The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church was launched in Russian today at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow.

The Compendium is an accessible and comprehensive summary of the Catechism in the form of a dialogue between a catechist and a listener.  

Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of the Diocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, who presented the Russian edition said the Compendium offers “a coherent and authentic idea of the faith and morality,” reported Interfax.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church was developed under John Paul II, in light of the Second Vatican Council, and officially published in 1992. In 2003, the pope decided that a compendium should be issued so that any person may study a brief and clear statement of the basics of the faith.

The work was completed two years ago and presented by Pope Benedict XVI in June 2005.

According to Interfax, Archbishop Kondrusiewicz expressed hope that the Compendium would become very popular, serve as an effective instrument of evangelization, and contribute to cooperation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in preaching and protecting Christian values.