(Guillaume Larrue. The Studious schoolboy. Source)
Let's Adore Jesus-Eucharist! | Home
(Guillaume Larrue. The Studious schoolboy.
Source)
2) Introduction
3) "Baptized" Level
4) "Good Catholic Family" Level
4.1) Spirituality Books
4.2) Official teachings of the Church
4.3) Science books
5.1) Official teachings of the Church
5.1.1) Reference Books on the Teachings of the Church
5.1.2) Encyclicals
5.1.3) Apostolic Letters, etc.
5.1.4) Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
5.1.5) Documents from other congregations
5.2) Spirituality, defense of the Faith
5.2.1) Spirituality Books
5.2.2) Apologetics
5.2.3) Polemics
5.2.4) Philosophy
5.2.5) The Serious Illness of the Church in Quebec
5.2.6) Other good books
6) Films
7) Other lists of books on this web site
Here is a list of some good books. For an overview of my selection criteria, see How To Choose A Good Book. Also, if you know of better books, please tell me!
The books that all Catholics should have:
The
Holy Bible
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
(comment)
The
Imitation of Christ
(comment)
St. François de Sales.
Introduction
to devote life.
(comment)
Saint Jean-Baptiste Vianney. Le Curé d'Ars; Sa pensée, son coeur,
présentés par l'abbé Bernard Nodet, Paris, Desclée de Brouwer, 2000.
(comment)
St. Augustine.
Confessions.
(comment)
Fernandez, Francis. In Conversation with God; Meditations for each day of
the year, London, Scepter, 2003.
(comment)
What should be found in the bookcase of a good Catholic family. All of the books for the "Baptized" level, plus:
Compendium
of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(comment)
The Liturgy of the Hours (Breviary)
(comment)
St. Teresa of Lisieux. Story of a Soul.
(comment)
St. Teresa of Avila.
The Way of Perfection.
St. Alphonsus Liguori. Meditations on the Passion of Jesus Christ
(comment)
Escriva, Saint Josémaria. The Way, Scepter, 1985.
(comment)
SHEED, F. J. Theology and Sanity, Ignatius Press 1993.
(comment)
GARRIGOU-LAGRANGE, Réginald. The Three Ages of the Interior Life,
translated by Timothea Doyle, Tan Books and Publishers, 1999.
(comment)
CHAUTARD, Jean-Baptiste. Soul of the Apostolate,
Tan Books and Publishers, 1992 (reprint).
DANTEC, François. Love is Life; A Catholic Marriage Handbook, Notre Dame
IN, University of Notre Dame Press, 1963.
(comment)
BERTHE, R. P. Jésus-Chist; Sa vie - Sa Passion - Son triomphe,
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Librairie Alphonsienne, 1943.
Ad
Gentes (the missionnary activity of the Church)
Apostolicam
Actuositatem (the apostolate of the laypersons)
Christus
Dominus (the pastoral task of the Bishops)
Dei
Verbum (the Divine Revelation)
Dignitatis
Humanae (religious freedom)
Gaudium
et Spes (the Church in today's world)
Gravissimum
Educationis (Christian education)
Inter
Mirifica (the Media)
Lumen
Gentium (the Church)
Nostra
Aetate (the Church and non-Christian religions)
Optatam
Totius (the education of priests)
Orientalium
Ecclesiarum (the oriental Catholic churches)
Perfectae
Caritatis (religious life)
Presbyterorum
Ordinis (the ministry and life of priests)
Sacrosanctum
Concilium (liturgy)
Unitatis
Redintegratio (oecumenism)
Dives
in Misericordia (on divine mercy; JPII, 1980)
Ecclesia
de Eucharistia (the Eucharist in the life of the Church; JPII, 2003)
Evangelium
Vitae (the dignity of human life from conception to natural death; JPII, 1995)
Humanae
Vitae (against contraception; PaulVI, 1968)
Pacem
in Terris (God, foundation of peace on Earth; JohnXXIII, 1963)
Redemptor
Hominis (first encyclical of Pope John-Paul II; JPII, 1979)
Ut
Unum Sint (oecumenism; JPII, 1995)
Christifideles
Laici (vocation and mission of the laypersons; JPII, 1988, Ap. Exhor.)
Familiaris
Consortio
(the Christian family in the modern world; JPII, 1981, Ap. Exhor.)
Rosarium
Virginis Mariae (the Rosary; JPII, 2002, Ap. Letter)
Salvifici
Doloris (the saving power of suffering; JPII, 1984, Ap. Letter)
See Some Good Science Books in the "Philosophy" section.
