Can Catholics Criticize the Pope?
Summary
TLDRThe video discusses how faithful Catholics can express concerns about the Catholic Church constructively. It references the document 'Donum Veritatis', which provides guidelines for theologians to address issues with Church teachings respectfully and privately to the magisterium. The video emphasizes the importance of an evangelical spirit, a desire to resolve difficulties, and avoiding public criticism. It suggests that if, after serious study, a theologian still cannot agree with a non-infallible teaching, they should remain open to further examination and potentially suffer in silence, trusting the Church to resolve the issue.
Takeaways
- π The Catholic Church provides guidelines on how to express concerns constructively, as outlined in the document 'Donum Veritatis'.
- π€ Theologians have a duty to bring up issues with teachings to the magisterium if they persist despite loyal efforts.
- π The approach should be Evangelical, with a desire to resolve difficulties rather than to shame or criticize.
- π« Avoid using mass media to voice concerns; instead, address issues to the responsible authorities directly.
- π Theologians should undertake serious study and try to understand and assent to teachings even if they find it difficult.
- π€ Constructive criticism can help the magisterium clarify and refine its teachings.
- π In cases where a theologian cannot agree with a non-infallible teaching, they should remain open to further examination.
- πββοΈ Theologians may sometimes have to suffer in silence and pray if they cannot assent to a teaching after much study.
- π₯ These principles apply even more to the average Catholic, who should be measured and respectful in their criticisms.
- π Once concerns are respectfully raised, trust in God and allow the truth to prevail.
Q & A
What is the main concern addressed in the video script?
-The main concern addressed is how faithful Catholics should express their concerns about the state of affairs in the Catholic Church in a constructive way without causing further problems.
What document does the video script reference for guidelines on expressing concerns?
-The video script references the document 'Donum Veritatis' by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for guidelines on expressing concerns.
Who is the intended audience of the 'Donum Veritatis' document?
-The 'Donum Veritatis' document is directed specifically at Catholic theologians, but the video script suggests that its principles can apply to non-theologians as well.
What is the duty of a theologian when they have difficulties with a teaching, according to the script?
-If a theologian has difficulties with a non-definitive teaching, they have a duty to make known to the magisterial authorities the problems they have identified.
How should a theologian approach the magisterium with their concerns?
-A theologian should approach the magisterium with their concerns in an evangelical spirit and with a profound desire to resolve difficulties, not to shame or put down others.
What does the script suggest about using mass media to express theological concerns?
-The script suggests that theologians should avoid turning to mass media to express their concerns and instead have recourse to the responsible authority.
What should a theologian do if they find arguments to the contrary of a non-definitive teaching more persuasive?
-If a theologian finds arguments to the contrary more persuasive, they should earnestly and sincerely study and try to understand the teaching, and remain open to a deeper examination of the question.
In what situations might a theologian have to suffer in silence according to the script?
-A theologian might have to suffer in silence when they cannot assent to a non-infallible teaching, even after serious study, and they should take it to prayer and trust that the truth will prevail.
How should the average Catholic approach expressing concerns about the Church, as suggested by the script?
-The average Catholic should be measured, respectful, and motivated by a desire to build up the Church rather than to destroy it when expressing concerns.
What is the final step a Catholic should take after expressing their concerns, according to the script?
-After expressing their concerns respectfully, Catholics should leave the matter in God's hands, trust that the truth will prevail, and suffer in silence if necessary.
Outlines
π Navigating Criticism in the Catholic Church
This paragraph discusses the appropriate way for faithful Catholics to express concerns about the state of affairs within the Catholic Church. It emphasizes the importance of constructive criticism rather than destructive criticism. The document 'Donum Veritatis' by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is referenced as a guide for theologians, but the principles are suggested to be applicable to non-theologians as well. The magisterium advises theologians to bring their concerns directly to the authorities in an evangelical spirit, with the aim of resolving difficulties and contributing to the church's progress. The paragraph also cautions against using mass media to exert public pressure, which is seen as an inappropriate approach to doctrinal issues.
π The Theologian's Duty in the Face of Difficulties
The second paragraph continues the discussion on how to handle theological difficulties, particularly for theologians. It outlines that even after sincere study and attempts to understand and assent to non-infallible teachings, if a theologian still finds it difficult to agree, they should remain open to further examination. The paragraph suggests that in such cases, theologians might have to suffer in silence and trust that the truth will prevail. It also extends this principle to the average Catholic, emphasizing the need for measured, respectful criticism aimed at building up the church rather than tearing it down. The importance of trust in God's plan and the eventual triumph of truth is highlighted, encouraging a silent, prayerful approach when concerns are not yet addressed by the magisterium.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Magisterium
π‘Constructive Criticism
π‘Destructive Criticism
π‘Jonon Veritatis
π‘Evangelical Spirit
π‘Mass Media
π‘Non-Definitive Teachings
π‘Theologian
π‘Truth
π‘Suffering in Silence
π‘Respectful Dialogue
Highlights
Expressing concerns about the Catholic Church in a constructive way is crucial for faithful Catholics.
The document 'Donum Veritatis' provides guidelines for Catholic theologians on how to address issues within the Church.
Theologians have a duty to bring up problems with non-definitive teachings to the magisterium.
The approach should be in an Evangelical spirit with a desire to resolve difficulties.
Constructive criticism can help the magisterium clarify and refine its teachings.
