Definition of Ecclesiastical Dogma

Michel and Nonardo have been discriminated against by the society and dictatorship that govern the country and oppress anyone who disagrees with its dogmas. However, the end of the theological debate is not identical to dogmatization. Throughout the history of the Church, its representatives have debated whether or not a particular papal doctrine is the last word. The Church is not in the habit of jumping directly onto the scene of dogma. He tends to define dogmas only rarely, and usually only when there is a controversy about them that needs to be resolved. The concept of dogma has two elements: 1) good faith, also known as public revelation or the Word of God, which is divine revelation as contained in Sacred Scripture (the written Word), and sacred tradition (the evolutionary understanding of this doctrine)[5], and 2) a proposal of the Catholic Church that not only proclaims dogma, but it is also declared binding on the faith. This can be done by an ex-cathedra decision of a pope or by a final declaration of a World Council. [6] Truths formally and explicitly revealed by God are dogmas in the narrow sense when proposed or defined by the Church, such as the articles of the Nicene Creed that come from the early councils of the Church. [7] Catholicism believes that the understanding of Scripture through the action of the Holy Spirit in the history of the Church and in the understanding of this faith by Christians continues to deepen and mature, while remaining identical in essence and substance.

[8] « Therefore, sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture must be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence. » [8] In some cases, the term « teaching » can be used to refer to things that have been infallibly taught by the Magisterium. It can even be used as a synonym for « dogma, » but it`s easy to show that this isn`t always the case. Dogma can also refer to the collective body of dogmatic teachings and teachings of the Church. The faithful are obliged to accept, with the divine and Catholic faith, all that the Church presents either as a solemn decision or as a general doctrine. But not all teachings are dogmas. Believers are obliged to accept these teachings as dogmas only if the Church clearly and specifically identifies them as infallible dogmas. [3] Few theological truths have been proclaimed as dogmas. One principle of faith is that the Bible contains many sacred truths that believers recognize and agree with, but that the Church has not defined as dogma. Most of the Church`s teachings are not dogmas. Cardinal Avery Dulles pointed out that in the 800 pages of the documents of the Second Vatican Council, there is not a single new statement for which infallibility is claimed.

[4] For Catholics, dogmas must be believed because they are of divine revelation, that is, they are found in Scripture or Tradition (or both). These teachings are considered infallible and binding on all believers today and in the future; This means that the dogmatic teachings of the Church are true and cannot change. By proclaiming dogmas, the Church testifies to divinely revealed truths, but does not create those truths. Dogmas are always drawn from God`s revelation, and other dogmas can be explained as the Church deepens its understanding of revealed truth. A dogma of the Catholic Church is defined as « a truth revealed by God that the Magisterium of the Church has declared binding. » [1] The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: The dogma that a plant cell wall is a thick, more or less permanent barrier « basically disappears with this study. » The Council of Trent made a number of dogmatic definitions of the sacraments and other beliefs and practices of the Church, such as the following: (1) General dogmas are part of the revelation intended for humanity and transmitted by the apostles; while special dogmas are the truths revealed in private revelations. Therefore, strictly speaking, special dogmas are not dogmas at all; they are not revealed truths transmitted by the apostles; Nor are they defined or proposed by the Church for the acceptance of believers in general. If the Magisterium did not have the capacity to clarify this question infallibly, then the status of the previous definition would be uncertain, which would cancel out the infallible point of definition. Dogma is often confused with other levels of Church teaching. Not all the teachings of the Church are dogmatic.

Although sometimes used interchangeably, doctrine is a more general term used to describe a wider range of Church teachings, not just those dogmatically defined that must be believed by all believers. Not all teachings are infallible or immutable. Simply put, all dogmas are doctrinal; Not all teachings are dogmatic. Other « teachings » of the Church are not doctrines, but disciplines or practices (such as fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) that are neither dogma nor doctrine. Recently, I wrote a study on the terms « dogma, » « doctrine, » and « theology. » You can read it here, but in this article I will give you the results in an easy-to-read form. However, the truths of the faith have been dogmatically proclaimed over the centuries. The case of a pope doing this outside of an ecumenical council is rare, although there have been two recent cases: the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854 and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven in 1950. Pope Pius IX and Pope Pius XII consulted bishops around the world before proclaiming these dogmas. A movement to declare a fifth Marian dogma for « Mediatrix » and « Co-Redemptrix » was underway in the 1990s,[11] but was rejected by the bishops of the Second Vatican Council[12] and has since met with strong resistance. [13] [14] A: A dogma is a belief transmitted as true by an authority. We often think of dogmas in matters of faith, but dogmas can also be philosophical or political. Various religions, including Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam, emphasize correct belief or understanding and offer some form of dogma.

The Magisterium of the Church claims that it fully exercises the authority it possesses of Christ when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes truths contained in divine revelation in a form that obliges Catholics to adhere irrevocably to the faith, or even when it definitively proposes truths that have a necessary link with them. [2] Vincent commented on the First Letter to Timothy (6:20) that for Vincent Timothy « represents either the universal Church in general, or in particular the whole body of the prelature », whose duty is to « possess or transmit to others a complete knowledge of religion », what is called a good of faith. According to Vincent, the good of faith was entrusted and not « conceived: a question not of spirit, but of learning; not private adoption, but public tradition. Vincent explained that you « received gold, give gold in return » and not a replacement or a fake. Vincent explained that those who are qualified by a « divine gift » should explain and clarify « by the mind, by skill, by learning » « what was once believed, although imperfectly understood » – to understand « what antiquity was revered without understanding » and to teach « the same truths » in new ways. [19] The Church uses this text in her interpretation of dogmatic development. In 1870, the First Vatican Council quoted Commonitory and declared in the dogmatic constitution Dei Filius that « the meaning of sacred dogmas must be preserved forever » once declared by the Catholic Church, and « there must never be any deviation from this meaning on the fragile basis and title of a deeper understanding. » [20] [21] The Second Vatican Council developed this in 1964 in Lumen gentium. [22] [a] « Dogma ». Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogma.