“The Protestant view of the Church normally does not understand the consensus patrem. In this type of operation, there are many opinions that may be wide ranging, but there are those that are selected to become Church doctrine and belief.”
Sounds a lot like, “Whatever the Pope says, I’ll believe.” After all, there can be many opinions, but the Pope gets to pick “...those that are selected to become Church doctrine and belief.”
I think this Protestant understands what it is, but I can’t understand believing it has any validity. It explains why the Catholic Church shuns Scripture as the rule of faith, since ANY rule of faith would limit the Pope’s power.
***Sounds a lot like, “Whatever the Pope says, I’ll believe.” After all, there can be many opinions, but the Pope gets to pick “...those that are selected to become Church doctrine and belief.”***
I see where you are coming from. However; the Pope is not by himself the consensus patrem and never really has been. The doctrine is normally agreed upon by the bishops. The Pope is, really, just another bishop.
***I think this Protestant understands what it is, but I can’t understand believing it has any validity. It explains why the Catholic Church shuns Scripture as the rule of faith, since ANY rule of faith would limit the Pope’s power.***
It’s not about the Pope’s power. And I would contend that the Catholic Church venerates Scripture above and beyond that of any Protestant organization or disorganization. We brought it; we validated it; we blessed it; we continue to bring it to the world. We also bring the authority of Jesus Christ; unfortunately there are many who refuse it. Assuming unmerited authority usually brings its own reward.
That's not how the undivided Church operated. Church doctrine was decided by the General (Ecumenical) Councils, or consensus patrum, as Mark said. Of course the Pope's approval was always critical.
But, as in the case of Canon XXVIII of the Council of Chalcedon, the Pope "vetoes" it, but the Council passed it, the Emperor approved and by the yimre a year was up even the Illyrian bishops, under +Pope Leo I 's jurisdiction accepted it.
The Catholic Church recognized Canon XXVIII at the (faux) re-unification Council in Florence, a thousand years later, yet the Latin Church recognized the Council of Chalcedon despite papal objections and refusal to sign Canon XXVIII.
In other words, there was no "Whatever the Pope says, I believe..." stuff. The Church was conciliar, not dictatorial, even though +Leo I was credited for being the father of imperial papacy..