The blog post below is the transcript of the Podcast published in this post

This is the second of a series of podcasts on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This podcast is written and recorded on behalf of the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis in the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge. My name is Barry Schoedel, I am the present Associate Director of the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis.
To understand the Catechism of the Catholic Church it is helpful to first reflect upon the context in which it was born. By considering the context we can better understand the reasoning behind the formulation of a Catechism, as such, and also some of the pressing needs in Catechesis in the contemporary world.
To do this we will look together at a letter that Pope Saint John Paul II wrote when the Catechism was originally promulgated in 1992. The letter itself was in the form of what is called in the Church, an Apostolic Constitution. Apostolic Constitutions are generally considered the highest level of decree ordered by a Pope, and are addressed to the Church. They tend to treat of solemn matters, such as the promulgation of laws or definitive teachings. Examples of other contemporary Apostolic Constitutions were on the occasion of the promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law in 1983, as well as a constitution on rules to guide Catholic Universities that they remain faithful to Christ and the Church, and a constitution on rules on electing the Roman Pontiff. As mentioned, such constitutions are reserved for matters of the highest importance in the Church. That should give a sense of the weight of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that it was central to her life and of greatest importance.
The constitution which accompanied the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church was titled Fidei Depositum, or, the Deposit of the Faith. It is this constitution which defines the centrality of the Catechism for the work of Catechesis in the Church going forward.
The document begins,
(g)uarding the deposit of the faith is the mission which the Lord has entrusted to his Church and which she fulfills in every age. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, which opened 30 years ago by my predecessor Pope John XXIII, of happy memory, had as its intention and purpose to highlight the Church’s apostolic and pastoral mission, and by making the truth of the Gospel shine forth, to lead all people to seek and receive Christ’s love which surpasses all knowledge.
The pontiff remarked that safeguarding the deposit of the faith is intrinsic to the Church, it is precisely what has been entrusted to her so that she may communicate the saving love of Christ to all generations. This is the task of the Church in every age, to defend, nurture, and promote the teachings of the Gospel of God, Jesus Christ. Importantly, the Pontiff, mentions the Second Vatican Council. It was precisely to strengthen the Church’s pastoral and apostolic mission in the contemporary world that was the inspiration of Vatican II. This council was distinct in that it wasn’t formulated to weigh in on a major theological controversy, like previous councils, but instead was primarily pastoral in nature.
At this point in the life of the Church she was already well over 2 centuries into the period we call modernity. Catholic faith and unity had been challenged by many things during that period, including the Protestant reformation and conflicts over the authority of the Church in relationship to worldly powers. Particularly in Western Europe agnosticism, atheism, and antagonism toward the Christian faith and the Church seemed ever increasing. Large sectors of society that were previously Catholic were no longer believers, and many actually persecuted the Church.