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Robert L. Case
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Hi, guys —
I am an Episcopalian and am frustrated with the idea that we think of ourselves as being both Protestant and Catholic.
To me, due to the fundamental difference in which the two understand what it means to be Christian, one can either be a Protestant or a Catholic but not both. Now, I understand that to be a Roman Catholic one needs to assent to the Teaching Authority of the Magisterium. My question has to do with the difference between agreeing and the willingness to submit.
For example, as an American citizen even though I may not agree with all the decisions of the Supreme Court, I am still willing to submit myself to the law of the land. Now, I know there is a difference between the Supreme Court and the Magisterium (one being of man and the other of God) but nevertheless I see a similarity in that, as a limited and imperfect human being, my ability to understand and comprehend Truth has the potential to grow and I, in time, may (or may not) choose to change my mind on any particular issue.
In the same way, it seems to me that, in my present limited and imperfect understanding of the Faith, there may be times when I might disagree with something but, in the end, I am always willing to submit to the teaching of the Magisterium. With this in mind, here is my question:
- If I don't agree with the Magisterium when it comes to all the social teachings of the Church (e.g. gay, lesbian and transgender issues, role of women in the Church, and pro-choice issues when it comes to abortion) but I am still willing to submit to the authority of the Church, can I still be a member of the Church?, or
- Does my disagreement on any particular issue keep me from becoming a Roman Catholic?
Sincerely,
Robert L. Case
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If I disagree with the Magisterium but am willing to submit to Her authority, can l be a Catholic? }
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Eric replied:
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Robert,
The obligations of a Catholic with respect to dissent and submission are contained in the Code of Canon Law, to wit:
Canon 750 §1. † A person must believe with divine and Catholic faith all those things contained in the word of God, written or handed on, that is, in the one deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn magisterium of the Church or by its ordinary and universal magisterium which is manifested by the common adherence of the Christian faithful under the leadership of the sacred magisterium; therefore all are bound to avoid any doctrines whatsoever contrary to them.
§2. Each and every thing which is proposed definitively by the magisterium of the Church concerning the doctrine of faith and morals, that is, each and every thing which is required to safeguard reverently and to expound faithfully the same deposit of faith, is also to be firmly embraced and retained; therefore, one who rejects those propositions which are to be held definitively is opposed to the doctrine of the Catholic Church.
Canon 751 † Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.
Canon 752 † Although not an assent of faith, a religious submission of the intellect and will must be given to a doctrine which the Supreme Pontiff or the college of bishops declares concerning faith or morals when they exercise the authentic magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim it by definitive act; therefore, the Christian faithful are to take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.
Code of Canon Law: New English Translation. (1998). (pp. 246–247). Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America. |
So this couches things more in terms of:
- believing, embracing, retaining, and submission of the intellect and will, on the one hand, and
- rejecting and doubting, on the other hand.
I am not sure where your agreeing or disagreeing falls within this spectrum. It is true that certain doctrines require more assent than others, at least some of the doctrines you mention.
For example, abortion and the proscription on women priests, and probably the teaching on the immorality of homosexual acts, fall under Canon Canon 750 §2., meaning that they require that they be firmly embraced and retained. Transgender issues, for now, probably fall under Canon 752, but that may change.
- I have to ask, if you dissent on so many of these doctrines, why do you wish to become Catholic?
You seem better suited to Episcopalianism. The reason one should become Catholic is because one trusts the Catholic Church as a truth-telling thing. This means that one accepts and believes what the Catholic Church definitively teaches now and in the future.
It's not a question of agreeing with what the Church teaches, as if you are the standard for belief and the Church is a club of like-minded people; it's a matter of being willing to conform oneself to the teaching of the Church which is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).
- If you do not trust the Catholic Church on the matter of major issues such as homosexual behavior, on abortion, and women priests, and . . .
- if you do not believe that the Catholic Church is the organ by which God reveals His Truth to the world, then what is the point of becoming Catholic?
Eric
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