The Catechism Explained

9781505123012

1046 pages

St. Benedict Press LLC

eBook : EPUB $19.98

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Overview

The Catechism Explained by Fr. Francis Spirago, edited by Fr. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., is such a well-known Catholic classic that it hardly needs any introduction. The book was written for three specific uses—to serve the preacher as a sourcebook for sermons, the catechist as a thorough explanation of the catechism, and parents as a complete statement of the entire Faith, to assist them in instructing their children. Written to achieve these objectives, the book specifically does not contain technical language so that it is not difficult to understand. But it is large, it is thorough, and it is interesting! Plus, there is no other book quite like it.

Author Bio

"Father Francis (Franz) Spirago (1862-1942) was a 19th century Bohemian theologian with a sense of humor who wrote several works to remedy inadequate catechesis among the faithful. Born in the modern Czech Republic, Spirago was ordained a priest for the diocese of Trutnov in 1884 at the age of 22. He worked as a chaplain and a catechist before beginning teaching, during which he began to be a successful writer. Little was written about him, but the surviving anecdotes describe him as an unconventional man who used humor and a more colloquial style of speaking to convey the truths of the faith to the extent that he was called "a pioneer of popular catechesis." He allegedly "hated being bored," so, when he taught, his lessons were described as "an amusing recreation" as he sought to bring the heady truths of the faith down to a level anyone could understand by parables, anecdotes, explanations, and proverbs. Fr. Spirago wrote seven types of catechisms, the chief of which is The Catechism Explained, but he also wrote on a multitude of topics, ranging from works on the end times and prophecies, to rules of prudence and pastoral care."