One of the items on the agenda for the U.S. Bishops at their upcoming meeting is the approval of a new catechism for use in the United States.
It will be interesting to see how the bishops have adapted the universal catechism to the Church in America. According to a press release from the U.S. Bishops:
The text follows the four-part general structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, starting with the creed and then treating the sacraments, moral life and finally prayer.At times, the text addresses specific issues, concerns and questions arising from the social and cultural context in which U.S. Catholics live. Examples of issues addressed include various approaches to understanding the truth of Scripture, the relationship between science and faith, linking faith to everyday life and various pertinent medical moral issues.
The proposed catechism for adults includes 36 chapters. Each opens with a story or lesson of faith, many of them biographical sketches of American saints and other outstanding Catholics to “give us glimpses of how Catholics participated in the unfolding of American culture from Colonial days to the present.”
The catechism must be approved by 2/3 of the bishops in order to be sent on for final approval by the Holy See.