JPII issued a document that specified exactly what authority a Bishops Conference has and what it can and cannot do.I need some clarifications. Does the USCCB have authority? Or is it just a consultative body? I understand they can set the norms (some of which I think are unneccessary), but what is the point of the USCCB? Sometimes I think there’s too much bureaucracy in the whole thing. Christ gave his Apostles and Peter authority; he didn’t establish a bureaucracy. Who do Bishops answer to? The USCCB or the Pope?
Well that’s conveniently arbitrary, isn’t it? You may think it is unnecessary, but quite plainly, Holy Mother Church does not.I understand they can set the norms (some of which I think are unneccessary)…
Matthew 23:We have the same problem since returning to the Church two years ago. Is it ok to criticize and even ignore what the USCCB says? What about our own Bishop? We were welcomed back to the Church by a priest who is now schismatic because of his rejection of our local bishop and ultimately the Bishop of Rome. We are terrified of becomming our own “magisterium” again as we did for 30 years as protestant/evangelicals. Is it possible to remain a faithful orthodox Catholic and disagree with/criticize our local bishop?
What does the JP2 document say?
Thankfully many of our bishops practice what they preach, but even if they don’t Christ made it pretty clear that authority is in their chair.1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.