| A DISCUSSION OF INFALLIBILITY |
| Father John Trigilio
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| ANY dogma is an INFALLIBLE doctrine, divinely & formally revealed
by God as a necessary truth for salvation. EXTRAORDINARY Magisterium is
an EX CATHEDRA pronouncement of the Roman Pontiff (Immaculate Conception
by Pope Pius IX) or a DE FIDE statement of an Ecumenical Council
(Justification by the Council of Trent). ORDINARY Magisterium is the
perennial teaching of the Pope and the Bishops in union with him around
the world. To capriciously say that ONLY EXTRAORDINARY MAGISTERIAL
dogmas are infallible is FALSE and heretical. Lumen Gentium #25, Humani
Generis #21, both solemnly teach on the supreme teaching authority of
the ORDINARY MAGISTERIUM.
Some Catholics wrongly believe that ONLY "ex cathedra" Papal Statements are infallible. This would limit infallible dogma to two, the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. Obviously, only 2 infallible dogmas in 2,000 years sounds very sparse. Some theologians incorrectly proliferate a notion that ONLY the Extraordinary Magisterium is infallible. Even Raymond Brown has abandoned this notion. Ergo, propositions like the one you mention, that the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of the B.V.M. is NOT infallible, are ridiculous. If in doubt, the BEST resource is Denziger's Enchiridion Symbolorum. Next, is Ludwig Ott's monumental work, "The Fundamentals of Dogma." There, one can find the theological distinctions made between divinely revealed truths (DE FIDE) and those which are only theologically certain. DE FIDE is the highest level of theological/doctrinal truth. They are INFALLIBLE statements by their very nature, like the Holy Trinity, The Real Presence, etc. Next, are VERITATES CATHOLICAE (catholic truths) like the existence of God which can be known through reason alone. Finally, there are four types of THEOLOGICAL OPINIONS: 1. SENTENTIA FIDEI PROXIMA (proximate to the Faith) like the Trinity can be known only through Revelation. 2. SENTENTIA CERTA (theologically certain) like Monogenism, i.e., that the human race came from one set of parents. 3. SENTENTIA COMMUNIA (common teaching) like the Church's prohibition & proscription of artificial contraception. 4. SENTENTIA PROBABILIS (probable teaching) like the premise that the Virgin Mary died before being Assumed into Heaven. According to Pope Pius XII in Humani Generis & Vatican II in Lumen Gentium #25, even non-infallible teachings are to receive the submission of mind and will of the faithful. While not requiring the ASSENT OF FAITH, they CANNOT be disputed nor rejected publicly and the benefit of the doubt must be given to the one possessing the fullness of teaching authority. The heterodox concept of a dual magisteria, i.e., the theologians, is not based on scriptural nor traditional grounds. Some have gone as far as to propose a triple magisteria, the body of believers. While it is true that as a whole, the body of believers is infallible in that SENSUS FIDEI is that the Church as the Mystical Body cannot be in error on matters of faith and morals, the TEACHING AUTHORITY (Magisterium) resides solely with the Roman Pontiff and the College of Bishops in union with him. |
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