Learning the Catechism

For adults: the Roman Catechism

The Roman Catechism — also called the Catechism of the Council of Trent — was written after the Council of Trent (1545–1563) as the Church's official summary of doctrine for parish priests to teach from. It is the historic catechism of the traditional Church, distinct from the modern Catechism of the Catholic Church published in 1992.

The Society of St. Pius X's US District produces a free, ongoing weekly video series working through it, aimed at priests, teachers, parents, and the laity alike. The SSPX is a traditionalist priestly society whose canonical status is irregular — its priests are validly ordained, but it does not currently have the Church's canonical approval to operate as a full diocese or institute (see "What is the SSPX?" for the fuller picture).

Episode 1 — What is a Catechism?

• Full series and episodes — sspxpodcast.com/catechism

An earlier, related series: Virtual Catechism with Fr. Burfitt

Before the Roman Catechism series above, Fr. Trevor Burfitt — prior of Our Lady of the Angels in Arcadia, California, also an SSPX parish — recorded a longer, parish-based adult catechism series. It is a separate series from the one above, not later episodes of it, but covers the same ground.

For families and children: a Baltimore Catechism course

The Baltimore Catechism was the standard question-and-answer catechism used in American Catholic parishes and schools from 1885 until the 1960s, prized for its short, memorizable answers.

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism is a free video course built on it, aimed at children and families — 41 lessons in total, presented by Fr. Anthony Pillari. It is produced by the Regina Angelorum Institute, an independent lay Catholic apostolate — not a diocese, parish, or approved religious institute, and not formally reviewed by any bishop as far as could be confirmed. Worth knowing before you rely on it, though nothing found in its content itself raised a concern. The full 41-lesson course requires free registration on their site; the introduction below is public.

• Register for the full 41-lesson course — olrfamilycatechism.com