P
presidentjlh
Guest
I admit, I know very little about the world. I am not a wise man, I don’t have the answers. But I do try my best. I am trying very hard to be a good Catholic.
However, while I am doing my best to accept to accept all required teachings, often I find myself confused.
The idea of infallibility has always been very, very difficult for me to grasp. I do understand that it does not mean that Popes and Clergy cannot possibly sin. Yes, they are sinners, just like myself (Although I am fairly sure that any sins Pope Benedict XVI commits are barely anything compared to mine.) However, the idea that there are certain Church teachings that are infallible, while I try to accept this, still trouble me.
Yes, I understand that, according to Church teaching, the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit. But, I still am troubled. In a post I made on another thread, I noted the Church’s incorrect position when it came to the question of whether or not the solar system was heliocentric or geocentric. By itself, this does not cause a problem. The problem I find is that the Church said that the idea that the Solar System is heliocentric is contrary to Scripture (and thus, they found Galileo “vehemently suspect of heresy”).
This means that, if I am understanding the whole thing correctly, the Church declared that the idea of the Solar System being geocentric is a truth that must not be disagreed with (otherwise Galileo wouldn’t have been in trouble for what he was teaching), and therefore, is this not an infallible teaching? But, this is wrong, as we do know that the Solar System is heliocentric, and the Church has found that to be the truth as well. But doesn’t this mean that the Church had to reverse an infallible teaching?
What about Vatican II? I find that many people seem to think of Vatican II as well-intended, but in the end, it was a mistake. But this can’t be true, because the Church can’t be mistaken, right?
As I said in a previous post, I try so very hard to accept both Christ’s and the Church’s teachings, but I feel so limited by all this uncertainty. for some teachings of the Church strike me as sketchy, yet, I think, “Well, you’re just thinking this because you are filled with pride and you hate the truth.” and then I get confused again. So I just think, “Just go with the Church, you might as well.” Even though there is a part of me that thinks, “But that just makes absolutely no sense in any way at all.” And I’m not happy that a part of me thinks that, but I still wonder, because sometimes it appears that the Church is not infallible, and I again feel confused. It’s giving me a headache really.
However, while I am doing my best to accept to accept all required teachings, often I find myself confused.
The idea of infallibility has always been very, very difficult for me to grasp. I do understand that it does not mean that Popes and Clergy cannot possibly sin. Yes, they are sinners, just like myself (Although I am fairly sure that any sins Pope Benedict XVI commits are barely anything compared to mine.) However, the idea that there are certain Church teachings that are infallible, while I try to accept this, still trouble me.
Yes, I understand that, according to Church teaching, the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit. But, I still am troubled. In a post I made on another thread, I noted the Church’s incorrect position when it came to the question of whether or not the solar system was heliocentric or geocentric. By itself, this does not cause a problem. The problem I find is that the Church said that the idea that the Solar System is heliocentric is contrary to Scripture (and thus, they found Galileo “vehemently suspect of heresy”).
This means that, if I am understanding the whole thing correctly, the Church declared that the idea of the Solar System being geocentric is a truth that must not be disagreed with (otherwise Galileo wouldn’t have been in trouble for what he was teaching), and therefore, is this not an infallible teaching? But, this is wrong, as we do know that the Solar System is heliocentric, and the Church has found that to be the truth as well. But doesn’t this mean that the Church had to reverse an infallible teaching?
What about Vatican II? I find that many people seem to think of Vatican II as well-intended, but in the end, it was a mistake. But this can’t be true, because the Church can’t be mistaken, right?
As I said in a previous post, I try so very hard to accept both Christ’s and the Church’s teachings, but I feel so limited by all this uncertainty. for some teachings of the Church strike me as sketchy, yet, I think, “Well, you’re just thinking this because you are filled with pride and you hate the truth.” and then I get confused again. So I just think, “Just go with the Church, you might as well.” Even though there is a part of me that thinks, “But that just makes absolutely no sense in any way at all.” And I’m not happy that a part of me thinks that, but I still wonder, because sometimes it appears that the Church is not infallible, and I again feel confused. It’s giving me a headache really.