider use, in the hope that they will make
some contribution toward a better understanding of our holy
faith — the all-important objective of the Confraternity of Chris-
tian Doctrine.
FRANCIS J . CONNELL , C.SS.R.
February 2, 1955
INTRODUCTION
The first edition of the Baltimore Catechism appeared in
1885, and was drawn up by a committee appointed by the Bishops
at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1884). It would
seem that the greater part of the work was done by Bishop John
L. Spalding of Peoria, and Monsignor de Concilio of Jersey City.
Considering the brief time within which the work was accom-
plished and the small number of those who co-operated in it, the
Catechism (Baltimore, No. 2) was a very creditable piece of
work. However, it was soon evident that a great improvement
was possible, and as early as 1895 plans were made by the Arch-
bishops at their annual meeting for a revision, but nothing
eventualized.
In 1935 plans were drawn up for a revision by the Episcopal
Committee of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (Arch-
bishop John T. McNicholas, Archbishop John G. Murray, Bishop
Edwin V. O'Hara). The method employed was very elaborate,
calculated to enlist the collaboration of a great number of theolo-
gians and catechists. Moreover, every effort was made to ensure
adequacy and exactness, joined to brevity and clarity in the ques-
tions and answers. Every Bishop and every major superior of
a religious institute received a set of work sheets with the request
that some competent person be assigned to put down suggestions
and criticisms in reference to the old Catechism. These work
sheets were then taken over by three committees (the divisions
being Creed, Commandments, Sacraments), and these Commit-
tees compiled the best suggestions. It should be noted that the
order of these three divisions differs in the new text from the
old. In the summer of 1936 a tentative draft was made on the
basis of these findings; and a lengthy discussion of this tentative
draft took place at the national Confraternity meeting in October,
1936 (New York). A second revised edition was then sent out to
experts in January, 1938; a third in November, 1939; a fourth in
June, 1941; and the final and approved text on July 18, 1941.
It should be noted that a change has been made since that time
in a few of the Questions and Answers.
This approved edition was No. 2. The task of making a more
extensive text was soon under way. Father Connell's Catechism
No. 3 was published in August, 1943. This contained extra ques-
tions and answers. The official No. 3 Baltimore Catechism, largely
the work of Archbishop McNicholas, was published in 1949-
The formal questions and answers in No. 3 are the same as in
No. 2, but No. 3 contains many extended applications and details.
Moreover, the addition of appropriate Scriptural texts is one of
the special features of this work.
Briefer versions of the No. 2 have also been compiled in the
meantime. The No. 3 Catechism known as Father Connell's
Confraternity Catechism contains study helps, examples, etc.,
from Father Connell's Catechism No. 3.
(Cf. NCEA Bulletin, 1940, p. 546; Journal of Religious In-
struction, April, 1940.)
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction V
Part One
THE CREED
LESSONS
1. The Purpose of Man's Existence 1
2. God and His Perfections 3
3. The Unity and Trinity of God 6
4. Creation and the Angels 7
5. The Creation and the Fall of Man 9
6. Actual Sin 12
7. The Incarnation 13
8. The Redemption 15
9. The Holy Ghost and Grace 17
10. The Virtues and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost . . . . . . . 19
11. The Catholic Church 21
12. The Marks and Attributes of the Church 23
13. The Communion of Saints and Forgiveness of Sins . . 27
14. The Resurrection and Life Everlasting 27
Part Two
THE C O M M A N D M E N T S
LESSONS
15. The Two Great Commandments 30
16. The First Commandment of God 32
17. Honoring the Saints, Relics and Images 33
18. The Second and Third Commandments of God 34
19. The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Commandments of God 36
20. The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Command-
ments of God 39
21. The Commandments of the Church: The First and
Second Commandments 41
22. The Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Commandments
of the Church 42
Part Three
THE SACRAMENTS A N D PRAYER
LESSONS
23. The Sacraments 45
24. Baptism 4 7
25. Confirmation tori 48
26. The Holy Eucharist 49
27. The Sacrifice of the Mass 50
LESSONS
28. Holy Communion 51
29. Penance 51
30. Contrition 53
31. Confession 54
32. How To Make a Good Confession 55
33. Temporal Punishment and Indulgences 56
34. Extreme Unction and Holy Orders 56
35. Matrimony 57
36. The Sacramentals 59
37. Prayer 59
38. The Our Father 60
APPENDICES
I. Why I Am a Catholic 61
Source:
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