Who has not read the Catechism, or the Second Vatican Council documents?

PATRICK J. McGRATH is the Roman Catholic bishop of San Jose. He wrote this column for the Mercury News.

I do offer some reflections on underlying concerns that seem to be coming into focus in light of the Ash Wednesday release of ``The Passion.''

While the primary source material of the film is attributed to the four gospels, these sacred books are not historical accounts of the historical events that they narrate. They are theological reflections upon the events that form the core of Christian faith and belief. (Emphasis added by me)

But from the Catechism we read this:
#126 We can distinguish three stages in the formation of the Gospels:
1. The life and teaching of Jesus. The Church holds firmly that the four Gospels, "whose historicity she unhesitatingly affirms, faithfully hand on what Jesus, the Son of God, while he lived among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation, until the day when he was taken up."[99]

And the footnote #99 above directs us to the Second Vatican Council's Dei Verbum #19 which states:
Holy Mother Church has firmly and with absolute constancy held, and continues to hold, that the four Gospels just named, whose historical character the Church unhesitatingly asserts, faithfully hand on what Jesus Christ, while living among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation until the day He was taken up into heaven (see Acts 1:1).

I suppose one could also extract excerpts from Pascendi Dominici Gregis or Lamentabili Sane, both from Pope Pius X, but I suppose the Catechism and Dei Verbum are enough to begin the educational process for the San Jose bishop.