THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994 TAG: 9406230470
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KERRY DOUGHERTY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940623 LENGTH: Medium
The problem is finding a copy.
{REST} An English-language version of ``Catechism of the Catholic Church,'' an 803-page book (including indices and 3,500 footnotes) that sums up the teachings of the church, was released for sale Wednesday. More than 565,000 copies were distributed simultaneously across the country, yet local residents were fruitlessly searching for the book.
Waldenbooks didn't have it. Neither did B. Dalton.
J.M. Prince in Norfolk received word from its supplier that the Paulist Press - one of 16 publishers in the U.S. printing the catechism - was already in its third printing. The store won't have its first shipment until late July.
Even the religious bookstores were mostly coming up dry.
``There aren't any Catholics allowed south of D.C.,'' joked Jerry Long of Long's Religious Supply in Norfolk. Actually, Long did have ``one or two'' paperback copies. But he said he had no plans to carry dozens. ``I don't find the demand for Catholic items.''
Others did.
``I've had people coming in since last week asking for it,'' said Colleen Zeek, manager of Heaven & Earth, a Christian bookstore at Lynnhaven Mall. ``We should have it by Monday, Tuesday at the latest.''
Dolphin Tales in Virginia Beach, a religious bookstore that carries many Catholic items, apparently had the largest supply, about 100. More than 50 copies had been reserved in advance.
``I'm telling people who call to come in in the next day or so to be sure to get one,'' said Renee E. McCarthy, president of the company. ``It won't be any problem reordering the books, but it may take a little while.''
Hardback copies of the book are selling for $29.95, and paperbacks are selling for $19.95.
``Surprisingly, most of the people want it in hardback,'' said McCarthy. ``We ordered more paperbacks, assuming people would prefer that. $29.95 is a lot of money.''
This latest catechism was written over six years by an Extraordinary Synod of Bishops brought together in 1986 by Pope John Paul II. The resulting document is the first of its kind since the Council of Trent produced a catechism in 1566. (Most American Catholics are familiar with the Baltimore Catechism, which is considered a ``minor catechism'' by the church. It was written in 1885.)
The latest catechism has been surrounded by controversy.
Last week the U.S. Justice Department agreed to investigate whether the U.S. Catholic Conference violated antitrust laws by signing an agreement for joint publication of the book by 16 American publishing houses.
The original version of the catechism was written in French and has been in circulation for more than a year.
The English version was delayed because of a debate over ``inclusive'' language. The Vatican rejected the first draft, which omitted references to ``men'' and ``mankind'' when referring to people of both sexes. by CNB