All of the books for the "Good Catholic Family" level, plus:
Code
of Canon Law
Manual of Indulgences
St. Thomas Aquinas.
Summa Theologica
Denzinger, H. Symbols and Definitions of the Catholic Faith
(Incomplete Latin version,
missing #3931 to #5041)
Ott, Ludwig. Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Tan Books, 1992.
General
Instruction Of The Roman Missal
Cayré, Fulgence. Précis de patrologie et
d'histoire de la théologie, 2e édition, Paris, Desclée, 1931.
John Paul II. Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body,
Boston, Pauline Books & Media, 2006. (I was told a better translation than
the 1997 edition)
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Compendium
of the Social Doctrine of the Church (CoSoDo)
(comments)
Congregation for the Clergy. General
Directory for Catechesis, Rome, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997.
(comments)
Aeterni
Patris (restoration of Christian Philosophy; LeoXIII, 1879)
Affari
vos
(Manitoba schools; LeoXIII, 1897)
Arcanum
divinae Sapientiae (Christian marriage; LeoXIII, 1886)
Casti
Connubii (Christian marriage; PiusXI,
1930)
Centesimus
Annus(100 year anniversary of Rerum Novarum; JPII, 1981)
Deus
caritas est (Christian love; BenXVI, 2005)
Diuturnum
(the origin of civil power; LeoXIII, 1881)
Divini
illius Magistri
(Christian education; Pius XI, 1929)
Divino
Afflante Spiritu (the promotion of biblical studies; PiusXII, 1943)
Dominum
et Vivificantem (the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church; JPII, 1986)
Ecclesiam
Suam (PaulVI,
1964)
Editae
Saepe (St. Charles Borromeo and the struggle against heretics; PiusX, 1910)
Fides
et Ratio(the relation between faith and reason; JPII, 1998)
Humani
Generis (condemnation of certain errors; PiusXII, 1950)
Immortale
Dei (Christian constitution of States; LeoXIII, 1885)
Laborem
Exercens (90th anniversary of Rerum Novarum; JPII, 1981)
Libertas
praestantissimum (Human freedom; LeoXIII, 1888)
Mystici
Corporis Christi (The Mystical Body of Christ; PiusXII, 1943)
Mater
et Magistra (Christianity and social progress; JohnXXIII, 1961)
Mortalium
animos (True unity of the Church; PiusXI, 1928)
Mysterium
Fidei (Doctrine and Worship of the Eucharist; PaulVI, 1965)
Pascendi
Dominici Gregis (condemnation of modernist errors; PiusX, 1907)
Populorum
Progressio (the development of peoples; PaulVI, 1967)
Providentissimus
Deus (the study of Holy Scripture; LeoXIII, 1893)
Quadragesimo
anno (reconstruction of the social order. Pius XI; 1931)
Quanta
cura (Socialism, Naturalism; PiusIX; 1864)
Quas
primas (Institution of Feast of Christ the King; PiusXI; 1925)
Reconciliatio
et Paenitentia (Confession)
Redemptoris
Mater
(the Virgin Mary in the life of the Church; JPII, 1987)
Redemptoris
Missio
(the permanent validity of the Church's missionary mandate; JPII, 1990)
Rerum
Novarum
(condemnation of the excesses of communism and capitalism; LeoXIII, 1891)
Sacerdotalis
Caelibatus (Paul VI, priestly celibacy; PaulVI, 1967)
Sapientiae
Christianae (Christians as citizens; LeoXIII, 1890)
Satis
cognitum (Unity of the Church; LeoXIII, 1896)
Slavorum
Apostoli
(the evangelizing work of saints Cyril and Methodius; JPII, 1985)
Sollicitudo
Rei Socialis
(20th anniversary of Populorum Progressio; JPII, 1987)
Spe
salvi
(Hope; BenXVI, 2007)
Studiorum
ducem
(Saint Thomas Aquinas; Pius XI, 1923;
English on EWTN)
Vehementer
Nos
(the French law separating the Church and the State; PiusX, 1906)
Veritatis
Splendor
(condemnation of certain errors in Moral Philosophy; JPII, 1993)
Catechesi
Tradendae (catechesis; JPII, 1979, Ap. Exhor.)
Dies
Domini (respect of the Lord's day; JPII, 1998, Ap. Letter)
Divinus
Perfectionis Magister
(Overview of the process of canonization; JPII, 1983, Ap. Cons.)
Evangelii
Nuntiandi (evangelization; PaulIV, 1975, Ap. Exhor.)
Ex
corde ecclesia (Catholic universities; JPII, 1990, Ap. Cons.)
Family,
Marriage And "De Facto" Unions
(Pontifical Council for the Family, 2000)
Indulgentiarum
Doctrina
(Indulgences, French only; PaulVI, 1967, Cons. Ap.)
Letter
to Artists (JPII, 1999, Letter)
Mane
Nobiscum Domine
(Apostolic Letter for the Year of the Eucharist; JPII, 2004, Ap. Letter)
Marialis
Cultus (marial devotion; PaulVI, 1974, Ap. Exhor.)
Misericordia
Dei (against collective absolution; JPII, 2002, Motu Proprio)
Mulieris
Dignitatem (dignity and vocation of women; JPII, 1988, Ap. Letter)
Octogesima
adveniens (PaulVI, 1971, Ap. Letter)
New
Laws for the Causes of Saints
(Overview of the inquiry process of Bishops; Congregation for the Cause of Saints, 1983)
Novo
Millennio Ineunte
(for the end of the Year 2000 jubilee; JPII, 2001, Ap. Letter)
Ordinatio
Sacerdotalis (Women's ordination; JPII, 1984, Ap. Letter)
Paenitemini
(penance and fasting; PaulVI, 1966, Ap. Constitution)
Pastor
Dabo Vobis (priests; JPII, 1992, Ap. Exhor.)
Pastores
Gregis(the pastoral task of the Bishops; JPII, 2003, Ap. Exhor.)
Rapid
Development
(Catholics must get more involved in the Mass Media; JPII, 2005, Ap. Letter)
Reconciliatio
et Paenitentia
(Confession; JPII, 1984, Ap. Exhor.)
Redemptoris
Custos (St. Joseph; JPII, 1989, Ap. Exhor.)
Redemptionis
Sacramentum
(some rules concerning the Eucharist; Congregation For Divine Worship And
The Discipline Of The Sacraments, 2004)
Sacramentum
caritatis
(The Eucharist; Benedict XVI, 2007, Ap. Exhor.)
Solemni
hac liturgia
(Credo of the People of God, Latin; Paul VI, 1968)
Summorum
pontificum
(Confirmation that the "Old Mass" was never illegal; Benedict XVI, 2007,
Motu proprio;
English version)
Tertio
Millennio Adveniente
(the jubilee of the year 2000; JPII, 1994, Ap. Letter)
Tra
le sollecitudini (On sacred music; PiusX, 1903, Motu proprio)
Truth
and Meaning of Human Sexuality
(Pontifical Council for the Family, 1995)
Vita
Consecrata
(religious life; JPII, 1996, Ap. Exhor.)
Veterum
Sapientia
(promotion of Latin; John XXIII, 1962, Apost. Const.)
Doctrinal
Note On Some Aspects Of Evangelization (2007)
Letter
To The Bishops Of The Catholic Church On The Collaboration Of Men
And Women In The Church And In The World(2004)
Considerations
Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions
Between Homosexual Persons (2003)
Doctrinal
Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics
in political life (2003)
Dominus
Iesus (The unicity and absolute truth of Jesus Christ and His Church; 2000)
Instruction
on some aspects of the use of the instruments of social communication
in promoting the doctrine of the faith (1992)
Dignitas
personae - Instruction on some bioethical questions (2008)
Donum
veritatis - Instruction on the ecclesial vocation of the theologian
(1990)
Orationis formas -
On Some Aspects Of Christian Meditation (1989)
Donum
Vitae - Instruction on respect for human life in its origin and on the
dignity of procreation (1987)
Homosexualitatis
problema -Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the
Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons (1986)
Instruction
On Christian Freedom And Liberation (1986)
Instruction
On Certain Aspects Of The "Theology Of Liberation" (1984)
Iura
et bona - Declaration on Euthanasia (1980)
Persona
humana - declaration on certain questions concerning sexual ethics
(1975)
Quaestio
de abortu - Declaration on procured abortion (1974)
"The
Third Secret of Fatima"
Liturgiam
authenticam
(2001; On the use of vernacular languages in the publication of the books of the roman liturgy)
Instruction
Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations
with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies
in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders (2005)
The
Interpretation of the Bible in the Church
(Pontifical Biblical Commission, 1993. Italian only,
for whatever strange reason.
