The purpose of a catechism is to present the teaching of the Church in a summarised form, to present it faithfully, and to show how it is rooted in the sacred scriptures and in Christian tradition. This catechism is for the general reader, for older students in our schools and for study groups. It has been prepared by an expert catechist guided by the Church’s General Catechetical Directory and Pope John Paul’s Catechesis in our Time.