Talk:Catholic teachings

As it stands at present, this article gives the completely false impression that the Church can pigeon-hole a teaching at will in one or other of the categories listed, taking, for instance, any teaching whatever and declaring it a dogma, whereas, for a truth to be part of "divine and catholic faith", two conditions must be fulfilled: a) the truth must be contained in the written or orally transmitted Word of God and included in the deposit of faith entrusted to the Church; and b) the Magisterium must present it as divinely revealed (cf. canon 750 – § 1).

Someone more skilled than I am could build a much better treatment on the basis of "The Teaching Office of the Church" section (canons 747-755) of the Code of Canon Law.

Two of these canons indicate three degrees of gravity of the obligation of Catholics to follow the teaching of the Church:


 * Canon 750 – § 1: Those things are to be believed by divine and catholic faith which are contained in the word of God as it has been written or handed down by tradition, that is, in the single deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and which are at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn Magisterium of the Church, or by its ordinary and universal Magisterium, which in fact is manifested by the common adherence of Christ’s faithful under the guidance of the sacred Magisterium. All are therefore bound to avoid any contrary doctrines.


 * Canon 750 – § 2. Furthermore, each and everything set forth definitively by the Magisterium of the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals must be firmly accepted and held; namely, those things required for the holy keeping and faithful exposition of the deposit of faith; therefore, anyone who rejects propositions which are to be held definitively sets himself against the teaching of the Catholic Church.


 * Can. 752 While the assent of faith is not required, a religious submission of intellect and will is to be given to any doctrine which either the Supreme Pontiff or the College of Bishops, exercising their authentic magisterium, declare upon a matter of faith or morals, even though they do not intend to proclaim that doctrine by definitive act. Christ's faithful are therefore to ensure that they avoid whatever does not accord with that doctrine.

Canon 751 defines heresy as "the obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of a truth which must be believed by divine and catholic faith," and apostasy as "the total repudiation of the Christian faith."

Canon 747 – § 2 states: "The Church has the right always and everywhere to proclaim moral principles, even in respect of the social order, and to make judgements about any human matter in so far as this is required by fundamental human rights or the salvation of souls."

See also Doctrinal Commentary on the Concluding Formula of the Professio fidei

Lima 18:50, 26 December 2005 (UTC)