The Heidelberg Catechism teaches the Christian faith through 129 questions and answers. First published in Heidelberg in 1563, it is arranged into 52 Lord’s Days: one for each Sunday of the year.
Beginning with our only comfort in life and death, it follows three themes: our misery, our deliverance through Jesus Christ, and our grateful response. Along the way it explains the Apostles’ Creed, the sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.
Together with the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort, it forms the Three Forms of Unity used by Reformed churches.
About this text edition
Australian reading edition. This site presents an independent reading adaptation of the Heidelberg Catechism. It is not an official publication of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia or another denomination.
Traditional English wording has been updated for readability, Australian spelling is used, and personal pronouns referring to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are capitalised. The original question numbering and Lord’s Day divisions are retained.
The text draws on the existing Learn Heidelberg collection. The full Ten Commandments in Question 92 have been restored from historical Authorised Version wording, with modern pronouns. Scripture references and the Lord’s Day divisions were checked against the catechism published on the CRCA website.
English editions differ in wording. For congregational recitation or memorisation, compare this edition with the text your church uses. “Catholic” in the Apostles’ Creed means universal.
Question 80
This edition retains the complete historical answer to Question 80. Its description of the Roman Catholic Mass reflects the Reformation controversy. The CRCNA places the final part of its answer in brackets and no longer regards that portion as confessionally binding on its members; the PDF hosted by the Australian CRCA reproduces that note. This site does not apply that denominational qualification to the historical text.
See the CRCNA text and explanation for that denomination’s wording and decision.
Reading and finding your place
Browse by Lord’s Day, read all 129 questions, or search for a word or question number. Search also recognises entries such as “Q21” and “LD7”. Each question has its own link for sharing.
Use the reading settings button to change the theme, text size, or visibility of Scripture references. Your preferences are saved on your device. Scripture links open the English Standard Version on Bible Gateway in a new tab.
On a Lord’s Day page, the arrow keys and previous/next links move between days. On a touch screen, a deliberate sideways swipe does the same. The complete-text page also has a print-friendly layout.
A companion to the Belgic Confession
This site shares its reading layout with The Belgic Confession Australia. The teal colour helps distinguish the catechism while keeping both sites familiar to use.
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