FaithBuild18 #1&3
I’ve been informed that a Catholic must adhere to Church teaching, or else they are basically a heretic….what about economic issues? Well what constitutes dissenting? I can’t read all of those documents right now, and being on a forum, I hope somebody can help fill me in on what they say.
And finally, is it really fair to say the Church has a conservative social stance and a liberal economic stance?
These are good questions, and the Church has spoken.
Catholic Social Teaching on economics is not the same as dogma or doctrine on faith and morality.
Popes have warned explicitly against thinking that they have unique insights into specific matters of economic policy:
“If I were to pronounce on any single matter of a prevailing economic problem, I should be interfering with the freedom of men to work out their own affairs. Certain cases must be solved in the domain of facts, case by case as they occur…[M]en must realise in deeds those things, the principles of which have been placed beyond dispute…[T]hese things one must leave to the solution of time and experience.” [Pope Leo XIII. Quoted in The *Church And The Market, Dr Thomas E. Woods, Lexington Books, 2005, p 4].
Pius XI wrote of “matters of technique for which [the Church] is neither suitably equipped nor endowed by office.”
Quadragesimo Anno, 41]….“economics and moral science employs each its own principles in its own sphere.” [QA, 42]. The Pope went on to deny that “the economic and moral orders are so distinct from and alien to each other that the former depends in no way on the latter.” [QA, 42].
“It goes without saying that part of the responsibility of Pastors is to give careful consideration to current events in order to discern the new requirements of evangelization. However, such an analysis is not meant to pass definitive judgments since this does not fall per se within the Magisterium’s specific domain.” [John Paul II, *Centesimus Annus, 3. Italics added].
Further, John Paul II adds: “The Church has no models to present; models that are real and truly effective can only arise within the framework of different historical situations, through the efforts of all those who responsibly confront concrete problems in all their social, economic, political and cultural aspects, as these interact with one other. For such a task the Church offers Her social teaching as an indispensable and ideal orientation a teaching which, as already mentioned, recognizes the positive value of the market and of enterprise, but which at the same time points out that these need to be oriented towards the common good.….” [CA, 43. Italics in original].
The huge difference is that rather than the “Word of God”, “The Church’s social teaching proposes principles for reflection; it provides criteria for judgment; it gives guidelines for action:…” [CCC 2423]. Never will anyone find that the social teaching is equated with the Sacred Scriptures as the Word of God.
Surely no Catholic teaching is “liberal” or “conservative” on anything, as these terms are political and may be interpreted in multitudinous ways.
Swiss Guy #22
what makes Catholics required to adhere to the Catechism? I mean, I do also, but what makes it necessary to believe what is in it? Would it be part of the ordinary and universal magisterium (and I was told on another thread it wasn’t, so maybe not)? I just don’t understand.
The Apostolic Constitution by which Bl John Paul II issued the CCC states that it is “a sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine…” There are no serious “mistakes” that misinterpret doctrine or dogma.
That should be enough.
