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KorvinStarmast
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Yes, they are two separate things.

The Catechism is a teaching tool for the bishops and various catechists to instruct the faithful. (Why do we receive the Eucharist? What makes Easter so special?) The first Catechism worthy of the name came out of the Council of Trent (1545 and 1563). The more recent one, liked to on line with some frequency here, came out in the early 1980's though it was revised in the 90's. You could look up The Baltimore Catechism for an example of a common teaching tool in the US that is pre-Vatican II.

The Canon Law is a rule book, a code of laws that are within the jurisdiction of the Church, that covers (for example) who may or may not marry a couple; what constitutes a valid marriage; what to do if there is a jurisdictional dispute between two different diocese; basic rules for building a church.

KorvinStarmast
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