levesque:
Finding myself between a rock and a hard place, I agree with what is said here, but I don't think that my pious opinions are so earth shattering they present a threat to the Church or my Faith. Not that I would try to prevent a Church official from taking appropriate action against me. My conscience is clear. It should be remembered the Church has it's own Pharasees seeking favor and their own personal gains.
Those who sin are totally against the Magisterium of the Church and it's dogma.
A note on heresy. Be careful of those who label others heretics. It carries with it just as much seriousness to the accusor than it does the alleged offender. Accusations of such should, because of the seriousness, be reserved to Church officials, and the Faithful should be guided by mercy and tolerance in the spirit of fraternal correction and reserve judgement. True heretics work hard doing so. They actively seek audiences to advance their agendas and use publishers and podiums. I doubt the lay community here is a serious threat to the Church. Most authors add that the offence must be consummated, i.e. complete and perfected in its kind (in genere suo),
Expressed doubts,milestones and uncertainties and the accompanying various reactions are seen has final decisions and are unfairly designated symptoms of heresy, but are in truth simply manifestations of deficiencies of that state in grace that the person achieved so far in his journey. One can only attain Faith through the assistance through the grace of God. Accusations of heresy is counter productive and hinders a person who is borderline and striving further in this goal. It should be noted that St. Paul was totally in a state of heresy and Faithless when he was chosen by Christ, this alone should alert the teacher who should not be tempted by inflated pride in his goal of sincere fraternal correction.
The Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Ludwig Ott
Sententia Probabablis - Theological opinions of lesser grades of certainty are called probable, more probable, well-founded. Those which are regarded as being in a agreement with the consciousness of Faith of the Church are called pious opinions (sententia pia). The least degree of certainity is possessed by the tolerated opinion (opinio tolerata), which is only weakly founded, but which is tolerated by the Church. (Example: Rigorist (strict) view of "No Salvation Outside the Church", or the existence of Limbo.)
John Pacheco
The Catholic Legate
June 7, 2002
This covers what is to be believed:
The new Canon 750 (AD TUENDAM FIDEM)
Pope John Paul II
1989
"1. Those things are to be believed by divine and catholic faith which are contained in the word of God as it has been written or handed down by tradition, that is, in the single deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and which are at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn Magisterium of the Church, or by its ordinary and universal Magisterium, which in fact is manifested by the common adherence of Christ's faithful under the guidance of the sacred Magisterium. All are therefore bound to avoid any contrary doctrines.
2. Furthermore, each and everything set forth definitively by the Magisterium of the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals must be firmly accepted and held; namely those things required for the holy keeping and faithful exposition of the deposit of faith; therefore, anyone who rejects propositions which are to be held definitively sets himself against the teaching of the Catholic Church."
Also, in "fleshing out" the de fide Dogma: "The Pope possesses full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Church, not merely in matters of faith and morals, but also in Church discipline and in the governance of the Church" - Dr. Ludwig Ott (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Tan, p.280) writes:
"b) As the supreme lawgiver of the Church, the Pope is not legally bound by ecclesiastical decisions and usages, but by divine law alone..."
AndyF
