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tparsons
Guest
Can Doctrine be changed? I didn’t think it could.
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Nate
Guest
It depends on what you mean by doctrine. Doctrine just means a Church teaching, but there are different levels of teaching. Dogma is Church teaching which has usually been formally defined at an ecumenical council or by a pope. It is defined in such a way as to be made mandatory for Catholics to hold it, or risk exclusion from the Church. The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is such a teaching. It is taught that these are not supposed to change. Other doctrines may be held for a while and then in light of new evidence or greater understanding can be modified. Cardinal Newman wrote an essay on development of doctrine.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
Simply no because Doctrine and Dogma are truth and what is truth is always truth.
However Doctrine and Dogma can “develop”.
What is meant by this?
If I tell you I have a car and tell you that it is a Ford. That is true. If I then show you the car several months later and tell you that it is green and was built in 1980. Your knowledge or understanding about the car changed but the actual car did not. It always was a 1980, green Ford.
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RobedWithLight
Guest
You should be more specific about which doctrine, because you might have something else in mind, like ordinary church discipline. If you were referring to teachings formally defined by the Church as true (like the Immaculate Conception or the Assumption of Mary), that is, to have been revealed by God with certitude, called Dogmas, then they cannot change.
Let me add that not only are dogmas unchangeable, but once Rome has formally decided on the matter, it is no longer open for debate and likewise requires the full assent of all Catholics, that is, the whole Church.
Concerning Development of Doctrine mentioned by another poster, Click Here
Gerry
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