Ex Cathedra

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Q the Ninja' date='Jun 17 2005, 09:12 AM']The UD Theology department sticks to two. 
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The UD Theology department is in error, and I suggest you read Cardinal Ratzinger's [u]Official Doctrinal Commentary on the Professio Fidei[/u].

Who am I to follow, the UD Theology department or the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who has now become Pope?

[Q the Ninja]

Can you find me a link, by any chance, so I can read it?

[Apotheoun]

Another thing you might want to read is Cardinal Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone's essay entitled [u]Magisterial Documents and Public Dissent[/u], which was published in the Vatican's official newspaper [i]L'Osservatore Romano[/i], 29 January 1997. In the essay Cardinal Bertone speaks about the level of authority to be assigned to the Papal documents [u]Ordinatio Sacredotalis[/u], [u]Evangelium Vitae[/u], and [u]Veritatis Splendor[/u].

[Q the Ninja]

[quote]9. The Magisterium of the Church, however, teaches a doctrine to be believed as divinely revealed (first paragraph) or to be held definitively (second paragraph) with an act which is either defining or non-defining. In the case of a defining act, a truth is solemnly defined by an "ex cathedra" pronouncement by the Roman Pontiff or by the action of an ecumenical council. In the case of a non-defining act, a doctrine is taught infallibly  by the ordinary and universal Magisterium of the Bishops dispersed throughout the world who are in communion with the Successor of Peter. Such a doctrine can be confirmed or reaffirmed by the Roman Pontiff, even without recourse to a solemn definition, by declaring explicitly that it belongs to the teaching of the ordinary and universal Magisterium as a truth that is divinely revealed (first paragraph) or as a truth of Catholic doctrine (second paragraph). Consequently, when there has not been a judgment on a doctrine in the solemn form of a definition, but this doctrine, belonging to the inheritance of the depositum fidei, is taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium, which necessarily includes the Pope, such a doctrine is to be understood as having been set forth infallibly.17 The declaration of confirmation or reaffirmation by the Roman Pontiff in this case is not a new dogmatic definition, but a formal attestation of a truth already possessed and infallibly transmitted by the Church.[/quote]

Notice the difference between defining and non-defining, a distinction I argued about forever....I think I beat that one to death.

[Q the Ninja]

I'm not saying the Pope hasn't invoked infallibility, but rather that he hasn't used "Ex Cathedra."

My department agrees with the current Pontiff.

[Apotheoun]

Here is a link to the Doctrinal Commentary, and a link to an article written by Fr. Garuti, and which appeared in the Vatican's official newspaper [i]L'Oservatore Romano[/i] (22 July 1998):

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFADTU.HTM"][u]The Official Doctrinal Commentary on the Professio Fidei[/u][/url]

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology/ORPROBLM.HTM"][u]The Problem of Dissent in Light of the "Commentary on the Concluding Formula of the Profession of Faith"[/u][/url]

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Q the Ninja' date='Jun 17 2005, 09:23 AM']Notice the difference between defining and non-defining, a distinction I argued about forever....I think I beat that one to death.
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The tendency at some colleges and universities is to reduce the infallibility of the Magisterium to [i]defining[/i] acts alone, but I refuse to do this, because it is heretical, in that it ultimately distorts and destroys the modes of operation of the Church's Magisterium.

The Pope, even in his Ordinary Magisterium, can infallibly bind the Church to a particular doctrinal proposition, and this idea is not new, because it can be found in the old theological manuals issued prior to Vatican II.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Q the Ninja' date='Jun 17 2005, 09:24 AM']I'm not saying the Pope hasn't invoked infallibility, but rather that he hasn't used "Ex Cathedra."

My department agrees with the current Pontiff. 
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I hope that is the case, because dissent continues to run rampant at Catholic universities.

[Q the Ninja]

Oh no, they don't do that...they just make a distinction.

[quote]This teaching requires definitive assent, since, founded on the written Word of God, and from the beginning constantly preserved and applied in the Tradition of the Church, it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium (cf. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium 25, 2). Thus, in the present circumstances, the Roman Pontiff, exercising his proper office of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32), has handed on this same teaching by a formal declaration, explicitly stating what is to be held always, everywhere, and by all, as belonging to the deposit of the faith.

The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, approved this Reply, adopted in the ordinary session of this Congregation, and ordered it to be published.[/quote]

And there is an example why the distinction is necessary. If it had been Ex Cathedra (or a definition) that would mean first that it wasn't necessarily upheld by the Ordinary and Universal Magisterium and nothing could be added, but since there is no definition, we can still add more to our understanding and maybe one day we'll add the infallible definition to an already infallible teaching.

My Moral Theology professor was very, very clear about not minimizing the importance of infallibly taught articles, but did make explicit the difference between the two.

[Q the Ninja]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jun 17 2005, 11:36 AM']I hope that is the case, because dissent continues to run rampant at Catholic universities.
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I've personally only had three theology classes (that's it for me for now).

The first was on the Bible, and began with Vatican II. Next I had a class based on Humanae Vitae. Thirdly I had a history course that started in the beginning and ended with Vatican II and Cardinal Kasper.

[Apotheoun]

Here is a link to Cardinal Bertone's article from [i]L'Osservatore Romano[/i]:

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/MDPD.HTM"][u]Magisterial Documents and Public Dissent[/u][/url]

[Apotheoun]

That's great, as long as they teach that the Ordinary Universal Magisterium and the Ordinary Papal Magisterium can teach infallibly, I'm happy.

The Encyclical Letter [u]Humanae Vitae[/u] is another example of an infallible act of the Ordinary Papal Magisterium confirming a doctrine of the faith.

[Q the Ninja]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jun 17 2005, 11:38 AM']Here is a link to Cardinal Bertone's article from [i]L'Osservatore Romano[/i]:

[url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/MDPD.HTM"][u]Magisterial Documents and Public Dissent[/u][/url]
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What I got from skimming that was that they're both infallible, but it too made the distinction between Ex Cathedra (defining) and non-Ex Cathedra (non-defining) Papal pronouncement. It said they are both infallible though, and one is not mroreso than the other.

[quote name='Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict)']As examples of doctrines belonging to the third paragraph, one can point in general to teachings set forth by the authentic ordinary Magisterium in a non-definitive way, which require degrees of adherence differentiated according to the mind and the will manifested; this is shown especially by the nature of the documents, by the frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or by the tenor of the verbal expression.[/quote]

That's why I like the distinction.

[Q the Ninja]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jun 17 2005, 11:41 AM']That's great, as long as they teach that the Ordinary Universal Magisterium and the Ordinary Papal Magisterium can teach infallibly, I'm happy.

The Encyclical Letter [u]Humanae Vitae[/u] is another example of an infallible act of the Ordinary Papal Magisterium confirming a doctrine of the faith.
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I believe we agree.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Q the Ninja' date='Jun 17 2005, 09:09 AM']If you want, I'll give you a response from my professor why Unam Sanctam is not infallible.
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You can give your professor's response if you like, but [u]Unam Sanctam[/u] is an infallible Extraordinary decree of the Papal Magisterium, and so to dissent from its teaching is to fall into heresy.

There is no way around the fact that Bishop Gasser, the head of the Deputation de Fide at Vatican I, said emphatically that the Extraordinary power of the Pope had been exercised thousands and thousands of times already.