Dogma (Roman Catholic) explains the concept of
dogmaDogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization: it is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from. The term derives from Greek "that which seems to one, opinion or belief" and that from , "to think, to suppose, to imagine"...
from a Roman Catholic perspective.
Dogma refers to an article of faith revealed by God, which the
magisteriumThe Magisterium is the "teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc...
of the Church presents to be believed. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basic truth from which salvation and life is derived for Christians. Dogmas regulate the language,
how the truth of the resurrection is to be believed and communicated. One dogma is only a small particle of the living Christian faith, from which it derives its meaning. Roman Catholic Dogma is thus: "a truth revealed by God, which the
magisteriumThe Magisterium is the "teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc...
of the Church declared as binding" The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
- The Church's Magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to the fullest extent when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes, in a form obliging the Christian people to an irrevocable adherence of faith, truths contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes, in a definitive way, truths having a necessary connection with these.
The faithful are required to accept with the divine and Catholic faith all, what the Church presents either as solemn decision or as general teaching. Yet not all teachings are dogma. The faithful are only required to accept those teachings as dogma, if the Church clearly and specifically identifies them as infallible dogmas. Not all truth are dogma. The Bible contains many sacred truths, which the faithful recognize and agree with, but which the Church has not defined as dogma. Most Church teachings are not dogma.
CardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available...
Avery Dulles points out that in the 800 pages of the documents of the
Second Vatican CouncilThe Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October, 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI on 8 December, 1965...
, there is not one new statement for which
infallibilityInfallibility, from Latin origin , is a term with a variety of meanings related to knowing truth with certainty.-In common speech:...
is claimed.
Elements: Scripture and tradition
The concept of dogma has two elements: Immediate divine revelation from
scriptureScripture is that corpus of literature deemed authoritative for establishing doctrine within any of a number of specific religious traditions, especially the Abrahamic religions.Such bodies of writings are also sometimes known as the canon of scripture...
or
traditionThe word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem, acc. of traditio which means "handing over, passing on", and is used in a number of ways in the English language:...
, and, a proposition of the Church, which not only announces the dogma but also declares it binding for the faith. This may occur through an ex-cathedra decision by a
PopeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
, or by an
Ecumenical CouncilAn ecumenical council is a conference of the bishops of the whole Christian Church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice...
.
The Holy Scripture is not identical with divine revelation, but a part of it. Jesus Christ taught only orally and instructed his disciples to teach orally. Early Christians lived from oral traditions, as scriptures did not yet exist. "Keep as your pattern the sound teaching
you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.“ Scriptures were written later by apostles and evangelists, who knew Jesus. They give infallible testimony of his teachings. Scripture thus belongs to tradition in the larger sense, where it has an absolute priority, because it is the Word of God, and because it is the unchangeable testimony of the apostles of Christ, whose fullness the Church preserves with its tradition.
Dogma as Divine and Catholic faith
Dogma is Divine and Catholic faith. It is Divine, because of its origin, it is Catholic because of the
infallibleThe Infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching under certain circumstances...
teaching, binding for all. At the turn of the 20th century, a group of theologians called modernist, stated that dogmas did not fall from heaven but are historical manifestations at a given time.
Pope Pius XPope St. Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 258th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo XIII . He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X codified Catholic doctrines to inspire conformity in the church and rejected...
condemned this teaching as
heresyHeresy is proposing some unorthodox change to an established system of belief, especially a religion, that conflicts with the previously established opinion of scholars of that belief such as canon. It is sometimes confused with apostasy which is disaffiliation from orthodoxy and blasphemy which is...
in 1907. The Catholic position is that the content of a dogma has truly divine origin. It is an expression of an objective truth and does not change. The truth of God, revealed by God, does not change, as God himself does not change;
Heaven and earth will disappear but my words will not disappear.
However, new dogmas can be declared through the ages. For instance, the 20th century witnessed the introduction of the dogma of
Assumption of MaryThe Assumption of Mary is a belief held by Christians of the Catholic Church as well as some Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Anglicans, that the Virgin Mary, at the end of her life, was physically taken up into heaven...
by
Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as the 260th Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in 1950. And a movement to declare a fifth Marian dogma for
MediatrixMediatrix in Roman Catholic Mariology refers to the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a mediator in the salvation process. It is a separate concept from Co-Redemptrix....
and
Co-RedemptrixCo-Redemptrix in Roman Catholic Mariology refers to the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the redemption process. It is a separate concept from Mediatrix....
is underway.
