Use of the Catechism

Revised Statement of Principles and Guidelines for Use of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Principles to Guide the Use of the Text

The Holy See has given the United States Conference of Catholic (USCCB) specific rights and responsibilities regarding the Catechism of the Catholic Church. No edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in any language, may be published in the United States or imported for commercial distribution in the United States without the written permission of the USCCB. Excerpts from the English language text, the Spanish language text and the French language text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church may be used in the United States only in accordance with the guidelines set forth in this document.

In the name of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Subcommittee on the Catechism and USCCB Publishing are charged:

  • to preserve the integrity of the text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • to ensure the widest possible distribution of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • to encourage the proper use of the text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in secondary and derivative works.

In light of these principles, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has prepared the following guidelines for those who wish to use portions of the text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in written, recorded or electronic form.

Scholarly Use

Works for academic discourse, e.g. dissertations, scholarly articles, materials intended for use within courses, are exempt from these guidelines provided that all direct and indirect quotes and references are acknowledged.

Conformity Review Process

Looking to create something for K-12 students and need to submit something for the Conformity Review Process? All protocols guiding use of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in catechetical materials can be found on the Forms and Protocols Page:

Forms and Protocols

Guidelines for Use of the Text

I. The following guidelines are applicable to all uses of the text:

  • The text may not be published in parts or in serialized editions.
  • Only the English, Spanish and French translations officially approved by the Holy See for use in the United States may be used.
  • All excerpts must be complete and accurate.
  • All footnoted materials must be appropriately identified and acknowledged.
  • Any alteration to achieve brevity, e.g., use of ellipsis or replacement of phrases with pronouns, must be clearly indicated.
  • All works using any number of words from the Catechism must carry the following copyright notice on the reverse of the title page, a copyright page or immediately following the quoted selection(s), as appropriate:

“Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America Copyright © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with Permission. English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops—Libreria Editrice Vaticana.”

or, as appropriate:

“Excerpts from the Spanish translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America Copyright © 1993, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with Permission. Spanish translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops—Libreria Editrice Vaticana.”

or, as appropriate:

“Excerpts from the French translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America Copyright © 1992, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with Permission. French translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica copyright © 1997, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops—Libreria Editrice Vaticana.”

Non-commercial and Commercial Use of Fewer than 5,000 Words

II. The following guidelines are applicable to non-commercial and commercial use of fewer than 5,000 words:

  • Any use of fewer than 5,000 words in a printed work, recording or other electronic form does not require permission from the USCCB, provided that the user complies with all of the provisions of section I above, including the use of the copyright notice.

Non-commercial Use of More than 5,000 Words:

III. The following guidelines are applicable to non-commercial use of more than 5,000 words:

  • Any use of more than 5,000 words in a printed work, recording or other electronic form which is made available to the public at no cost requires written permission from the USCCB.
  • The user must submit a copy of the proposed work in which excerpts from the Catechism are clearly marked or highlighted.
  • The work must be in compliance with all provisions of section I above, including use of the copyright notice.
  • USCCB Communications will review the use of excerpted text for accuracy, and the Subcommittee on the Catechism will review the use of text for consistency with the Catechism.
  • Three copies of each work printed, recorded or used in any electronic format must be provided free of charge to USCCB when completed.
  • Non-commercial use is not subject to the payment of royalties to the Holy See.
  • Educational works of dioceses or entities directly controlled by them that are distributed free of charge are considered non-commercial use.

Commercial Use of More than 5,000 Words:

IV. The following guidelines are applicable to commercial use of more than 5,000 words:

  • Any use of more than 5,000 words in a printed work, recording or other electronic form which is made available to the public for sale requires written permission from USCCB.
  • The user must submit a copy of the proposed work in which excerpts from the Catechism are clearly marked or highlighted.
  • The work must be in compliance with all provisions of section I above, including use of the copyright notice.
  • USCCB Communications will review the use of excerpted text for accuracy, and the Subcommittee on the Catechism will review the use of text for consistency with the Catechism.
  • Three copies of each work printed, recorded or used in electronic format must be provided free of charge to USCCB when completed.
  • Commercial use of more than 5,000 words of the Catechism text is subject to payment of a pro-rated royalty, governed by requirements of the Holy See calculated on the basis of ten percent (10%) of the list price. Three copies of each work printed, recorded or used in electronic format must be sent free of charge directly to the Holy See when completed.
  • Educational works of dioceses or entities directly controlled by them that are made available for sale are considered commercial use.
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Approval

Submitted to Secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See on 07/18/96 and approved on September 6, 1996. Revised edition approved April 2015.