Conformity Review

What is the Conformity Review Process?

The Conformity Review Process has served the Church in the United States over the past twenty years since the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The review process is meant to assist in the conformity of catechetical texts and series in an authentic and complete way to the Catechism.

Please visit the Handbook on the Conformity Review Process page for further information and history on the review process.

The Conformity List is a list of catechetical texts or series which have been judged to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Below are other important documents which offer clarification and information concerning the Conformity Review Process:

Letter on Criteria and Applicability: This is a letter of clarification concerning what catechetical materials can be reviewed for conformity to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Letter on Guidelines for the Treatment and the Interpretation of Sacred Scripture in Catechetical Texts: This letter was offered as guidelines in November 2011.

Oral Report to the General Assembly of Bishops, given by Archbishop Buechlein in 1997: This report lists ten particular doctrinal deficiencies which were a concern in catechetical materials.

Oral Report to the General Assembly of Bishops, given by Archbishop Hughes in 2003.

Procedures for Publishers
For information and guidelines on how to submit a catechetical text or series for the conformity review process, please visit this webpage.

Please also visit our webpage for Conformity Review Q & A for further information addressing common questions about the review process.

Below are the review instruments employed in the review process.
The Preschool Guidelines address authenticity and completeness in an age-appropriate manner for pre-K students.
The Protocol addresses the authenticity and completeness of materials at an age-appropriate level from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The Secondary Level Protocol addresses catechetical materials for authenticity and completeness at the high school level.

Preschool:
Preschool Guidelines

Protocol:
Protocol for Assessing the Conformity of Catechetical Materials with the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Includes a reformatted version of the Protocol (i.e., including all the text but without the columned boxes used for evaluation) by which catechetical materials voluntarily submitted to the Subcommittee on the Catechism are judged to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Secondary Level Protocol Part I:
Protocol Instrument for Review of Secondary Level -- Introduction and Part I 

Secondary Level Protocol Part II:
Core Course I – The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture 
(Word Version)

Core Course II - Who is Jesus Christ? 
(Word Version)

Core Course III – The Mission of Jesus Christ (The Paschal Mystery) 
(Word Version)

Core Course IV – Jesus Christ's Mission Continues in the Church 
(Word Version)

Core Course V – Sacraments as Privileged Encounters with Jesus Christ 
(Word Version)

Core Course VI – Life in Jesus Christ 
(Word Version)

Elective Course A - Sacred Scripture 
(Word Version)

Elective Course B - History of the Catholic Church 
(Word Version)

Elective Course C - Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ 
(Word Version)

Elective Course D - Responding to the Call of Jesus Christ 
(Word Version)

Elective Course E - Ecumenical and Interreligious Issues 
(Word Version)