Catechism Manual: 2023-revised

Published by Self-Publisher, TATAY JOBO ELIZES, under Print-On-Demand System, in USA, in July of 2023 (revised), with expressed permission and authorization of the Author, who has full copyrights to this book.

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About the Author -

Dr. L.E.Latorre has a Doctorate in Theology (S.T.D., Sacrae Theologiae Doctor) from the University of Navarre in Spain. He also has a Masters Degree in Philosophy and his Masteral Thesis is "A Christian Notion of History according to Prof. Christopher Dawson."

He is a product of two leading Catholic Schools in the Philippines, De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University.

He obtained his A.B. in English and Comparative Literature (Spanish) CUM LAUDE, from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. In the State University (U.P.) he is a tenured professor emeritus of Spanish and Latin.

For 12 years, Dr. Latorre worked in Channel 9 as the TV Producer of Larry Henares' "Make My Day!" a live talk show. He also played the trumpet in the jazz band "The Executives" under Sen. Raul Manglapus and First Lady Amelita Ramos.

He studied Civil Law at the Arellano University while working for five years as Executive-Assistant of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona of the Philippine Supreme Court, and worked as consultant and lecturer of the Philippine Judicial Academy.

Currently, Dr. Latorre is the political chief of staff of former Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas of Batangas and of Congresswoman Regina O. Reyes of Marinduque.

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INTRODUCTION

Catechesis and Catechisms

The catechism is a clear, concise exposition of the basic essentials of our Catholic Faith.

By a living tradition, carried from centuries past to the present, the catechism is taught first to children by their parents within the heart of the family and later by teachers in schools.

Since it is the deposit of the essentials of our Faith, the very bedrock of our principles and convictions, we continue to learn the catechism throughout our lives as sincere and maturing Catholics, who want to know and live what is required of us as children of God, heirs of heaven and followers of Jesus Christ.

Learning the catechism - that is, learning the Faith in order to live it - is called catechesis. As such, catechesis is truly the effort of a lifetime, an effort that happily begins and is sustained with God's help, an effort that asks of us only the sincerity of our Faith and the courage of our cooperation.

Catechesis for our time - as for all time - gives full and rightful place to God and man: to man's creation by God, man's sin and defiance of God; to God's plan of Redemption, its long and loving preparation and realization; to the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man; to the Blessed Virgin Mary, sinless, immaculate, chosen by God to be the Mother of Jesus, therefore the Mother of God, who was raised body and soul to heaven; to her role in our salvation as our Mother and Mediatrix; to the mystery of lawlessness in our lives and the power of God saving us from our human weakness and condition; to the need for penance and for struggle toward sanctity; to the supernatural aid of the Sacraments, which confer grace, God's own life in us; to the reality of the

presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; to our participation in the divine life of grace here and hereafter, in the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting, face to face with God. This - in full - is the deposit of the Faith.

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