THE CHURCH’S MAGISTERIUM: Guardian and Authorized Interpreter of Revelation

CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ¤

“The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.”

The Church’s “living teaching office,” made up of the bishops in communion with St. Peter’s successor, the bishop of Rome, is a service rendered to the word of God and has as its aim the salvation of souls. Therefore, “this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it.

At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devoutly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith.”

The teachings of the Church’s Magisterium are the most important place where there the apostolic Tradition is found. With respect to this tradition, we could say that the Magisterium is, as it were, its “sacramental dimension,” that is, its outward, visible expression.

Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church constitute, therefore, a certain unity, such that no one of the three can exist on its own. The foundation of this unity is the Holy Spirit, Author of Sacred Scripture, the protagonist of the living Tradition of the Church, guide of the Magisterium, which he assists with his charisms.

The Protestant Reformation churches from the very beginning wished to follow the principle of sola scriptura, leaving scriptural interpretation in the hands of individual believers. This position has given rise to the great dispersion of Protestant denominations and has turned out to be well-nigh unsustainable. Every Scripture text requires a context, specifically a tradition, from which it is born and in which it is read and interpreted.

“Fundamentalism” also tries to separate Scripture from Tradition and the Magisterium, erroneously seeking to maintain a unity of interpretation by adhering exclusively to the literal sense (see CCC 108).

The Church, in teaching the contents of the revealed deposit of faith, possesses infallibility in docendo (when she teaches), based on the promises of Jesus Christ with regard to her indefectibility, which enables her to carry out unfailingly the mission of salvation entrusted to her (see Mt 16:18; Mt 28:18-20; Jn 14:17-26).

This infallible teaching office is carried out:

a) when the Bishops gather together in an ecumenical council in union with the successor of Peter, head of the Apostolic college;

b) when the Pope promulgates a truth ex-cathedra, or when by using a form of expression and type of document that makes explicit reference to his universal Petrine mandate, he promulgates specific teaching which he considers necessary for the good of the People of God;

c) when the Bishops of the whole Church, in union with the successor of Peter, are unanimous in professing the same doctrine or teaching, even though they are not gathered together in one place.

Although a bishop who sets forth on his own specific teaching does not enjoy the charism of infallibility, the faithful are equally obliged to respectful obedience.

Just as they should observe the teachings coming from the College of Bishops or from the Pope, even though they are not expressed in a definitive and non-changeable manner.