Ascension Edition, 2023
I’m a lucky lady!
My dear sister, bought the Ascension Edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) along with the Catechism in a Year Notebook and the Timeline for me for my 62nd birthday! Yes, I’m the baby of the family and even at 62, they still spoil me. I’m not complaining! Actually this year, everybody spoiled me. I think I have Felicia to thank for all that – she made sure that all of my children were doing something special for me 🙂
I’ve been reading the CCC for years since it was first published in the 90’s and I saw an entire endcap of them at the nearby Target. I felt like the splurge was necessary because Target saw fit to sell them and I wanted to make sure they knew how much I appreciated them for that. I check the book sections at Target and Walmart regularly to see if they have added Catholic Bibles. They used to carry them, but I haven’t seen any there for years.
I actually love the CCC. I should probably admit that I also used to love Encyclopedias and would often curl up with a volume and read for hours. I know that the CCC isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Before I had heard that Father Mike Schmitz would be teaching the Catechism in a Year in 2023, I had planned to offer a discussion group at my parish for anyone who wanted to read it in a year. Our parish priest said, “That is so boring!” I guess it is for some folks. It isn’t as dramatic or exciting as the Bible, that is for sure, but it is well written, well organized, and full of vital information for anyone who is Catholic or thinking about becoming Catholic.
The question is whether or not it is worth it to spend over $60 for this new edition. Do you love beautiful books? Do you love colored pages? Do you love white space? Do you love pull out quotes? Do you love footnotes that are in a large enough font to read them? Do you prefer a larger book? Do you prefer a leather cover? Do you want a durable book? If you love some or most of those features and have some extra cash, this edition may be perfect for you. It is truly a beautiful, easy to read, durable edition.
“Includes revision of paragraph no. 2267 promulgated by Pope Francis.”
There is one difference in this edition. Pope Francis has changed paragraph 2267 from the former wording that said, “the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor” (605). Now, paragraph 2267 reads, “Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good. Today, however…the Church teaches, in light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” (583). This new wording, in my humble opinion, makes this new edition superior to the old editions.
I am pro-life. All life whether it be unborn, unwell, or unliked.
I’m not a fan of criminals. I read about them and often, my first thought is not charitable when I think of the heinous crime that has been committed against an innocent human being. Still, as a very vocal pro-life Catholic, I know that the Pope is right. God loves us all, even those of us who have committed horrible crimes. I pray that the Lord, will help me love them as he loves them. Jesus hates the sin, but loves the sinner. As a Christian, I think it is my duty to pray for the victims, their families and also the perpetrator. While Jesus was on the cross, He prayed for the people who were responsible for His crucifixion. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).