Early uses of the term
The term
Dogma Catholicum was first used by
Vincent of LérinsSaint Vincent of Lérins was a Gallic author of early Christian writings.In earlier life he had been engaged in secular pursuits, whether civil or military is not clear, though the term he uses, "secularis militia," might possibly imply the latter...
(450), referring to
“what all, everywhere and always believed” In the year 565, Emperor Justinian declared the decisions of the first ecumenical councils as law
because they are true dogmas of God In the Middle Ages, the term Doctrina Catholica, (Catholic doctrine) was used for the Catholic faith. Individual beliefs were labeled as Articulus Fidei ( part of the faith)
Ecumenical CouncilAn ecumenical council is a conference of the bishops of the whole Christian Church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice...
s issue dogmas. Many dogmas - especially from the early Church (Ephesus, Chalcedon) to the
Council of TrentThe Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Considered to be one of the Church's most important councils, it convened in Trento between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
- were formulated against specific heresies.(
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
only emanating from father and not from Father and Son) Later dogmas (
Immaculate ConceptionThe Immaculate Conception is, according to Roman Catholic Dogma, the conception of the Virgin Mary without any stain of original sin. Under this aspect Mary is sometimes called the Immaculata , particularly in artistic contexts...
and
AssumptionAn assumption is a proposition that is taken for granted, as if it were true based upon presupposition without preponderance of the facts.Assumption may also refer to:...
of Mary) express the greatness of God in binding language. At the specific request of
Pope John XXIIIBlessed Pope John XXIII , born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli , known as Blessed John XXIII since his beatification, was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958.He called the Second Vatican Council but did not live to see it to completion,...
, the Second Vatican Council did not proclaim any dogmas. Instead it presented the basic elements of the Catholic faith in a more understandable, pastoral language, without changing the teachings of the Church. The last two dogmas were pronounced by Popes,
Pope Pius IXPope Blessed Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest reigning Pope in Church history, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed Papal infallibility...
in 1854 and
Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as the 260th Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in 1950 on the Immaculate Conception and the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary respectively. They are cornerstones of
Mariology(Roman Catholic)Roman Catholic Mariology is theology concerned with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ and developed by the Roman Catholic Church. "The Blessed Virgin, because she is the Mother of God, is believed to hold a certain infinite dignity from the infinite good which is God." Theologically,...
To some, this raises the question, why “new” dogmas are formulated almost 2000 years after the resurrection of Christ. It is Catholic teaching that with Christ and the Apostles, revelation is completed. Dogmas issued after the death of his apostles are not new, but explications of existing faith. Implicit truth are specified as explicit, as it was done in the teachings on the trinity by the ecumenical councils.
Karl RahnerKarl Rahner, SJ was a German theologian who, alongside Bernard Lonergan and Hans Urs von Balthasar, is considered one of the most influential Roman Catholic theologians of the 20th century....
tries to explain this with the allegorical sentence of a husband to his wife
“ I love you” this surely implies, I am faithful to you. In 450
Vincent of LérinsSaint Vincent of Lérins was a Gallic author of early Christian writings.In earlier life he had been engaged in secular pursuits, whether civil or military is not clear, though the term he uses, "secularis militia," might possibly imply the latter...
asked in his famous Commonitory,
Will there be no progress in religion in the Church of Christ? Of course there will be progress. There will be much progress, but it will be progress in truth and faith , not change. Progress means addition, change means alteration.
But he warns:
“What is entrusted to you, not what you invented. What you received, not what you imagined, not a matter of reason but of teaching, not your preferences but public tradition, what you were given, not what you produced, …you received gold, give gold back.” The Church uses this text in its interpretation of dogmatic development: The first Vatican Council stated in 1870 that within the limits of the statement of Vincent of Lérins , dogmatic development is possible, Vatican two confirms this view in Lumen Gentium.
