Doctrine And Discipline

[mortify]

Hey guys,

Can you explain what makes doctrine or morality different from discipline? A few days ago someone told me the Church admits error when it changes its opinion on something, for example at one point divorcees were excommunicated and forbidden from communion while now they're still in communion and can receive the Eucharist. The explanation is that this is a change in discipline but really, isn't it a moral issue that the Church has updated its opinion on?

Isn't it a danger that things like all-male priests and abortion can be regarded as a disciplines eligible for future change?

[Cam42]

[quote name='mortify' post='1101619' date='Oct 26 2006, 01:32 PM']
Hey guys,

Can you explain what makes doctrine or morality different from discipline? A few days ago someone told me the Church admits error when it changes its opinion on something, for example at one point divorcees were excommunicated and forbidden from communion while now they're still in communion and can receive the Eucharist. The explanation is that this is a change in discipline but really, isn't it a moral issue that the Church has updated its opinion on?

Isn't it a danger that things like all-male priests and abortion can be regarded as a disciplines eligible for future change?
[/quote]

Well, let's answer this in reverse. First, all-male priesthood is a matter of doctrine. It is an unchangeable in the Catholic Church. This has been a constant teaching from Apostolic times and has been transmitted through all time. This was formalized in 1994, and the Church defended the encyclical Ordinatio Sacerdotalis. One can look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1577 and Canon 1024 of the CIC.

I would also point you to Inter Insignories #1.

Also, abortion is a non-negotiable issue. There have been multiple threads on this topic, I would invite you to use the search function type in abortion, then my screen name and it will take you to what you need to know to defend that position.

Now to the meat of your question.....
1. Disciplines are those things which are changeable within the structure of the law through time. A great example of this is the Mass. The Liturgy is a discipline. It can and has constantly gone through revision and adaptation in the 2000 year history. There are parts of the Mass which are doctrinal and therefore cannot be changed, but the parts around the doctrinal statements are certainly changeable.

2. Doctrines are codes of beliefs or the body of a dogma. Dogma is the established belief or doctrine formalized by the Church. A great example of this would be Transubstantiation, keeping with the Mass theme. Dogma teaches that Transubstantiation is the transforming of bread and wine into the Sacred Body and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Doctrine will explain the dogma and in this case is very lengthy. However, this is a condensed version of the doctrine. In 1551 the Council of Trent officially defined that:

[quote name='Council of Trent Session XIII; chapter IV; cf. canon II']"by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."[/quote]

The doctrine is the body explaining the dogma. A discipline is the changeable actions which can surround a dogma and doctrine or not. A discipline can also be separate from a doctrinal issue. Cassock wearing is an example of one such discipline.