| AA | Vatican II decree Apostolicam Actuositatem |
| AG | Vatican II decree Ad Gentes |
| al. | et alii (There are additional authors) |
| ap. const. | apostolic constitution |
| ap. lett. | apostolic letter |
| art. | Article |
| Aug. | August |
| Feb. | February |
| can. | canon |
| cann. | canons |
| CAT | Committee against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment |
| CB | Congregation for Bishops |
| CC | Congregation for Clergy (NB Congregation of the Council is not abbreviated) |
| CCC | Catechism of the Catholic Church |
| CCE | Congregation for Catholic Education |
| CD | Vatican II decree Christus Dominus |
| CDF | Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith |
| CDS | Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments |
| CDWDS | Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments |
| CEP | Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples |
| CERD | Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination |
| Ch. | Chapter |
| CHO | Congregation of the Holy Office |
| CIC | 1983 Code of Canon Law |
| CIC/1917 | 1917 Code of Canon Law |
| circ. | circular letter |
| CRC | Committee on the Rights of the Child |
| Dec. | December |
| DH | Vatican II declaration Dignitatis Humanae |
| DRC | Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted 20 November 1959 by the United Nations General Assembly |
| DV | Vatican II dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum |
| ECHR | European Convention on Human Rights |
| ed. | editor/s |
| encyc. | encyclical |
encyclical letter | |
| Fontes | Gasparri, P. Seredi, I., ed., Codicis Iuris Canonici Fontes, vols I–IX, Rome 1923–1939 |
| GS | Vatican II pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes |
| ICAT | International Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment |
| ICERD | International Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination |
| IM | Vatican II decree, Inter Mirifica |
| instr. | Instruction |
| Jan. | January |
| LG | Vatican II dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium |
| m.p. | motu proprio |
| n. | number |
| nn. | numbers |
| NA | Vatican II declaration Nostra Aetate |
| Nov. | November |
| OE | Vatican II decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum |
| Oct. | October |
| OPAC | Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on children in armed conflict |
| OPCP | Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure |
| OPSC | Optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography |
| OT | Vatican II decree Optatam Totius |
| Para/s. | Paragraph/s |
| PAL | Pontifical Academy for Life |
| PC | Vatican II decree Perfectae Caritatis |
| PCED | Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei |
| PCF | Pontifical Council for the Family |
| PCILT | Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts |
| PCJP | Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace |
| PPCU | Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity |
| PCRCC | Pontifical Council for the revision of the Code of Canon Law |
| PCSC | Pontifical Council for Social Communications |
| PCVCS | Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State |
| PO | Vatican II decree Presbyterorum Ordinis |
| RCIA | Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) |
Vatican II constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium | |
| Sept. | September |
| tit. | Title |
| tr. | Translation |
| UDHR | Universal Declaration of Human Rights |
| UNCAT | United Nations Convention against torture, inhuman and degrading treatment |
| UNCERD | United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination |
| UNCRC | United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child |
| UNGA | United Nations General Assembly |
| UR | Vatican II decree Unitatis Redintegratio |
| USCCB | United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |