What recourse does a parishioner have if their priests are teaching blatantly against the Catholic Church?

[Bill6]

Greetings in Christ, in addition to praying, generally, I have found that this is what some catholic apologists have recommended when lay people want to take action about a priest who teaches problematic things:
Talk to the priest
If that doesn’t work, contact the pastor,
if that doesn’t work or the priest is the pastor, write to the diocesan Bishop.
Also look into the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Compendium of the catechism, and Church documents (recent Church documents or any still in effect)
Just be sure that what the priest is saying is actually wrong first. You may want to consider finding another Parish.

God bless

 

[TheLittleLady]

It is your assertion that every word of the Council of Trent is infallible? Where was that declared by the Church? That would make this Council supreme over any other Council. Seems that we would likely all be aware of that.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I’d request that you provide the documentation for your belief that everything in the Roman Catechism (or any Catechism for that matter) is infallible.

Catechisms do contain infallible truths, they also contain non-infallible teachings which are further revealed, explained and in some cases completely reversed.

Because no other Council or set of documents from a Council is completely infallible.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I am asking you to prove your statement:

Demonstrate where we are told every word in the documents of the Council of Trent are infallible. You, sir, made that claim.

 

[TheLittleLady]

SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF PROOF

The burden of proof is always on the person making an assertion or proposition. Shifting the burden of proof, a special case of argumentum ad ignorantium, is the fallacy of putting the burden of proof on the person who denies or questions the assertion being made. The source of the fallacy is the assumption that something is true unless proven otherwise.

http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialscien...ER_5_ARGUMENTS_EXPERIENCE/Burden-of-Proof.htm

I will stop responding as it seems you and I have different modes for debate.

Good day.

 

[PetraG]

I’d like to refrain from specific examples as this thread already exemplifies the tangential tendencies of message boards. Let’s say Priest Joe Schmoe is teaching something in direct contradiction to scripture, catechesis, ecumenical council, etc. I think most of us have seen this. It’s especially prevalent in my diocese. In my experience, it usually happens with a well intentioned heart in the name of social justice. Regardless of the reason or intention, it frequently happens. I’m just curious what references I can find that speak the duties or tolerable actions of the layperson/parishioner should these be witnessed. If the priestly chain of command are our spiritual watchers, how can the layperson watch the watchers? God may be the ultimate guide, but even our leadership are humans with free will capable of wrong doing and wrong teaching. If we know something is being taught wrong or we see the faithful encouraged in a wrong direction, what recourse do we have to bring about change in order to bring our parish back into unity with Church teaching? There has to be canonical procedure, Catechetical teaching regarding accountability of leadership or scriptural reference. It would be a sad state of affairs if we are left to interpret 1st Tim 5 on our own. I’d think in the 2000 plus years of the Church this isn’t a new issue. Sources would be particularly appreciated; scripture reference, cited paragraphs in the Catechism, specific ecumenical council writings, and/or cited canon law. Thanks!

If you think someone is speaking wrongly, but especially if they are doing so from a position of authority to speak on the subject, the first thing you do is to ask the person directly about what seems to you to be a mistatement and ask for clarification. Sometimes, for instance, a homilist will simply misspeak by accident or will have not intended to say what they said.
If they clarify that yes, they intended to teach what is objectively wrong and stick with their guns, you can contact the chancery office directly and relate both the initial incident and the clarification as clearly as you can. Again: be humble enough to present this as possibly a misunderstanding on your part (not least because maybe it is and you don’t want to accuse someone who is correct of being in the wrong!)
That’s pretty much the drill: you go up the ladder, and you go up with as much humility and as much openness to the possibility that you are actually the one who is incorrect as you can.

 

[PetraG]

Gosh, we’re sure fortunate to have these folks here on CAF to lecture the priests. I suppose they can do so because they aren’t constrained by seminary training and ordination . . .

Well, it isn’t as if a priest cannot be wrong and especially not as if a priest cannot be taken in a way he didn’t intend. I think we’ve all written something that read correctly when we wrote it but was taken differently by others, using an alternative interpretation of the same words that is totally understandable in the light of their not being mind-readers. (Obviously, priests can also make mistakes. They’re not guaranteed to be preserved from ever being wrong. Even the Pope could mis-speak, and of course the faithful would as if he really meant what he said to mean what they took him to mean.)

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I would advise finding another parish.

I have encountered priests who teach against the magisterium, and I can tell you from my own experience, it does absolutely no good to talk to them, or to try to “educate” them — they know what they are saying, they know what the Church teaches, and their mind is made up. On one occasion, I did complain to the pastor, and it basically went in one ear and out the other. Let’s just say that things eventually did not turn out well for that priest, but it had nothing to do with my complaints — he did far more than just teach contrary to the magisterium, and he basically got kicked out of the priesthood. I don’t know if he got laicized or not.

We just have to pray for them, offer penances and sacrifices for them, and put as much distance as possible between them and ourselves (and those loved ones for whom we are responsible). Find an orthodox parish and go there instead. In a larger metropolitan area with several parishes, this is not so difficult. In a rural area with just one parish, that’s a bit trickier. I’m not fond of the idea of living somewhere that just has one parish.