R
Ron_Conte
Guest
In order for the faithful to understand and live the Catholic faith, three types of ideas are needed:
But not every teaching of the Magisterium is infallible. The ordinary teachings of the Pope, the CDF, the individual Cardinals, individual Bishops, Bishops’ Conferences, and groups of local Bishops, are non-infallible and are subject to the limited possibility of error.
Neither is it possible to live the Faith without some theological opinion and pious opinion. The Magisterium has not even attempted to give an infallible answer to every possible question on faith and morals. The faithful have always lived the Faith not only by learning from Tradition, and from Scripture, as well as from the Magisterium, but also by relying in part on sound opinion where an explicit teaching is lacking on any point.
Concerning moral theology, there is not an answer to every moral question in the explicit statements of magisterial documents. The theological opinions found in moral theology are necessary to attain a comprehensive and coherent understanding of Catholic ethics.
Moral theology has an important role in the Church, not merely to explain existing explicit clear definitive teachings of the Magisterium, but also to clarify and explain teachings implicit in Tradition, Scripture, Magisterium, so as to advance the understanding of the faithful on morality. And when the Magisterium does teach on ethics, the teaching often draws upon many years, or even many generations, of thought and writing by moral theologians and by other pious members of the faithful.
- infallible teachings of Tradition, Scripture, and the Magisterium
- non-infallible teachings of the Magisterium
- fallible but sound theological or pious opinion on matters of faith, morals, and salvation.
But not every teaching of the Magisterium is infallible. The ordinary teachings of the Pope, the CDF, the individual Cardinals, individual Bishops, Bishops’ Conferences, and groups of local Bishops, are non-infallible and are subject to the limited possibility of error.
Neither is it possible to live the Faith without some theological opinion and pious opinion. The Magisterium has not even attempted to give an infallible answer to every possible question on faith and morals. The faithful have always lived the Faith not only by learning from Tradition, and from Scripture, as well as from the Magisterium, but also by relying in part on sound opinion where an explicit teaching is lacking on any point.
Concerning moral theology, there is not an answer to every moral question in the explicit statements of magisterial documents. The theological opinions found in moral theology are necessary to attain a comprehensive and coherent understanding of Catholic ethics.
Moral theology has an important role in the Church, not merely to explain existing explicit clear definitive teachings of the Magisterium, but also to clarify and explain teachings implicit in Tradition, Scripture, Magisterium, so as to advance the understanding of the faithful on morality. And when the Magisterium does teach on ethics, the teaching often draws upon many years, or even many generations, of thought and writing by moral theologians and by other pious members of the faithful.