Theological certainties
The Magisterium of the Church is directed to guard, preserve and teach divine truths which God has revealed with
infallibilityInfallibility, from Latin origin , is a term with a variety of meanings related to knowing truth with certainty.-In common speech:...
(De fide). A rejection of Church Magisterial teachings is a de facto rejection of divine revelation. It is considered the
mortal sinMortal sin, according to the beliefs of the Catholic Church is a sin that, unless confessed and absolved , condemns a person's soul to Hell after death...
of
heresyHeresy is proposing some unorthodox change to an established system of belief, especially a religion, that conflicts with the previously established opinion of scholars of that belief such as canon. It is sometimes confused with apostasy which is disaffiliation from orthodoxy and blasphemy which is...
if the heretical opinion is held with full knowledge of the Church's opposing dogma. The infallibility of the Magisterium extends also to teachings which are deduced from such truths (Fides ecclesiastica). These Church teachings or
Catholic truths (veritates catholicae) are not a part of divine revelation, yet are intimately related to it. The rejection of these "secondary" teachings is not heretical, but involves the impairment of full communion with the Catholic Church.
There are three categories of these "secondary" teachings (Fides ecclesiastica):
- Theological conclusions: (conclusiones theologicae) religious truths, deduced from divine revelation and reason, such as the impossibility of ordaining women, and the illicitness of euthanasia.
- Dogmatic facts (facta dogmatica) historical facts, not part of revelation but clearly related to it. For example the legitimacy of the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI, and the petrine office
The pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
- Philosophical truths, such as existence of the soul, "freedom of will", philosophical definitions used in dogmas such as transsubstantiation
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Theological certainty |
Description |
| 1. |
De fide De fide is a "theological note" or "theological qualification" that indicates that some religious doctrine is an essential part of Catholic faith and that denial of it is heresy....
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Divine revelations with the highest degree of certainty, considered infallible revelation |
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| 2. |
Fides ecclesiastica Fides ecclesiastica is a classification of those Roman Catholic dogmas which are Church teachings, definitively decided on by the Magisterium, but not believed to be Divine revelations...
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Church teachings, which have been definitively decided on by the Magisterium, considered infallible revelation |
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| 3. |
Sententia fidei proxima |
Church teachings, which are generally accepted as divine revelation but not defined as such by the magisterium |
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| 4. |
Theologica certa |
Church teachings without final approval but clearly deduced from revelation |
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| 5. |
Sententia communis |
Teachings which are popular but within the free range of theological research |
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| 6. |
Sententia probabilis |
Teachings with low degree of certainty |
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| 7. |
Opinio tolerata |
Opinions tolerated within the Catholic Church, such as pious legends Legends may refer to:* Legend, an historical narrativeIn music:*Legends , a 1998 album*Legends , a 1999 album*Legends , a 2005 album...
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Papal bulls and encyclicals
Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as the 260th Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
stated in Humani GenerisHumani generis is a papal encyclical that Pope Pius XII promulgated on 12 August 1950 "concerning some false opinions threatening to undermine the foundations of Catholic Doctrine". Theological opinions and doctrines known as Nouvelle Théologie or neo-modernism and their consequences on the Church...
, that Papal Encyclicals, even when they are not ex cathedraPapal infallibility is the dogma in Catholic theology that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at...
, can nonetheless be sufficiently authoritative to end theological debate on a particular question:
The end of the theological debate is not identical however with dogmatization. Throughout the history of the Church, its representatives have discussed whether a given Papal teaching is the final word or not.
In 1773, Father Lorenzo RicciLorenzo Ricci , was an Italian Jesuit, elected the 18th Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was also the last before the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773.-Early Life and career:Ricci was born in Florence, Italy...
, hearing rumours that Pope Clement XIVPope Clement XIV , born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was Pope from 1769 to 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in the College of Cardinals.-Early life:...
might dissolve his Jesuit order, wrote "it is most incredible that the Deputy of Christ would state the opposite, what his predecessor Clement XIII stated in the Papal Bull Apostolicum, in which he defended and protected us." When a few days later he was asked if he would accept the Papal Breve, reverting Clement XIII and dissolving the Jesuit Order, Father Ricci replied, whatever the Pope decides must be sacred to everybody.
