![[home]](/comm/images/usccb_logo.gif){kind=logo}
WASHINGTON (March 6, 2000) -- A second edition of the best-selling Catechism of the Catholic Church, enhanced by the inclusion of several new features, will be published by the United States Catholic Conference in April, it was announced today.
More than 2.3 million copies of the first edition, published in 1994, were sold.
The second edition will be distributed by the United States Catholic Conference and by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Distribution to the trade will be primarily by Our Sunday Visitor.
The second edition is updated to include modifications in the text resulting from the preparation of the official Latin text of the Catechism, formally known as the editio typica. It includes a translation of the editio typica's extended, analytical index. Unique to the U.S. second edition is a glossary of terms used in the Catechism.
Also included is Pope John Paul II's 1997 decree promulgating the editio typica. The original text, written in French, was published with the Pope's approval in 1992.
The enhancements will bring the page count of the second edition to 928 pages, more than 100 pages larger than the first edition.
Other than for the modifications, the expanded index, and the glossary, the English text remains that of the 1994 first edition.
The second edition will appear in both soft cover and hard cover. The soft cover edition will carry a list price of $14.95, the hard cover a list price of $24.95.
Monsignor Dennis M. Schnurr, General Secretary of the Bishops' Conference, said, on the occasion of the publication of the second edition, that "the Catechism of the Catholic Church is already acknowledged as one of the great achievements of the pontificate of our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. The Bishops' Conference has been privileged to participate in its widespread dissemination."
"This second edition, which conforms to the editio typica, is another important step in bringing this summary of our faith to our Catholic people and to all who wish to understand Catholicism," Monsignor Schnurr continued.
"We are particularly happy to join in the distribution of the Catechism with Our Sunday Visitor. The Conference has always enjoyed working with OSV which is one of our most distinguished Catholic publishers," he added.
OSV's Editor in Chief, Mr. Gregory Erlandson, said that "OSV is proud to work with the Bishops' Conference in distributing this second edition."
"In just a few years, the Catechism has become an essential tool in catechesis and evangelization. OSV has supported the efforts of the Conference's Office of the Catechism, and we are happy to participate in putting the Catechism into the hands of as many people as possible," Mr. Erlandson said.
Orders may now be placed by calling the United States Catholic Conference at 1-800-235-8722 or by calling Our Sunday Visitor at 1-800-348-2440.
A Spanish language version for the U.S. of the second edition will be available later this year.