Dogmatic definition
Encyclopedia
In Catholicism
, a dogmatic definition is an extraordinary infallible
statement published by a pope
or an ecumenical council
concerning a matter of faith
or morals
, the belief in which the Catholic Church requires of all Christians
(although Christians who are not Catholic do not recognize the Catholic Church's authority in such matters).
The term most often refers to the infallible teaching of a truth believed bona fina de fide credenda, meaning one defined as explicitly revealed in the deposit of faith and demanding supernatural faith in itself on the authority of the Word of God: Public Revelation in Scripture and Tradition. Popes and ecumenical councils may also extraordinarily infallibly define truths to be held "de fide tenenda," that is to say discerned as logically implied or intrinsically connected to the deposit of faith and guaranteed as infallible by the Holy Spirit, but not necessarily specifically and explicitly Revealed and so demanding supernatural faith not in themselves specifically, but as part of the faith in the Holy Spirit's guarantee of the infallibility and authority of the Church in such matters. The difference is technical; such teachings upon further discernment may be advanced to the status of "de fide credenda," and denial of either makes one a heretic as they are both infallible.
Contrary to the stereotype
that Catholics think that everything that the pope says is infallible (or that the pope is impeccable, unable to sin), dogmatic definitions by popes are in fact very rare. Throughout the entire history of the Church, Papal Infallibility has only been invoked, at least unambiguously, twice: Ineffabilis Deus
, the definition by Pope Pius IX
in 1854 concerning the Immaculate Conception
of Mary, and Munificentissimus Deus
, the definition by Pope Pius XII
in 1950 concerning the Assumption of Mary
. Beyond these two, theologians disagree on which, if any, previous papal declarations may be considered as possible examples of extraordinary infallible dogmatic definitions on the part of a pope.
Dogmatic definitions by ecumenical councils, on the other hand, are significantly more common throughout history, including, for example, the Trinitarian and Christological dogmas of the early councils, the teachings on Grace, Justification, and the Sacraments by the Council of Trent
, and most recently the definition of Papal Infallibility itself by Vatican I.
The Church holds her teachings to be infallible beyond merely those doctrines that have been dogmatically defined extraordinarily by a pope or ecumenical council. The so-called ordinary and universal magisterium
of the Church is held to be infallible too, and in fact the ordinary manifestation of infallibility. The common consensus of the bishops throughout the world and over time is held to be infallible regardless of whether a Pope or Council has extraordinarily defined the teaching. This is to avoid a positivistic notion of Truth and belief. Like extraordinary definitions, the ordinary magisterium may propose teachings both de fide credenda and de fide tenenda, and the latter may advance to the status of the former, and both are held to be infallible. John Paul II, for example, clarified that the reservation of ordination to males only is infallible by the infallibility of the ordinary magisterium, without going so far as issuing a separate extraordinary dogmatic definition. Far from meaning that Catholics are thus free to question this teaching, it means that it is infallible and unchangeable, demands supernatural faith, and one who denies it is a heretic. It has been suggested that the reason that John Paul did not simply define it extraordinarily was in order to not weaken the understanding that the ordinary magisterium is also infallible, to remind Catholics that it is not merely the extraordinary definitions that are infallible and irreversible as if doctrine were positivistic — that it holds "only if the pope says so with a particular formula".
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, a dogmatic definition is an extraordinary infallible
Papal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
statement published by a pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
or an ecumenical council
Ecumenical council
An ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
concerning a matter of faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
or morals
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
, the belief in which the Catholic Church requires of all Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(although Christians who are not Catholic do not recognize the Catholic Church's authority in such matters).
The term most often refers to the infallible teaching of a truth believed bona fina de fide credenda, meaning one defined as explicitly revealed in the deposit of faith and demanding supernatural faith in itself on the authority of the Word of God: Public Revelation in Scripture and Tradition. Popes and ecumenical councils may also extraordinarily infallibly define truths to be held "de fide tenenda," that is to say discerned as logically implied or intrinsically connected to the deposit of faith and guaranteed as infallible by the Holy Spirit, but not necessarily specifically and explicitly Revealed and so demanding supernatural faith not in themselves specifically, but as part of the faith in the Holy Spirit's guarantee of the infallibility and authority of the Church in such matters. The difference is technical; such teachings upon further discernment may be advanced to the status of "de fide credenda," and denial of either makes one a heretic as they are both infallible.
Contrary to the stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
that Catholics think that everything that the pope says is infallible (or that the pope is impeccable, unable to sin), dogmatic definitions by popes are in fact very rare. Throughout the entire history of the Church, Papal Infallibility has only been invoked, at least unambiguously, twice: Ineffabilis Deus
Ineffabilis Deus
Ineffabilis Deus is the name of a Papal bull by Pope Pius IX. It defines ex cathedra the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, the definition by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, 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...
in 1854 concerning the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
of Mary, and Munificentissimus Deus
Munificentissimus Deus
Munificentissimus Deus is the name of an Apostolic constitution written by Pope Pius XII. It defines ex cathedra the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was the first ex-cathedra infallible statement since the official ruling on papal infallibility was made at the First Vatican...
, the definition by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in 1950 concerning the Assumption of Mary
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
. Beyond these two, theologians disagree on which, if any, previous papal declarations may be considered as possible examples of extraordinary infallible dogmatic definitions on the part of a pope.
Dogmatic definitions by ecumenical councils, on the other hand, are significantly more common throughout history, including, for example, the Trinitarian and Christological dogmas of the early councils, the teachings on Grace, Justification, and the Sacraments by the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
, and most recently the definition of Papal Infallibility itself by Vatican I.
The Church holds her teachings to be infallible beyond merely those doctrines that have been dogmatically defined extraordinarily by a pope or ecumenical council. The so-called ordinary and universal magisterium
Magisterium
In the Catholic Church the Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church. This authority is understood to be embodied in the episcopacy, which is the aggregation of the current bishops of the Church in union with the Pope, led by the Bishop of Rome , who has authority over the bishops,...
of the Church is held to be infallible too, and in fact the ordinary manifestation of infallibility. The common consensus of the bishops throughout the world and over time is held to be infallible regardless of whether a Pope or Council has extraordinarily defined the teaching. This is to avoid a positivistic notion of Truth and belief. Like extraordinary definitions, the ordinary magisterium may propose teachings both de fide credenda and de fide tenenda, and the latter may advance to the status of the former, and both are held to be infallible. John Paul II, for example, clarified that the reservation of ordination to males only is infallible by the infallibility of the ordinary magisterium, without going so far as issuing a separate extraordinary dogmatic definition. Far from meaning that Catholics are thus free to question this teaching, it means that it is infallible and unchangeable, demands supernatural faith, and one who denies it is a heretic. It has been suggested that the reason that John Paul did not simply define it extraordinarily was in order to not weaken the understanding that the ordinary magisterium is also infallible, to remind Catholics that it is not merely the extraordinary definitions that are infallible and irreversible as if doctrine were positivistic — that it holds "only if the pope says so with a particular formula".
See also
- Papal infallibilityPapal infallibilityPapal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
(criteria required of a dogmatic definition) - Papal supremacyPapal supremacyPapal supremacy refers to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church that the pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ and as pastor of the entire Christian Church, has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered: that, in brief,...
- DogmaDogmaDogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
- Ex cathedraEx 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....