Friday, December 31, 2010

"Dissent is opposed to ecclesial communinon."



"Opposition to the teaching of the Church's Pastors cannot be seen as a legitimate expression either of Christian freedom or of the diversity of the Spirit's gifts."
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113. Teaching moral doctrine involves the conscious acceptance of these intellectual, spiritual and pastoral responsibilities. Moral theologians, who have accepted the charge of teaching the Church's doctrine, thus have a grave duty to train the faithful to make this moral discernment, to be committed to the true good and to have confident recourse to God's grace.

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While exchanges and conflicts of opinion may constitute normal expressions of public life in a representative democracy, moral teaching certainly cannot depend simply upon respect for a process: indeed, it is in no way established by following the rules and deliberative procedures typical of a democracy.  Dissent, in the form of carefully orchestrated protests and polemics carried on in the media, is opposed to ecclesial communion and to a correct understanding of the hierarchical constitution of the People of God. Opposition to the teaching of the Church's Pastors cannot be seen as a legitimate expression either of Christian freedom or of the diversity of the Spirit's gifts. When this happens, the Church's Pastors have the duty to act in conformity with their apostolic mission, insisting that the right of the faithful to receive Catholic doctrine in its purity and integrity must always be respected. "Never forgetting that he too is a member of the People of God, the theologian must be respectful of them, and be committed to offering them a teaching which in no way does harm to the doctrine of the faith".177 - Veritatis Splendor

3 comments:

  1. Excellent quote, Terry. Words like these are ignored or misconstrued by those who preach incorrectly on the "primacy of conscience".

    And Happy New Year!

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  2. Thanks Larry - after Pope Benedict's exhortation, I'm rediscovering the treasures contained in Veritatis Splendor.

    Happy New Year to you too.

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  3. i so love our faith and the good popes we've been given in this century. we certainly need(ed) them. it's amazing that once a person is able to realize just how nothing their own understanding is and rely on the Church's Wisdom, then the Gift of Understanding is given ... and one can truly see and "get" the beauty of Truth.

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