The Magisterium is the teaching office of the Catholic Church. It is exercised by the Pope alone when he teaches officially, or by the whole "college" of bishops together with the Pope.
The main job of bishops is to teach the Gospel. They do so with a special assistance of the Holy Spirit himself so that we may hear a faithful, accurate proclamation of the one true faith.
Although individual bishops may err in their official teachings about faith and morals, the Magisterium as a whole never does. Nor does the Pope, by nature of Christ's special creation of Peter's office as one that "confirms the brethren" in the faith.
Thus the Bishops that covered for the abusive priests were part of the Magesterium were they not? Not that by their obsfucation in hiding and moving the pedophiles that they were teaching much doctrine, besides by their actions that their flock was merely something best kept in the dark.
The Catholic Church, like all of the others, is made up of sinners. God, in His mercy, however, preserved it from error. The Bible says that the Church is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matt. 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf. Ephesians 3:10).
>The Catholic Church, like all of the others, is made up of sinners. God, in His mercy, however, preserved it from error. The Bible says that the Church is the pinnacle and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) and the final arbiter on questions of the Christian faith (Matt. 18:17). It is through the teaching authority and Apostolic Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:2) of this Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 16:13), that we know of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and the manifold wisdom of God. (cf. Ephesians 3:10).
Wow! So these sinners who make up the Elders/Bishops in your church do not stand to the scrutiny that Paul suggests Elders/Bishops should, yet they maintain their lofty status in said One True Church, all the while putting on the Alter Christus title and having people kiss their rings. Those hands have covered the abuse of children of your own parishes.
The men that your church has placed over you, that have allowed the abuse to continue, should have been removed from office and that lack of church discipline shows that the church hierarchy is not doing its job, but rather just worried about the temporal consequences of their actions. These are not men of God. I shudder for their souls and those that allow them to continue in their offices. This is a millstone around the Catholic Church’s neck. Flee from this monstrosity, this abomination that calls itself the One True Church.
Church discipline IS a sign of Gods church, and the Catholic church has shown it favors political expediency instead.
Good post!