The Enchiridion also known as Denzinger, is a compendium of all basic texts of Catholic dogma and morality since the Apostles. Commissioned by the blessed Pope Pius IX, it has been in use since 1854, and has been updated since.

Description

The Enchiridion, or ?Denzinger? is sometimes named after its first editor,Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger. By including all basic texts of Catholic teachings, it is a compendium of faith through the centuries. It is also a search instrument for theologians, historians and anybody interested in Christianity. The latest updates extend to the teachings of Pope John Paul II. The Enchiridion can thus be used for research on contemporary issues, such as the social teachings of the Church, subsidiarity, poverty, social justice, death penalty, birth control or the ordination of women. The Enchiridion, published originally as "Enchiridion Symbolorum et Definitionum" is today published as "Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum".

Structure

The Enchiridion is chronologically ordered, starting with the Symbolum Apostolicum. It includes the teachings of popes and ecumenical councils since. It does not repeat all the full texts, but only those central parts, which are relevant to dogmatic or moral theology. All texts are listed in Latin

In addition to the texts, the Enchiridion has valuable indices.

• Index scripturisticus, on the uses of scripture in various dogmas.
• Index systematicus of dogmatic and moral Church teachings, and,
• Index alphabeticus of names and subjects.

Quote of Cardinal Gibbons

James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, co-author and driving force behind the Baltimore Catechism stated, that every theologian should have always two books at hand, the Holy Bible and this Enchiridion.

• Optandum est, ut quilebet Theologiae lector semper duo volumina praemanibus habeat: Bibliam Sacram et hoc Enchiridion: ita ut, si omnibus non licet omnia catolicae traditionis monumenta consulere, ea saltem, quae maxima authentica sunt et quasi medullam aliorum continent, frequenter adire possint. ^[1]

Source

• Denzinger, Heinrich, and Adolf Schönmetzer. Enchiridion symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum. Freiburg, Basel, Rome & Vienna: Herder, 1997.

CD-Rom, online sources

(The CD-Rom includes all documents up to 1995. The online sources are based on various earlier editions. The latest editions are not available online.)

• Latin text - documents to 1957
• French translation - documents to 1959
• Spanish translation - documents to 1957
• English translation documents to 1950 and old numbering only
• CD-Rom for Windows and Macintosh in Latin, Greek and German: Enchiridion symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum : Griechisch/Lateinisch - Deutsch = Kompendium der Glaubensbekenntnisse und kirchlichen Lehrentscheidungen [Computerdatei] / Heinrich Denzinger. Verb., erw., ins Deutsche übertragen und unter Mitarb. von Helmut Hoping hrsg. von Peter Hünermann. - Freiburg [u.a.] : Herder, 1997. - CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh -- ISBN 3-451-31503-3 [4677]

References

cs:Denzinger-Schönmetzer de:Enchiridion Symbolorum es:Enchiridion Symbolorum it:Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum