(SPLIT) Doubts and Questions on Ifallibility

[atc2]

I have some questions regarding Catholic doctrine. I have been thinking about them and can’t seem to get my thoughts straight and am seeking someone with whom to discuss them. I apologize that they are not orderly but I hope they are of interest and that you would join me in conversation.

I have many other questions but feel these are the ones that come to mind at the moment. Because I have these disagreements with Catholic doctrine, I feel like I am out of line with what I see as the biggest claim of the Roman Catholic Church, that the Magisterium, when speaking on doctrine, is infallible. If I disagree with some doctrine, am I not disagreeing with the entirety of Catholicism as a whole? I guess I feel like there is no room for doubt in Catholicism. If I am truly Catholic in faith, would I not agree and follow the Magisterium’s doctrine despite questions? I don’t believe I am making much sense here, but any thoughts, explanations, and prayers would be so greatly appreciated.
In Christ,

Andrea

 

[suissemissed]

Hi Andrea, I’m sorry your post has gone unanswered for so long. Doubting is a normal part of maturing as a Catholic Christian, and doubts are not morally good or bad in and of themselves. They are good if they encourage us to seek understanding while at the same time retaining our faith, but bad if we allow them to cause us to think that we know better than the bishops of the Church in some area of doctrine. Christ appointed the bishops and gave them, as a whole, the charism of the Holy Spirit to define dogma without error. As G.K. Chesterton said, “Now a Catholic is a person who has plucked up courage to face the incredible and inconceivable idea that somebody else may be wiser than he is."

 

[DavidFilmer]

We accept things “on faith” all of the time.

Suppose I told you that 95% of the universe was made up of invisible matter and undetectable energy. The stuff we think of as “matter” makes up less than 5% of the mass of the universe, and we can only account for about half of that 5%. That sounds crazy, right? Yet, that is precisely what quantum physicists tell us is true. They (presumably) know a lot more about it than you or I, being experts in the field, so we take their word for it.

Suppose I told you that all life on earth - every plant, animal, bacteria, fungus, bird, fish, mold - every form of life on this incredibly diverse planet came from a single one-celled organism (called the Last Universal Common Ancestor, or LUCA). That sounds crazy, right? But biologists and geneticists say that this is undeniably true. They (presumably) know a lot more about it than you or I, being experts in the field, so we take their word for it.

That’s all that you are ever expected to do as a Catholic. You are not required to believe anything, but you must accept all that the Church teaches (based on the authority given to Her by Jesus). You may not willfully (ie, obstinately) disbelieve what the Church teaches, but you are not required to sincerely believe even the most sacred Doctrines as long as you recognize that your disbelief is a fault that you should (and do) try to overcome.

(The reason that unwilling disbelief does not remove you from a state of Grace is because only mortal sin can remove us from a state of Grace, and we cannot commit a mortal sin if we are unwilling to do so, so unwilling disbelief, by its very definition, cannot be a mortal sin.)

 

[MarcoPolo]

If I am truly Catholic in faith, would I not agree and follow the Magisterium’s doctrine despite questions?

What I think you should examine is whether or not you believe Christ established a Church, appointed overseers within it, and promised the protection of the Spirit to guide that Church into all truth. If you believe that, which I think you should for sound reasons, then look at your question another way. If you are truly Catholic in faith, would you not agree and follow the teachings of the Holy Spirit despite questions? The Magisterium is an instrument that is subject to the movements of the Spirit, subject to the deposit of divine revelation, a servant of the Word.

So for example, on an infallible pronouncement on, say, the reality of the Trinity, be assured that the Church has spoken truthfully by the inspiration of the Spirit. On a doctrine that is perhaps not infallibly defined, say, that everyone has a unique guardian angel, you should still give deference to the Church and only voice any opposing view with the utmost care and humility.

At the end of the day, your faith is in the Holy Spirit to guide the Church.