Catholic Caucus: How the Infallibility of the Magisterium Protects Us

CatholicExchange.com ^ | 08-10-06 | Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D

[Salvation]

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Other Articles by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

How the Infallibility of the Magisterium Protects Us

08/10/06

		If there is any dogma that sticks in the craw of non-Catholics, it is the dogma of papal infallibility. “How” ask many, “can Catholics actually believe that any human being is incapable of error?”
In This Article... By Divine Assistance What If Bishops Disagree? Special Authority of the Successor of Peter

By Divine Assistance

But what about the human authors of sacred Scripture? The Gospel narratives are quite frank about the foibles of Peter, Paul, and the rest. But all Christians believe that their writings come not from them, but were inspired by the Holy Spirit. In all that they teach us about God and His plan for our salvation, they are therefore “inerrant.”

The pope and bishops of the Catholic Church are no less human than the Aapostles and evangelists. Left to themselves, they can make their share of mistakes. But in their capacity as apostolic teachers, they are not left to themselves. They receive divine assistance much like Peter received at Caesarea Philippi when he blurted out that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God (Mt 16:16-17).

So the Church believes that when the bishops of the world, in the course of their ordinary teaching and preaching, together present a doctrine to God’s people as something revealed by God, they teach this dogma infallibly by virtue of the ordinary, universal Magisterium.

What If Bishops Disagree?

But sometimes it is hard to precisely identify what all bishops of the world agree upon in their daily teaching. So when serious doctrinal disputes arose in the early Church, councils of bishops gathered to settle things.

These special councils were called “ecumenical” from the Greek word for “household.” They dealt with matters pertaining to the whole household of the faith and represented all the bishops of the world. Hence their judgments, once confirmed by the pope, were considered binding on the whole Christian family. Some of their pronouncements had to do with discipline, and so are not binding on all generations. Some of their teaching was doctrinal, pertaining to faith and morals, but was presented in an ordinary way. But sometimes the council fathers engaged the fullness of their apostolic authority and issued solemn dogmatic definitions in which they fundamentally guaranteed that a certain truth is revealed by God. They usually make crystal clear their intent to define a dogma by strongly condemning contradictory teachings and noting that those who hold such heretical opinions have put themselves outside the Church.

From about the 9th century, we can document a widespread belief that dogmatic decrees by ecumenical councils are infallible in light of the assistance given to the council fathers by the Holy Spirit (see Acts 15:28).

Special Authority of the Successor of Peter

But what if a council could not be called in time to respond to a crisis? Would it remain up for grabs how we should interpret the Scriptures and identify the authentic apostolic Tradition?

Medieval theologians said no. They saw the special assistance given to Peter by the Spirit in Matthew 16:16. They noted the extraordinary track record of the popes of the first millennium in upholding orthodoxy even when many of the great bishops and patriarchs from around the world fell into heresy. Many concluded that the successor of Peter is assisted by the Spirit in a particular way. If he should teach ex cathedra (literally “from the chair” of Peter), engaging the fullness of his apostolic teaching authority on a matter pertaining to faith and morals, his judgment is indeed infallible. From about the 12th century this became a widespread opinion and was defined as dogma by the First Vatican Council in 1870.

Infallibility, then, is not a burden, but a necessary gift, indeed a charism of the Holy Spirit. Without it, the promise made by Christ at Caesarea Philippi could not be kept. Remember, He guaranteed that the jaws of death would not prevail against His Church. But if the Church had no sure way to locate the truth, the jaws of death would be free to gobble up many and shatter the remaining flock into a million pieces.


Dr. D'Ambrosio studied under Avery Cardinal Dulles for his Ph.D. in historical theology and taught for many years at the University of Dallas. He now directs www.crossroadsinitiative.com, which offers Catholic resources for RCIA, adult faith formation, and teens, with a special emphasis on the Year of the Eucharist, the Theology of the Body, the early Church Fathers, and the sacrament of confirmation.

(This article originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor and is used by permission of the author.)

[Conservative til I die]

After they were dead??? Nope...Not only did no one bow and pray to Moses or David, Peter wouldn't allow anyone to bow before him...

OK, and....? I don't know what that has to do with God working through people. None of these men were God, which is why no one should bow down to them in worship. But that doesn't mean that God did not work through them.

[nmh]

Mary is just another dead sinner. If she was capable of perfection, which no mere mortal is, then we wouldn't have needed Christs' death on the cross. Even Mary needed the death of Jesus to be able to go to heaven.

Clearly the Bible does NOT elevate her in the way you have been taught. I notice as usual ... there are NO verses in the Bible to support praying TO Mary or any other dead sinner. We are ONLY to pray to the living God.

Again, I and other believers call high and direct. Praying for others is fine, however WHO you pray TO makes a BIG difference - ONLY to Christ.

It works like this for Christians:

Christ is the MEDIATOR and the Holy Spirit is the INTERCESSOR. Christ ALONE, died for our sins; not Peter, Paul or Mary. ONLY Christ. The punishment for sin is DEATH and Christ paid that price by laying His INNOCENT life down for all. The Holy Spirit did NOT die for us. Again, ONLY Christ paid the price.

1 Timothy 2:5

[5] For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Romans 8:26

[26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The Holy Spirit is on this earth and indwells within the believer. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity - three in one as stated in the Bible as well.

It really doesn't matter how you despise the Bible or how many pile on trying to minimize what the BIBLE STATES about WHOM to PRAY TO. Christians are ONLY to pray to CHRIST and the Holy Spirit intercedes for them. Christ is the ONLY mediator. None of us, including Mary are good enough to go directly to the Father. God HATES sin and why He had to look away when Christ was on the cross and all the sin, past present and future were laid on Him.

Don't you find it odd how you are taught DIFFERENTLY? The real question is, are you going to accept and believe what other sinners tell you to believe or are YOU going to believe what God states, rather clearly in the Bible?

It's pointless to keep repeating what the Bible says .. when you as just another sinner, refuse to accept it and believe it. Like Mary, YOU to need to pray ONLY to Christ.

[spunkets]

Re: The audience was the whole world and that's why it was written. To think it was written as proof that God gave Peter special help is illogical. They all had seen and heard the same thing.

"Not true. ...only Peter said that Jesus was the Messiah"

Well Peter figured it out. Some are better at thinking and getting the right answers than others.

[capt.P]

Why are you here?

Catholicism is not a feel-good choose-your-own-adventure. I'm a former lapsed catholic, and I do understand your rejection of some of the tenets of church. I just question your rejection of parts- do you really believe that you're so smart and correct that you can turn your back on the collective wisdom of two millenia? I'd love to have your confidence.
Some of us have re-entered the fold because of a lightning-bolt style intercession or experience of near-death. I hope it doesn't take that for you to really examine whether or not you're one of us. But... maybe it will! Best of luck to you, either way.

[Salvation]

**Mary is just another dead sinner.**

Who is feeding you this nonsense? Read your Bible!!It's all right there!!

Have you not read Luke? Why would the angel call Mary, "favored one"?? Or in a previous translation, "Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with You"

26

¹⁰ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

27

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.

28

And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."

29

But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

30

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

32

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, ¹¹ and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

33

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34

But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" ¹²

35

And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

36

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived ¹³ a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

37

for nothing will be impossible for God."

38

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

39

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,

40

where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

41

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,

42

cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

43

And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord ¹⁴ should come to me?

44

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

45

Blessed are you who believed ¹⁵ that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

46

And Mary said: ¹⁶ "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

47

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

48

For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

49

The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

50

His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.

51

He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.

52

He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.

53

The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.

54

He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,

55

according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

56

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

[Bubble Girl]

Oh bah humbug. Equating not going to church as the same as abortion or adultery...

You need a new Sin Dictionary

[Bubble Girl]

"A simple statement of fact"

This is your reality and your religion. Try not to be too smug, I might happen to show up in your Heaven.

[Bubble Girl]

I see.. this thread is for "believers in the Catholic Church and all it's tenet's only"

I do not believe I am smart about anything. You know nothing about me and yet you think I am turning my back on the collective wisdom of two thousand years.

Each of us has our own path to take in this life. If my path takes me around the Church instead of inside of it, it is of my own choosing. It makes me no less of good person than say, a faithful Catholic is.

[Conservative til I die]

Oh bah humbug. Equating not going to church as the same as abortion or adultery...

You need a new Sin Dictionary

Actually, when it comes to mortal sin, they really are equal. Don't go to Church on Sunday and die unrepentant, go to Hell. Commit an abortion and die unrepentant, go to Hell.

Conversely, don't go to Church on Sunday and repent, you'll get to Heaven after some purgatory. Commit an abortion and repent, and you'll go to Heaven after probably a lot more purgatory.

[dsc]

“This is your reality”

There is only one reality.

“and your religion.”

The religion doesn’t belong to me; I belong to the religion. I choose that because all rational evidence shows that it is the religion that has the fullness of Revelation, and all supernatural evidence confirms that.

“Try not to be too smug”

First I was trying to hurt you; now I’m smug. As Jerry Lee Lewis might have sung were he an academic instead of a redneck, “Whole Lot of Projectin’ Goin’ On.”

“I might happen to show up in your Heaven.”

No man knows what the future might bring. For all I know, you might become a saint. Right now, though, you have chosen to believe a bunch of things that aren’t true, and you’re in danger.

“You know nothing about me”

You have chosen to tell us all a good deal about your stance on God, some of it intentionally, some of it unintentionally. We all do it. From the time of our first posts, we can no longer say, “You know nothing about me.”

“and yet you think I am turning my back on the collective wisdom of two thousand years.”

That’s not something anyone “thinks.” You declared it.

“Each of us has our own path to take in this life.”

Nonsense. There are only a few categories of person; we all fit into one or the other.

“If my path takes me around the Church instead of inside of it, it is of my own choosing.”

And if it takes you to Hell, that is also of your own choosing.

“It makes me no less of good person than say, a faithful Catholic is.”

That’s not the question. It makes you less of a good person than *you* would be if *you* were a faithful Catholic, and makes it much harder (post-Vat II) or impossible (pre-Vat II) for *you* to get into heaven.

You’re turning this into a contest, making the assumption that everyone is comparing himself to you and finding himself better than you. Quite the contrary, a faithful Catholic would pray, in the words of Cardinal Merry del Val, “That others become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.”