In 1995, questions arose as to whether the Apostolic letter Ordinatio SacerdotalisOrdinatio Sacerdotalis is an Apostolic Letter issued from the Vatican by Pope John Paul II on 22 May 1994, whereby the Pope expounds the teaching of the Catholic Church's position requiring "the reservation of priestly ordination to men alone." In its clear proclamation that "the Church has no...
, exempting women from ordination is to be understood as belonging to the deposit of faith. Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of Our ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) We declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.
Critics of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis point out, that it was not issued under the
extraordinary papal magisteriumThe Magisterium is the "teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc...
as an ex cathedraEx Cathedra is a British choir and early music ensemble based in Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. It performs choral music spanning the 15th to 21st centuries, and regularly commissions new works....
statement, and so is not considered infallible in itself. Its contents are, however, considered infallible under the ordinary magisteriumThe Magisterium is the "teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc...
. The American Cardinal Avery Dulles, in a lecture to US bishops stated that Orinatio Sacerdotalis is infallible, not because of the Apostolic Letter or the clarification by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger alone, but because it is based on a wide range of sources, scriptures, the constant tradition of the Church and the ordinary and universal magisterium of the Church: Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
had identified a truth infallibly taught over two thousand years by the Church.
Apparitions and dogma
Apparitions have taken place within the Church since the very beginning and are a part of the apostolic tradition, since many examples of apparitions exist in the Holy Scriptures. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
- Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.
Apparitions are considered to be welcome charismatic expressions of the faith. God permits the appearance of (Christ, Mary, Saints) to individuals. When the Church confirms that divine revelations to individual persons have taken place, she permits veneration. Such approvals do not constitute dogma. Marian apparitions are an example of such revelations. Although Popes approve Marian apparitions , promote them, or participate in related veneration, respectful distance even disapproval of such papal teachings is possible.
The Church views apparitions not as dogmatic innovations but as an prophetic impulses, which reflame and renew the faith. Marian apparitions bring millions of people together and recreate faith, vigour, unity and solidarity, within the Mystical Body of Christ For those, convinced certain about certainty of the divine origin, the apparition is Fides Divina. Apparitions and other private revelations are never Veritates Catolicae, or Catholic teachings, because this would imply, that God improved his own revelation. for this reason specific apparitions and private revelations are usually not subject of dogmatic publications. The Catholic Church rejects " private revelations" of Christian sects and non-Christian groups, that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Ecumenical aspects
Protestant theology since the reformation was largely negative on the term dogma. This changed in the 20th century, when Karl BarthKarl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas. Beginning with his experience as a pastor, he rejected his training in the...
with his Kirchliche Dogmatik, stated the need for systematic and binding articles of faith. The Creed is the most comprehensive – but not complete - summary of important Catholic dogmas. (It was originally used during baptism ceremonies). The Creed is a part of Sunday liturgy. Because many Protestant Churches have retained the older versions of the Creed, ecumenical working groups are meeting to discuss the Creed as the basis for better understandings of dogma.
Sources
- Wolfgang Beinert Lexikon der katholischen Dogmatik, Herder, Freiburg, 1988
- Avery Dulles, The Survival of Dogma, Faith, authority and dogma in a changing world, Image Book, New York, 1970
- Avery Dulles, The Changing forms of faith, Alexandria, Virginia, 1970
- Avery Dulles, Doctrinal authority of the Church, in Theology in Revolution, Alba House, Staten Island, 1970
- J.B.Heinrich, Lehrbuch der katrholischen Dogmatik, Verlag der Aschaffendorfischen Buchhandlung, Münster 1900 (1939)
- Ludwig Ott Grundriss der Dogmatik Herder, Freiburg 1965
- Karl Rahner, Theology and the Magisterium, Theological digest, 1968, 4-17
- Karl Rahner, Historical dimensions in Theology, Theology difest, 1968, 30-42
- Karl Rahner, What is a dogmatic statement, Theological Investigations, 5 1966, 42-66
- Francis Simmons, Infallibility and the Evidence, Springfield, Ill, 1968
- Michael Schmaus, Katholische Dogmatik , München 1955 (1982)