English
version outside the Vatican web site)
Directives
On Formation In Religious Institutes (1990)
Fraternal
Life In Community (1994)
Directory
on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2001)
Jesus
Christ The Bearer Of The Water Of Life; A Christian reflection on the
"New Age" (2003)
St. Ignatius of Loyola. The
Spiritual Exercises.
St. Catherine of Siena.
The
Dialogue.
TANQUEREY, Adolphe. Précis de théologie ascétique et mystique,
Paris, Société de S. Jean l'Évangéliste, 1924.
D'Arnoux, Jacques. Les sept colonnes de l'héroïsme, Paris, Plon, 1938.
THONNARD, François-Joseph, A.A., Traité de vie spirituelle; à l'école
de saint Augustin, Paris, Maison de la Bonne Presse, 1959, 821 pages.
PAGÈS, abbé Guy. Judas est en Enfer! Réponses à Hans Urs von Balthasar
et à Hans-Joseph Klauck, Éditions F.-X. de Guibert, Paris, 2007, 220 pages.
(comments)
RICCARDI, Andrea. Ils sont morts pour leur foi; La persécution des
chrétiens au XXe siècle, Plon/Mame, 2002.
LOVASIK, Lawrence G. The Hidden Power of Kindness, Manchester NH,
Sophia Institute Press, 1999.
DELARB, Raphael, O.F.M. Sainte Jeanne D'Arc, seconde patronne de
la France, Québec, Imprimerie Franciscaine Missionnaire, 1937.
Apologetics: The positive reasons to believe that God exists, that Jesus is God, and that Jesus founded the Catholic Church. Polemics is somewhat "negative": for each religion other than Catholicism, the reasons why that religion is false, and the rebuttal of the usual attacks of that religion against Catholicism.
KREEFT, Peter and TACELLI, Ronald K. Handbook of Christian
Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions, Intervarsity
Press, 1993.
AQUINAS, Saint Thomas. Summa Contra Gentiles.
PASCAL, Blaise.
Les pensées.
LEWIS, C. S. Mere Christianity.
(comment)
GLENN, Paul J. Apologetics, Rockford, IL, Tan Books, 1980.
MADRID, Patrick. Search and Rescue: How to Bring Your Family and Friends
Into--Or Back Into--The Catholic Church, Manchester, NH, Sophia Institute
Press, 2001.
See Apologetics here above.
SPENCER, Robert, The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran,
Washington DC, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2009.
KEATING, Karl. Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism",
Ignatius Press, 1988.
(comment)
SHEA, William R., ARTIGAS, Mariano. Galileo in Rome; the Rise and Fall of a
Troublesome Genius, New-York, Oxford University Press, 2003.
(comment)
OLSON, Carl E., MIESEL, Sandra. The Da Vinci Hoax; Exposing the errors
in the Da Vinci Code, San Francisco, CA, Ignatius Press, 2004.
See Some Good Science Books in the "Philosophy" section.
The following books at least partially explain the "how" and "why" of the current sad state of the Church in North America (including of course the Province of Quebec).
CARLIN, David. The Declin and Fall of the Catholic Church in America,
Manchester, NH, Sophia Institute Press, 2003.
(comment)
ROSE, Micheal S. Goodbye, Good Men, Regnery Publishing, 2002.
(comment)
[A book on the Pre-Conciliar stupidities.]
(comment)
HARVEY, John F. The Truth About Homosexuality; The Cry of the Faithful,
San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 1996.
ALCORN, Randy. ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments, Sisters, OR,
Multnomah Publishers, 2000.
(comment)
KREEFT, Peter. Three Approaches to Abortion; A thoughtful and compassionate
guide to today's most controversial issue, San Francisco, CA, Ignatius
Press, 2002.
(comment)
DE MARCO, Donald. WIKER, Benjamin. Architects of the Culture
of Death, San Francisco, CA, Ignatius Press, 2004.
LEWIS, C.S. The Abolition of Man.
WETZEL, Richard.
Sexual Wisdom,
Ann Arbour, MI, Proctor Publications, 2000.
(comments)
OK, films are not books, but I had to put these somewhere!
The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson, 2004. Equinoxe Films.
Pope John Paul II, Jon Voight, Cary Elwes, 2007. Ignatius Press,
Vivendi Visual Entertainment.
Some Good Science Books
Some Good Political Books
Some Good Software Engineering Books
Books I Might Get Around To Reading
Some Bad Books
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