Catholic Catechism
100 The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him.
Really. Remember? If Roma no locuta, the causa ain't finita.
Your quote from the catechism about interpreting "authentically" refers to this authenticity being such that other Catholics are bound to believe the same.
For instance, a popular topic lately, I can believe Jesus' "brothers" are cousins and another Catholic can believe they are step-brothers. The Church has not "authenticated" either view. I am free to believe either one and I have no claim to force another Catholic to believe my interpretation.
SD
Really? Even if the Church hasn't spoken...Like I said, you don’t understand, and the snide way you responded makes it appear you don’t particularly care to. That is up to you, but out of abundant foolishness, I’ll explain what it does mean.Catholic Catechism
100 The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him.
What you have done here is so typical. You’ve taken one sentence and ignored the entire rest of the book, not to mention the context for that sentence. 100 was under the “In Brief” heading. It is a summary, yet you seem to want to consider it absent the text it was summarizing.
What that phrase means is that when the Magisterium makes an interpretation, and proclaims it as binding, then we are to accept that. It does not mean, like you seem to think, that if the Magisterium hasn’t spoken we are to somehow think nothing at all about the verse.
That would be nonsense, especially if you actually read the Catechism. The Catechism is intended to assist the laity in learning their faith:
Through the harmonious and complementary efforts of all the ranks of the People of God, may this Catechism be known and shared by everyone, so that the unity in faith whose supreme model and origin is found in the Unity of the Trinity may be strengthened and extended to the ends of the earth.After the section you quote, section 100, it goes on to explain, in detail through several paragraphs, culminating in an exhortation to the faithful, whom are supposed to use this catechism to enrich their faith, that they should read the Scriptures:
133 The Church "forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful. . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.112Thus, as Catholics we are commanded to read the Scriptures. Between those two sections, your # 100 and the above quoted #133, the catechism itself gives broad guidelines on things to consider when interpreting Scripture.
Why would it do this if Catholics weren’t supposed to read and interpret it? Makes no sense, and thus your proposition is silly, and must be rejected. This should be obvious to anyone who goes beyond that simple little summary that was strip mined out of a long section on the Scriptures.
However, we don’t have stop with the instructions after your quote. We could also learn what the Church meant by reading what came before it. The words that were being summarized in the “in brief” section are important to what the phrase means. In fact, just a couple paragraphs before hand, the Church says:
The supernatural sense of faithSo you see, if you cared to read the sections around the one you quoted, it would be clear what the Catholic is to do. He is forcefully and specifically exhorted to frequently read the divine Scriptures (133). He is to “share in understanding and handing on revealed truth.” (91). He is, through the contemplation and study of believers, to ponder these things in his heart. (94) He is to apply “right judgment” to it, and then apply it more fully in daily life. (93).91 All the faithful share in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who instructs them53 and guides them into all truth.54
92 "The whole body of the faithful. . . cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to the last of the faithful, they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals."55
93 "By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority (Magisterium),. . . receives. . . the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. . . The People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life."56
Growth in understanding the faith
94 Thanks to the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the understanding of both the realities and the words of the heritage of faith is able to grow in the life of the Church:
- "through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts";57 it is in particular "theological research [which] deepens knowledge of revealed truth".58
- "from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which [believers] experience",59 the sacred Scriptures "grow with the one who reads them."60
- "from the preaching of those who have received, along with their right of succession in the episcopate, the sure charism of truth".61
This would have been hard to miss, had you read these sections with an honest eye. I don’t know where you got your quote, and whether you read these sections or not, but you should before you go on in this discussion.
patent +AMDG