Resources
Below you will find an index of useful resources for getting to know more about the teachings of the Church.
Texts are highlighted different colors based on whether they are easy, intermediate, or advanced reading.
Official Church Documents
These are resources provided by the Catholic Church itself. They are authoritative and come directly from the Vatican.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
(Canon Law specifically for Eastern Catholics. Please note that this link is not from the Vatican’s official website, since the Code is only available there in Latin. This is a link to a private website. The text is still the official English text.)
Documents from the Pope and the Church
The Vatican’s website has many documents that state the Church’s teachings and reflections on various aspects of the faith. It also has the text of documents written by the popes as far back as 1878. That’s a lot of reading! This section highlights some especially significant documents. You may or may not read the text itself, but if you’re ever looking for citations or want to see the actual words the pope said, this can be very useful.
But first, here’s the index for those documents:
From the popes: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/index.htm
From the Vatican: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/index.htm
And now, here are some highlights, sorted by theme. The translation of the title is in parentheses.
About God Himself
Jesus Christ: Redemptor Hominis (The Redeemer of Man), Dominus Iesus (The Lord Jesus)
The Holy Spirit: Dominum et Vivificantem (The Lord and Giver of Life)
Mary
General: Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer)
Immaculate Conception: Ineffabilis Deus (The Ineffable God) (note: not from Vatican’s official website, text is still official)
The Assumption: Munificentissimus Deus (The Most Bountiful God)
Devotion to Mary: Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer); Marialis Cultus (Marian Devotion)
Specific Themes
Faith: Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith)
Hope: Spe Salvi (Saving Hope)
Love: Deus Caritas Est (God is Love)
Mercy: Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy)
Peace: Pacem in terris (Peace on Earth)
The Youth: Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive)
The Laity: Christifideles Laici (Christ’s Faithful Laity)
Evangelization, Missionary Discipleship: Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)
The Word of God: Verbum Domini (The Word of the Lord)
Family: Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love); Familiaris Consortio (The Fellowship of the Family)
Mission: Redemptoris Missio (The Mission of the Redeemer)
Celibacy: Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (Priestly Celibacy)
Consecrated Life: Vita Consecrata (Consecrated Life); Redemptionis Donum (The Gift of Redemption)
Faith and Reason: Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason)
Salvation, the Church: Dominus Iesus (The Lord Jesus)
Catholic Universities: Ex Corde Ecclesiae (From the Heart of the Church)
Social Issues
Pro-Life and Sexuality: Humanae Vitae (On Human Life); Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life)
The Environment: Laudato Si’ (Praise to You)
Work and Labor: Laborem Exercens (Through Work)
Against Communism: Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year)
Against Consumerism: Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year–same document!)
Rights of Workers and Labor Unions: Rerum Novarum (On Revolutionary Change)
Agriculture, Industry, and Social Welfare: Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher)
Human Development and General Social Issues: Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth)
Sacraments
The Eucharist: Ecclesia de Eucharistia (The Church from the Eucharist); Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity); Mysterium Fidei (The Mystery of Faith)
Confession: Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (Reconciliation and Penance)
Marriage: Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love)
Priesthood: Pastores Dabo Vobis (I Will Give You Shepherds)
Theology
Moral Theology: Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth)
Biblical Studies: Providentissimus Deus (The Most Provident God); Divino afflante Spiritu (Inspired by the Holy Spirit)
Useful Links
Jesus Youth International
You can also find many websites for Jesus Youth at the national level!
Jesus Youth Capsules (Coming soon!)
Bishop's Conferences
Websites for local bishop’s conferences (organized groups of bishops) are useful because they can give you more information on the Church for your own country or region. These websites also provide resources like daily readings for Mass, documents written by the country’s bishops, local translations of the Bible, and more. If your country or region’s website is not listed here, try searching online–or we will help you find it.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India
Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council
Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia
Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference
Catechesis Resources
The resources here may only be available via payment or subscriptions, but it’s at least good to know that they are out there and available to you.
Other Great Websites, Writers, and Speakers
We have to give a shout-out to some of our fellow laborers in the field of evangelization! Again, please note that we do not endorse any of these sites or agree/disagree with the opinions they express.
Ascension Presents (various themes)
Youtube link
Pints with Aquinas (various themes)
Chastity Project (chastity and sexuality)
Alternate link
Integrity Restored (chastity and sexuality, sexual addictions)
Magis Center (science and faith in today’s world)
Catholic Talk Show (various themes)
Canon Law Made Easy (canon law)
uCatholic (various themes)
Aleteia (various themes)
Spiritual Starters
Maybe you’re just looking for some good Catholic reading. Here’s a small reading list of Catholic literature to help learn more about the faith!
Spiritual Classics
Timeless classics from every age of the Church.
Early Church
– Confessions, St. Augustine
– Life of St. Anthony, St. Athanasius
– Rule of St. Benedict, St. Benedict
Middle Ages
– The Cloud of Unknowing, Anonymous
– The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis
– Dialogues, St. Catherine of Siena
– The Soul’s Journey into God, St. Bonaventure
– The Tree of Life, St. Bonaventure
– Life of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure
– Everyman, Anonymous
– The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
Reformation and Early Modern
– The Interior Castle, St. Teresa of Avila
– Autobiography, St. Teresa of Avila
– Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales
– The Practice of the Presence of God, Br. Lawrence
– The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus Liguori
Late Modern
– Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
– The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis
– The Everlasting Man, G.K. Chesterton
– Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton
– The Dream of Gerontius, St. John Henry Newman
– Story of a Soul, St. Therese of Lisieux
– True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis de Montfort
– The Soul of the Apostolate, Jean-Baptiste Chautard
Present-Day Classics
– Life of Christ, Ven. Fulton Sheen
– The Lord, Fr. Romano Guardini
– Introduction to Christianity, Pope Benedict XVI
– Sober Intoxication of the Spirit, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa
– Discernment of Spirits, Fr. Timothy Gallagher
– Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI
– The Name of God is Mercy, Pope Francis
Heavy Hitters
For the intellectuals.
– Against Celsus, Origen of Alexandria
– City of God, St. Augustine
– Confessions, St. Augustine
– Cur Deus Homo, St. Anselm
– Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas
– Grammar of Assent, St. John Henry Newman
Odds and Ends
Cool little websites and resources that don’t quite fit anywhere else.
A website that lists of Eucharistic miracles, designed by Carlo Acutis, whose cause for canonization is now open.