Dogma vs Doctrine vs Personal Views

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Genesius
A regular member in another forum said that ALL doctrine is binding and requires assent of the faithful.
I had somehow had the impression during my journey to the Catholic Church that the Church recognizes three levels of teaching (for lack of a better term); Defined Dogma, Popular Teaching, and Theological Opinion….
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Posts #17, #18 explain with clarity using Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ad Tuendam Fidem, 1998, Vatican I and Vatican II, and the CCC.

The three levels of teaching are:
  1. Dogma – infallible (Canon #750.1) to be believed with the assent of divine and Catholic faith.
  2. Doctrine – infallible (Canon #750.2) requires the assent of ecclesial faith, to be “firmly embraced and held”.
  3. Doctrine – non-definitive (non-infallible) and require intellectual assent (“loyal submission of the will and intellect”, Vatican II, *Lumen Gentium 25), not an assent of faith. [See the Explanatory Note on ATF by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]
There is no “Popular Teaching” whatsoever, and “Theological Opinion” similarly has no quality of “teaching”.
…can we say with confidence that the Trinity, Hypostatic Union, Virgin Birth…all fall under the category of Defined Dogma and are absolutely binding?.. abortion, contraception, etc.?..it is confusing
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Certainly the Trinity, Hypostatic Union, Virgin Birth are dogmas.
As for abortion and contraception post # 18 explains:
Answer by David Gregson of EWTN to me on Nov-22-2002:
“You are correct in stating that the Pope exercises his charism of infallibility not only in dogmatic definitions issued, ex cathedra, as divinely revealed (of which there have been only two), but also in doctrines definitively proposed by him, also ex cathedra, which would include canonizations (that they are in fact Saints, enjoying the Beatific Vision in heaven), moral teachings (such as contained in Humanae vitae), and other doctrines he has taught as necessarily connected with truths divinely revealed, such as that priestly ordination is reserved to men. Further details on levels of certainty with which the teachings of the Magisterium (either the Pope alone, or in company with his Bishops) may be found in Summary of Categories of Belief.”

Both the Encyclicals *Casti Connubii *of Pius XI, 1930, and *Humanae Vitae *of Paul VI, 1968, condemned contraception infallibly as gravely wrong, the latter was issued after the advent of the contraceptive “Pill”, and abortion has always been condemned by Christ’s Church.

You can rely on EWTN, answers generally – why stay confused? You can learn from their Summary of Categories of Belief.

Please advise if you have further questions.
 
Thank you for your replies. Very helpful info. 👍 But I think I will just be a cafeteria Catholic and pick and choose…okay…maybe not…😃
 
Abu said:
Posts #17, #18 explain with clarity using Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ad Tuendam Fidem, 1998, Vatican I and Vatican II, and the CCC.

The three levels of teaching are:
  1. Dogma – infallible (Canon #750.1) to be believed with the assent of divine and Catholic faith.
  2. Doctrine – infallible (Canon #750.2) requires the assent of ecclesial faith, to be “firmly embraced and held”.
  3. Doctrine – non-definitive (non-infallible) and require intellectual assent (“loyal submission of the will and intellect”, Vatican II, *Lumen Gentium 25), not an assent of faith. [See the Explanatory Note on ATF by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]
There is no “Popular Teaching” whatsoever, and “Theological Opinion” similarly has no quality of “teaching”.

Certainly the Trinity, Hypostatic Union, Virgin Birth are dogmas.
As for abortion and contraception post # 18 explains:
Answer by David Gregson of EWTN to me on Nov-22-2002:
“You are correct in stating that the Pope exercises his charism of infallibility not only in dogmatic definitions issued, ex cathedra, as divinely revealed (of which there have been only two), but also in doctrines definitively proposed by him, also ex cathedra, which would include canonizations (that they are in fact Saints, enjoying the Beatific Vision in heaven), moral teachings (such as contained in Humanae vitae), and other doctrines he has taught as necessarily connected with truths divinely revealed, such as that priestly ordination is reserved to men. Further details on levels of certainty with which the teachings of the Magisterium (either the Pope alone, or in company with his Bishops) may be found in Summary of Categories of Belief.”

Both the Encyclicals *Casti Connubii *of Pius XI, 1930, and *Humanae Vitae *of Paul VI, 1968, condemned contraception infallibly as gravely wrong, the latter was issued after the advent of the contraceptive “Pill”, and abortion has always been condemned by Christ’s Church.

