Need help, understanding the CCC, Canon Law, and Dogma

[chero23]

So I understand the CCC gives us a synopsis of what we believe as Catholics. From the sacraments, to the blessed Mother, to morality.

Canon Law is suppose to be laws of what the Church teaches.

What about the Dogmas? One of the Dogmas that I have heard was that in the 4th or 5th century, about taking away any doubt that Mary was just the mother of Jesus human, not the divine? How do they go hand in hand with the catechism and canon law? How do they differ?

Are these 3 things weighted equally, those 1 have higher authority or leverage?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

The Church’s dogma comes from God so it has the highest rank of importance. The Catechism is a human work drawing together the Church’s teachings. Canon Law is the Church’s rules of operation. Most laypeople have no need to study canon law.

Jimmy Akin wrote a very good article: Dogma, Doctrine, and Theology: What Are They?

 

[Linusthe2nd]

So I understand the CCC gives us a synopsis of what we believe as Catholics. From the sacraments, to the blessed Mother, to morality.

Canon Law is suppose to be laws of what the Church teaches.

What about the Dogmas? One of the Dogmas that I have heard was that in the 4th or 5th century, about taking away any doubt that Mary was just the mother of Jesus human, not the divine? How do they go hand in hand with the catechism and canon law? How do they differ?

Are these 3 things weighted equally, those 1 have higher authority or leverage?

Forget about canon law, that involves Church discipline and can be changed. Dogmas are Infallible statements about Divine Mysteries that cannot be known other wise and are based on Divine Revelation. Most of the Catechism concerns the Church’s ordinary Magisterial teaching and are based on Divine Revelation and the Natural Moral Law. Catholics are required to believe both. The only difference is those Magisterial teachings that have been Infallibly Defined as Dogmas.

Linus2nd

 

[chero23]

Forget about canon law, that involves Church discipline and can be changed. Dogmas are Infallible statements about Divine Mysteries that cannot be known other wise and are based on Divine Revelation. Most of the Catechism concerns the Church’s ordinary Magisterial teaching and are based on Divine Revelation and the Natural Moral Law. Catholics are required to believe both. The only difference is those Magisterial teachings that have been Infallibly Defined as Dogmas.

Linus2nd

The reason I asked about canon law was b/c yesterday I skimmed over it, and I didn’t see anything in regards to the Blessed Mother. I know that there several Dogmas in regards to her, so it surprised me.

 

[TimothyH]

The reason I asked about canon law was b/c yesterday I skimmed over it, and I didn’t see anything in regards to the Blessed Mother. I know that there several Dogmas in regards to her, so it surprised me.

Canon law is part of how the Church governs herself. Canon law is about governance.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is about catechesis - about teaching the faith. The Catechism has four sections, or “Pillars”.

**Part 1: The Profession of Faith (Creed) **

• Paragraphs 26 through 1065
• St. Agustine said that the creed is God’s plan of salvation in “Tightly wound form”.
• usccb.org/beliefs-and-tea…at-we-believe/
• This first pillar is based on Scripture. The other three pillars depend on knowing the plan for our salvation as laid out in scripture. Scripture tells us God’s plan for our salvation, and the Profession of Faith (creed) is a highy condensed summary of God’s plan for our salvation.

**Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Sacraments and Liturgy) **

• Paragraphs 1066 through 1698
• How we get into the story and how we take part in God’s plan through the sacraments, and how we fit in to God’s Kingdom on Earth, his Church.

**Part 3: Our Life in Christ **

• Paragraphs 1691 through 2550
• Moral theology - how we live our lives as Christians.
• How we interact with Christians, non-Christians and all of God’s creation.
• How we live out God’s plan for our salvation and advance his Kingdom on Earth for the salvation of others.

**Part 4: Christian Prayer **

• Paragraphs 2558 through 2865
• Prayer is intimate communication with our Creator and the Lover of our Souls.
• Prayer ensures the first three pillars.
• Covers the most sublime and most perfect prayer, the Our Father.

That is the basic framework of how the Catechism is constructed, and how it may be used. I hope it helps. Remember to read the Catechism with Scripture. It was intended to be read with Scripture so have a Bible handy and use the footnotes and look up the Scripture references.

-Tim-

 

[thistle]

So I understand the CCC gives us a synopsis of what we believe as Catholics. From the sacraments, to the blessed Mother, to morality.

Canon Law is suppose to be laws of what the Church teaches.

What about the Dogmas? One of the Dogmas that I have heard was that in the 4th or 5th century, about taking away any doubt that Mary was just the mother of Jesus human, not the divine? How do they go hand in hand with the catechism and canon law? How do they differ?

Are these 3 things weighted equally, those 1 have higher authority or leverage?

ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=564105&Pg=&Pgnu=&recnu=

 

[ProVobis]

The reason I asked about canon law was b/c yesterday I skimmed over it, and I didn’t see anything in regards to the Blessed Mother. I know that there several Dogmas in regards to her, so it surprised me.

For seminarians, canon 246.3 notes, “The veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, including the marian rosary, mental prayer, and other exercises of piety are to be fostered; through these, students are to acquire a spirit of prayer and gain strength in their vocation.”

For clergy, canon 276.2.5 says, “[Clerics] are urged to engage in mental prayer regularly, to approach the sacrament of penance frequently, to honor the Virgin Mother of God with particular veneration, and to use other common and particular means of sanctification.”

For religious, canon 663.4 declares, “With special veneration, [religious] are to honor the Virgin Mother of God, the example and protector of all consecrated life, also through the marian rosary.”

For all the Christian faithful, canon 1186 asserts, “To foster the sanctification of the people of God, the Church commends to the special and filial reverence of the Christian faithful the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, whom Christ established as the mother of all people, and promotes the true and authentic veneration of the other saints whose example instructs the Christian faithful and whose intercession sustains them.”

salinadiocese.org/vicar-general/archive/1336-the-blessed-virgin-mary-and-canon-law