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Brady
Wieland
wrote:
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Mike —
- Why can't we be part of the Catholic Church without
going so far as to say the Church is infallible in its teachings?
- Why is the Infallibility of the Church a necessary aspect of the Church's teaching?
Thanks,
Brady
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Why is the infallibility of the Church a necessary aspect of the Church's teaching? }
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Mike replied:
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Hi Brady,
Because Our Blessed Lord wished to establish a visible Church on a visible man so
that people would be able to visibly distinguish True Teachings from false ones.
Remember, infallibility is a negative safeguard, not a positive one.
It does not mean the Popes:
- when teaching on faith [and/or] morals will say
the best thing.
- are sinless. They probably goes to Confession weekly
like John Paul II did.
- private opinion on a secular subject will always be correct.
What it does mean is that he will be [guided/protected] by the Holy
Spirit from saying anything that is not the mind of Christ
Himself on issues of faith [and/or] morals on official Church
Teachings, or doctrines.
To my knowledge there is only one Church that claims to be the One,
True Church of Christ that can also trace it's historical roots back
to 33 A.D. That is why being part of the Church is important to any practicing Christian. Because
there is only one infallible Church that the
Holy Spirit is protecting and has been protecting:
the Roman Catholic Church.
Mike
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Hi, Brady —
If the Church itself were not infallible in its fundamental
teachings, then that would mean it could be mistaken.
- Who could say which teachings were mistaken and which
were not?
Anyone could say any of the teachings were mistaken, as the Protestants
did. Then we, just like our Protestant brethren, would
get the tens of thousands of other combinations
of teachings that bring about other denominations.
We would not know the Truth Christ wants us to know.
It would also mean Christ was either lying or mistaken
when he promised the Apostles that the Spirit would lead
them into all Truth.
Mary Ann
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John
replied:
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Brady,
It's actually pretty simple. Think of it this way. If you believe
in the Bible and you believe it is inerrant, then you have to believe that
the books in the Bible all belong there, and that no books were left
out.
- Right?
- Well, who decided what books belonged in the Bible and which ones didn't?
It was the Catholic Church during the Councils of Hippo and Carthage
at the end of the 4th century.
- That said, if the Church is not infallible in matters of doctrines, how
can you trust that same Church which chose which books belonged in the Bible, and which ones didn't?
John
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