Cardinal William Levada has recommended that families turn to the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a "unique help" in discovering the beauty of the faith and to vocation of families.

The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was speaking to participants at the Theological-Pastoral Congress, held in the context of the 5th World Meeting of Families, which ended Sunday.

The Catechism, and the recently published Compendium which summarizes it, "can help families and each one of us to discover the beauty of the Catholic faith and to live it joyfully, to transmit it to the new generations," he said.

The cardinal recalled that John Paul II highlighted the importance of the new Catechism as an "instrument of renewal and unity in the Church."

He also lamented the recent efforts in some nations to change laws that, for millennia, “have recognized God's plan for marriage and the family.”

Cardinal Levada concluded his comments by underlining the importance of the Catechism within the family, stating that, "it could be a highly useful tool in the realization of [the family’s] vocation and mission."