Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum


The Enchiridion is a compendium of all the basic texts on Catholic dogma and morality since the Apostolic Age. Commissioned by Pope Pius IX, it has been in use since 1854, and has been regularly updated since.

Name

The name Enchiridion means "handbook." Originally published as "Enchiridion Symbolorum et Definitionum", it is today published as "Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum"
The Enchiridion is sometimes referred to as Denzinger, after its first editor, Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger. It is commonly abbreviated 'Dz' in early editions and 'DS' in editions edited by Adolf Schönmetzer due to a revision in numbering.

Description

By including all basic texts of Catholic teachings, the Enchiridion serves as a compendium of faith through the centuries. It is also a research instrument for theologians, historians, and individuals with an interest in the study of Christianity. The latest updates extend to the teachings of Pope John Paul II; it 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.
In 2012, Ignatius Press published a bilingual Latin-English version of the 43rd edition of Denzinger-Hünermann, with entries up to 2008. This English edition was edited by Robert Fastiggi and Anne Englund Nash.

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 in Denzinger-Schönmetzer are listed in Latin.
Since the 37th edition of Denzinger-Hünermann, the original language is put in the left-hand column with a corresponding vernacular translation in the right-hand column. In addition to the 2012 English edition of Denzinger-Hünermann, there are also editions in French, Italian, Spanish, and other languages.
In addition to the texts, the Enchiridion supplies certain indices:
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