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COMMENTARY
What’s Infallible? What’s
Not?
VOTF national secretary Gaile Pohlhaus, independent
theologian
[n.b., the words truth(s) and teaching(s) are used
interchangeably in the following essay.]
All Church teaching is important but it is
not all infallible. Even the earliest of Church fathers and
mothers would agree with this statement. It is only
since the decree of Papal Infallibility was promulgated
by the First Council of the Vatican (1870) that Catholics
have PRESUMED THAT ALL TEACHINGS ARE ON EQUAL FOOTING.
Nevertheless it was the Second Council of the Vatican
(1962-66) in its Decree on Ecumenism (11.e) that said: “When
comparing doctrines with one another, theologians should
remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a ‘hierarchy’ of
truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental
Christian faith.”
Of these truths/teachings only two are preeminent
and all others flow from these. I quote from the Catechism
of the Catholic Church (par. 234): “The mystery
of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of
Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God
in God's self. It is therefore the source of all the
other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens
them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching
in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith’" (General
Catechetical Directory, par. 43). The whole history
of salvation is identical with the history of the way
and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, reveals God to men "and reconciles
and unites with himself those who turn away from sin.” Thus
the first of these truths is the Trinity itself and
the second, which immediately flows from it, is the
doctrine of the Incarnation/Resurrection, which is
the way God chose to reveal the divine nature and the
ultimate example of the Law of Love.
Again quoting from the Catechism (pars. 88-90): “The
Church's Magisterium exercises the authority it holds
from Christ to the fullest extent when it defines dogmas,
that is, when it proposes, in a form obliging the Christian
people to an irrevocable adherence of faith, truths
contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes,
in a definitive way, truths having a necessary connection
with these.
“
There is an organic connection between our spiritual
life and the dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path
of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure. Conversely,
if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will
be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of
faith. Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in
him, ‘If you remain in my word, you will truly
be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free’” (Jn 8:31-32).
In addition, we find: “The mutual connections
between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found in
the whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ” (Lumen
Gentium par.25); and, "In Catholic doctrine there
exists an order or hierarchy of truths, since they
vary in their relation to the foundation of the Christian
faith” (Unitatis Redintegratio Decree on
Ecumenism par. 11).
Although there exists no definitive list of the truths
which must be held, the magisterium (teaching authority
of the Church that included ordained persons and theologians
until approximately the 1980’s and now seems
to be used exclusively to mean ordained persons; I
am using the word in the older and more traditional
sense) is agreed that the Apostle’s Creed and
the Nicene-Constantinople Creed should be included.
These are traditionally called Dogmas and also include
the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Mary
of Nazareth.
Doctrines are teachings
which have not yet been called dogmas but are almost
universally held by the magisterium
and the faithful. The sacraments would probably be
on this list although explanations of the sacraments
would not be (e.g., real presence of Christ in Eucharist
is on the list but transubstantiation is not).
Next are those truths that are virtually revealed.
Not virtually as in the sense of computers but those
that can be derived rationally from dogmas and doctrines.
These are sometimes referred to as the ordinary teachings
of the Church and deal with things found in the culture
or science of the time. These ordinary teachings are
sometimes called “probable truths.” An
example here might be “It is good to say the
Rosary.” Note this does not teach that we must say the Rosary; it simply addresses the worthiness
of such an action. Another example could be “It
is good for priests to be celibate.” Notice here
that this cannot be derived from dogmas or doctrines
but is the result of lived experience over the first
1,000 years of the Church. Thus celibacy became a discipline
within the Roman Catholic Church.
And finally there is what is called “non-revealed” truths.
These are teachings which are commonly accepted by
the magisterium. There is little agreement about which
teachings of the Church fall into the third and fourth
categories and sometimes even the second. The categories
themselves have existed at least from the time of Saint
Augustine. Sometimes these non-revealed truths are
called “possible truths.” An example here
would be any references to the approved apparitions
of Mary and the Saints. What the Church declares about
these apparitions is that they do not contradict Church
teaching.
How revealed and non-revealed truths are lived
in faith is what conscience is all about – a subject for
a future column.
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