Saturday, January 20, 2007

"It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the Magisterium is totally compatible with being a 'good Catholic' and poses no obstacle to the reception of the Sacraments. This is a grave error that challenges the teaching office of the Bishops of the United States and elsewhere."

-Pope John Paul II.

6 comments:

Bernice said...

Does that mean to say that all of us good catholics are in error, because if we do not use the sacrament of Penance and then receive our Lord in sin cause a ripple that we go against the magisterium in that moment?

Bernice said...

There is something that I have discovered, when one loves God completely they live life for Him and all that is taught through His Church.

I pray that the Church itself follows God completly.

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

What Pope John Paul II is saying is that dissent from certain Magisterial teachings is incompatible with calling oneself a "good Catholic." When a teaching is to be held definitively by all the Church's faithful, and we dissent from that teaching, we are no longer in communion with the Church (see Ad Tuendam Fidem and Canon 750 of the Code of Canon Law).

If we dissent from teachings which are to be held definitively, we are no longer in communion with the Church and are not in a position to receive the sacraments.

Recall what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say regarding the Eucharist (No. 1395), "..The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church."

God love you,
Paul.

Bernice said...

Paul,

Thank you for explaining, and giving me where to find documents to read what you explained. I'm grateful.

I didn't think the first message even went and I see it has.

God love you,
Marie Cecile

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Marie-Cecile,

Pas de quoi. It is always particularly sad when the one dissenting from the Magisterial teaching is a ministerial priest. I think we should pray all the more fervently for those priests who have succumbed to pride and are no longer in communion with Christ's Mystical Body which is the Church.

Bernice said...

Merci,

That's sad indeed when that happens. Then we truly must pray all the more as you say.

God love you,
Marie Cecile

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