You can rely on EWTN, answers generally – why stay confused? You can learn from their Summary of Categories of Belief.

Please advise if you have further questions.
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I have a question. Using your definition #3, doctrines can then be referred to anything other than faith and morals but also on discipline. Karl Keating said that the celibacy of the priest is a matter of discipline and NOT a doctrine. But according to a protestant I have a discussion with said that it is a matter of doctrine according to this document

CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY

REFLECTION BY CARDINAL CLAÚDIO HUMMES
ON THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENCYCLICAL
“SACERDOTALIS CAELIBATUS” OF POPE PAUL VI

*The Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 1992 and which gathers the firstfruits of the great event of the Second Vatican Council, reaffirms the same doctrine: "All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate “for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven” (11). *

In the same document it says the priests are forbidden to marry,. Isn’t it sup[pose to be voluntary?

*At the First Lateran Ecumenical Council of 1123, we read from can. 3: “We absolutely forbid priests, deacons or subdeacons to cohabit with concubines or wives and to cohabit with women other than those whom the Council of Nicea (325) permitted to live in the household” (5).

Can you please clarify this for me? Thanks.
 
ferdie
Using your definition #3, doctrines can then be referred to anything other than faith and morals but also on discipline. Karl Keating said that the celibacy of the priest is a matter of discipline and NOT a doctrine.
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No, it is NOT my definition, it is in Lumen Gentium, 25, and also in Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ad Tuendam Fidem, 1998, from which I quote in post # 17. A discipline is NOT doctrine.

Of course Karl Keating is correct on priestly celibacy; it is a discipline and entry into the priesthood is voluntary, celibacy is freely accepted and is obligatory and mandatory from the time of the Apostles – it is an Apostolic norm – but not a doctrine on faith or morals. There are rare exceptions for Anglican/Evangelical married converts who were ministers.

From the beginning, continence was required for priest and bishop – for Early Church Tradition among the most important studies are: Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy, by Fr. Christian Cochini, S.J.(Ignatius, San Francisco, 1990); The Case for Clerical Celibacy, by Alfons Maria Cardinal Stickler (Ignatius, San Francisco, 1995); Celibacy in the Early Church, by Fr. Stefan Heid, (Ignatius, San Francisco, 2000).

Based on solid documentation, these authors show that although one cannot speak of celibacy in the strict sense of the word (not being married), it is certain that since apostolic times the Church had as a norm that men elevated to the deaconate, priesthood and the episcopate should observe continence. If candidates happened to be married – a very common occurrence in the early Church – they were supposed to cease, with the consent of their spouses, not only marital life but even cohabitation under the same roof.

Fr Ray Ryland writes: “In more recent times, the predecessor of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an instruction in 1858 that stated: ‘Whoever ponders diligently the true tradition of celibacy and clerical continence will indeed find that, from the first centuries of the Catholic Church, if not by a general and explicit law, at least by behavior and custom, it was firmly established that not only bishops and priests, but [all] clergy in Holy Orders were to preserve inviolate virginity or perpetual continence.’ " 9

Notes
9 Quoted by Roman Cholij, Celibacy, Married Clergy, and the Oriental Code. Eastern Churches Journal , Vol. 3, No. 3 (Autumn, 1996), p. 112.
holyspiritinteractive.net/columns/guests/rayryland/thegift.asp
 
Thanks Abu. Why do you think Cardinal Hummes called it a doctrine? Why did he not. say… reaffirms the same discipline?

*The Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 1992 and which gathers the firstfruits of the great event of the Second Vatican Council, reaffirms the same doctrine: "All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate “for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven” *
 
ferdie
Why do you think Cardinal Hummes called it a doctrine?
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A slip by the cardinal, or in translation.

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_24061967_sacerdotalis_en.html
42. In virtue of the fundamental norm of the government of the Catholic Church, to which We alluded above, (82) while on the one hand, the law requiring a freely chosen and perpetual celibacy of those who are admitted to Holy Orders remains unchanged, on the other hand, a study may be allowed of the particular circumstances of married sacred ministers of Churches or other Christian communities separated from the Catholic communion, and of the possibility of admitting to priestly functions those who desire to adhere to the fullness of this communion and to continue to exercise the sacred ministry. The circumstances must be such, however, as not to prejudice the existing discipline regarding celibacy. (Pope Paul VI, Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, #42, 1967).
 
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