annalex answered.. Formally, the teaching authority in the Church is vested in the local bishop or more precisely the ordinary (some belong to orders that do not follow the territorial jurisdiction). One can also rely onthe publications sanctioned by the Church, e.g. consiliar documents and the Catechism. With the Internet, it is easy for anyone to educate himself, and I urge even the non-Catholics to read on what the Catholic Church proposes for their salvation.
So the church says the doctrine it develops is true ..what a surprise !!!
Would one expect them to say they were guessing? Or they thought this might be true? They make up a doctrine and then swear to it s truth
The real truth is Catholics have no sure final authority ... they must accept by faith that the pope is infallible (because he says so) They must accept what it written in the catholic documents because the church that wrote them says so
There is no sure final authority, they affirm themselves and then catholics must believe it..
Sola Ecclesia Romanus
Only the Church of Rome is the Rule of Faith
I would urge catholics to read the NT and see if what they are taught is affirmed by the scriptures..
That the Church is the rule of faith above all others is indeed taught in the Scripture. See Mt 18:17-18.
Nothing comparable is said of the scripture (Yes, I am familiar where it teaches that the man of God completes his priestly formation by studying the scripture, which is divinely inspired and useful for reproof...). The holy Scripture is useful. But the Church, not only the scripture written by the Church, binds with a heavenly bond.
Yes, it si affirmed. Nothing the Church teaches contradicts the scriptures. Which shouldn't be surprising since it is he Church who wrote the New Testament and assembled, canonized and explained the Old.
The Protestant heresies, however, do not pass the same test, as foundational Protestant errors of Faith Alone and Scripture Alone are both cotnradicted by the scripture.