Theologians should avoid using mass media to criticize the Church and instead address concerns to responsible authorities.
Public opinion should not be used to exert pressure on doctrinal issues.
Theologians must undertake serious study and try to understand and assent to teachings, even if they initially find them difficult.
If after study a theologian still cannot assent to a non-infallible teaching, they should remain open to further examination.
In rare cases, theologians might have to suffer in silence and trust that the Church will resolve doctrinal issues.
The average Catholic should follow the same principles of respectful and constructive criticism as theologians.
Criticism should be measured, respectful, and motivated by a desire to build up the Church rather than tear it down.
After expressing concerns, Catholics should trust in God and potentially suffer in silence until the magisterium addresses the issue.
The principles outlined apply more to the average Catholic on social media than to theologians.
The video encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content on reason and theology.
A course on understanding the magisterium is available at maximusinstitute.com for those interested in learning more.
Transcripts
foreign
[Music]
how should we express some of our
concerns about the State of Affairs in
the Catholic church as faithful
Catholics
it's a great question and especially in
light of the fact that there are many
problems in the church there's a lot to
criticize but how can we do so in a
constructive way
rather than in a destructive way that
ends up adding to the problems in the
church rather than resolving them well
the magisterium has actually given us
some guidelines here and you can find
them summarized in the document jonon
veritatus by the congregation for the
doctrine of the faith
this is a document that is directed
specifically at Catholic theologians but
there are a lot of principles that I
would say apply to even non-theologians
so let's take a look at them and by the
way I just want to remind you make sure
to hit that like button and especially
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the content that you appreciate and
enjoy from reason and theology the
magisterium says if despite a loyal
effort on the theologians part
the difficulties persist that is the
difficulties and concerns that they have
the Theologian has the duty to make
known to the magisterial authorities the
problems raised by the teaching in
itself
in the arguments proposed to justify it
or even in the manner in which it is
presented
so if the Theologian is noticing
problems with a non-definitive teaching
in the way it's expressed
with the proposition itself
in the manner in which it's presented he
has a duty to bring this up to the
magisterium
he should do this in an Evangelical
spirit
and with a profound desire to resolve
the difficulties
so the motivation here is not to shame
the magisterium it's not to shame others
it's not to put down people
but rather it's to build them up and
resolve difficulties
his objections could then contribute to
real progress and provide a stimulus to
the magisterium to propose the teachings
of the church in Greater depth
and with a clearer presentation of the
arguments
so if this is done in a constructive way
it could actually assist the magisterium
in clarifying itself and fine-tuning and
sharpening the way in which it presents
the faith in cases like these the
Theologian should avoid turning to the
mass media
Now isn't this a problem that we see
today
constantly people are rushing to social
media and mass media
to shame the church to call out the Pope
to shame an ecumenical council
but the magisterium says that is not the
appropriate approach
the Theologian should avoid turning to
mass media
but have recourse to the responsible
Authority
for it is not by seeking to exert the
pressure of public opinion that one
contributes to the clarification of
doctrinal issues and renders servant to
the truth
it can also happen that at the
conclusion of a serious study undertaken
with the desire to heed the
magisterium's teaching without
hesitation
the theologian's difficulty remains
because the arguments to the contrary
seem more persuasive to them but notice
this
what it's saying is there might be a
situation where a theologian is having
difficulty assenting to a non-definitive
that is not infallible theological
proposition
the document notes that they should
earnestly and sincerely
study and undertake the task of trying
to understand the teaching
and try to assent to it
without hesitation
but even after that process if
difficulties remain and the Theologian
after much study
finds it more persuasive that the
contrary is true
well what are they to do
the magisterium says faced with a
proposition to which he feels he cannot
give his intellectual ascent
the Theologian nevertheless has the duty
to remain open to a deeper examination
of the question
so the Theologian is not to be shut off
from accepting
the teaching
but is to remain open to examining and
assenting to the teaching for a loyal
Spirit animated by love for the church
such a situation can certainly prove a
difficult trial
it could be a call to suffer for the
truth in silence and prayer
but with the certainty that if the truth
really is at stake
it will ultimately Prevail in rare
situations where a theologian
cannot Ascend to a non-inflallible
teaching
they might have to suffer in silence
they might have to just take it to
prayer
and trust that ultimately the church is
going to resolve this situation and
truth will prevail
yes they have a duty to raise concerns
in a charitable and respectful way but
until that is addressed until the
situation is addressed by the
magisterium one might then have the duty
to suffer in silence rather than
resorting to mass media
now if this is true of a theologian
highly trained and qualified in sacred
theology
how much more true is this for the
average person who might not be an
expert in theology who might not be an
expert in the magisterium how much more
is this true for them
how much more are these guiding
principles for the average user on
social media
certainly it applies to the average
Catholic much more than it does to the
theologian
for that reason we should be measured in
our criticisms of the Pope
of councils of the magisterium we should
be measured
moreover we should also be respectful
and it should be done out of a
motivation for the building up of the
body not to destroy it not to tear it
down it should not be deconstructive in
nature rather it should be constructive
criticism
and once that's expressed we leave it
into the hands of God once we've made
known respectfully our concerns we trust
God
and we suffer in silence and we trust
that the truth will prevail
I hope you've enjoyed this if so hit the
like button and especially the Subscribe
button we'll see you later God bless are
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