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Riley259
Guest
Are the teachings of the Church in relation to sexual morality (such as contraception, abortion, and gay marriage) infallible?
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G
gell
Guest
The Church’s stance on marriage is infallible. The stance on abortion and contraception are not infallible per se but the Church’s authority is binding.
That’s my understanding of it anyway.
That’s my understanding of it anyway.
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rpp
Guest
Gell, your first statement is correct, but your second sentence is not accurate.
The Church’s teaching on abortion is infallible, abortion violates the 5th Commandment. The church’s teaching on contraception may be infallible, you are correct to describe her authority as binding.
But these are small details. The simple fact is that if we were to go against church teachings, we are committing sin. If nothing else, than the grave sin of disobedience to the Church.
But no matter how you feel about these issues, I would encourage people not to be so legalistic. Rather than asking “how far is too far” get a different mind set and ask yourself, “Am I glorifying God?”
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Beantown
Guest
Is not abortion murder? Murder being against the Commandments of God I would imagine that abortion/murder would be a infallible teaching of the Church.
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Genesis315
Guest
The Church teaches infallibly all that God has revealed and those things necessary to defend and expound on that revelation (such as natural law, for example). All morality is covered by this.
Here’s the rationale. The Church’s job is to lead all people to salvation and sanctity. If the Church taught some things were sinful which weren’t or weren’t sinful that were, this teaching would lead away from sanctity and the fullness of human dignity God desires for us. Therefore the Holy Spirit preserves the truth in the Church, so all men can find the narrow path to sanctity and salvation.
Here’s the rationale. The Church’s job is to lead all people to salvation and sanctity. If the Church taught some things were sinful which weren’t or weren’t sinful that were, this teaching would lead away from sanctity and the fullness of human dignity God desires for us. Therefore the Holy Spirit preserves the truth in the Church, so all men can find the narrow path to sanctity and salvation.
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Randy_Carson
Guest
The Church’s teaching on contraception is “definitive and irreformable”.
VADEMECUM FOR CONFESSORS CONCERNING SOME ASPECTS
OF THE MORALITY OF CONJUGAL LIFE
“We know well all the richness that has been offered to the Christian community by the Encyclical Humanae Vitae, illuminated then by the Encyclical Veritatis Splendor, and by the Apostolic Exhortations, Familiaris Consortio and Reconciliatio et Paenitentia. We also know how the Catechism of the Catholic Church has provided an effective and synthetic summary of the Church’s doctrine on these subjects.”
We are happy to put this document in the hands of priests, a document that has been prepared at the request of the Holy Father with the aid of the competent collaboration of professors of theology as well as some pastors.
4. The Church has always taught the intrinsic evil of contraception, that is, of every marital act intentionally rendered unfruitful. This teaching is to be held as definitive and irreformable. Contraception is gravely opposed to marital chastity; it is contrary to the good of the transmission of life (the procreative aspect of matrimony), and to the reciprocal self-giving of the spouses (the unitive aspect of matrimony); it harms true love and denies the sovereign role of God in the transmission of human life.33
6. However, profoundly different from any contraceptive practice is the behaviour of married couples, who, always remaining fundamentally open to the gift of life, live their intimacy only in the unfruitful periods, when they are led to this course by serious motives of responsible parenthood. This is true both from the anthropological and moral points of view, because it is rooted in a different conception of the person and of sexuality.35
Vatican City*, February 12, 1997.*
Alfonso Card. López Trujillo
President of the Pontifical Council
for the Family
+ Francisco Gil Hellín
Secretary
VADEMECUM FOR CONFESSORS CONCERNING SOME ASPECTS
OF THE MORALITY OF CONJUGAL LIFE
“We know well all the richness that has been offered to the Christian community by the Encyclical Humanae Vitae, illuminated then by the Encyclical Veritatis Splendor, and by the Apostolic Exhortations, Familiaris Consortio and Reconciliatio et Paenitentia. We also know how the Catechism of the Catholic Church has provided an effective and synthetic summary of the Church’s doctrine on these subjects.”
We are happy to put this document in the hands of priests, a document that has been prepared at the request of the Holy Father with the aid of the competent collaboration of professors of theology as well as some pastors.
4. The Church has always taught the intrinsic evil of contraception, that is, of every marital act intentionally rendered unfruitful. This teaching is to be held as definitive and irreformable. Contraception is gravely opposed to marital chastity; it is contrary to the good of the transmission of life (the procreative aspect of matrimony), and to the reciprocal self-giving of the spouses (the unitive aspect of matrimony); it harms true love and denies the sovereign role of God in the transmission of human life.33
6. However, profoundly different from any contraceptive practice is the behaviour of married couples, who, always remaining fundamentally open to the gift of life, live their intimacy only in the unfruitful periods, when they are led to this course by serious motives of responsible parenthood. This is true both from the anthropological and moral points of view, because it is rooted in a different conception of the person and of sexuality.35
Vatican City*, February 12, 1997.*
Alfonso Card. López Trujillo
President of the Pontifical Council
for the Family
+ Francisco Gil Hellín
Secretary
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ltbpoe43
Guest
Why would they be any less infallible than other teachings? (sacramental marriage, transubstantiation, Holy Trinity, baptism, purity, chastity, etc.)
Why single out those? The teachings are the truth as revealed to the Mother Church and have been for 2000 years. I’d have to say - Yes.
Why single out those? The teachings are the truth as revealed to the Mother Church and have been for 2000 years. I’d have to say - Yes.
M
MilesXpisti
Guest
As the purview of the Church’s authority extends to natural law and all things derived from it, yes, they are infallible. Further, as the Church has perennially and without deviation taught that abortion and contraception are sins, it falls under the infallibility of ordinary Magisterium.
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