Magistère of the Church

The Magistère of the Church (of the Latin magister , “that which teaches, the Master”) indicates the authority as regards Morale and of Foi of the whole of the bishop S and especially of the Pape, on the faithful catholics.

Definition

The dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum of the November 18th 1965, resulting from the Concile Vatican II, explains why the Christian doctrines are, for the catholics, resulting from only one source: the Revelation. This truth on God and the safety which it grants to the men is known thanks to three means: The Tradition (Christianity), Holy Scriptures, and alive Magistère whose authority is exerted in the name of Christ, i.e. by the bishops in communion with the bishop of Rome.

For the catholic , this authority of the episcopal Collège plain with its chief the Pape is a heritage of the Christ and apostles, according to their interpretation of the Évangile S, for example this sentence of the Christ of the Évangile according to Luc, 10:16:

“That which you listening, listens to me; and that which rejects you, rejects me; and that which rejects me, rejects that which sent to me. ”

The Church considers that it is assisted in its task of teaching by the Holy Spirit, with work particularly in the Concile S and the declarations Ex will cathedra Pape, which both are considered infallible. Magistère is also described in less solemn occasions, the pontifical acts (Encyclique S, Motu landlord , etc), or of the prefects of the congregations of the Roman Curie, in particular the prefect of the Congrégation for the doctrines of the faith. Magistère is then described as “simply authenticates”: it requires the adhesion of faithful on the covered subject.

Thus is distinguished “ordinary Magistère” from “extraordinary Magistère”.

Dei Verbum explains thus in paragraph 10:

“the responsibility of interpret the word of God authentically written or transmitted was entrusted to only Magistère living of the Church, whose authority is exerted in the name of Jesus-Christ. This Magistère is not above the word of God; it serves it, teaching only what was transmitted, since, under the terms of the divine order and of the assistance of the Holy Spirit, it listens to the word piously, guard religieusement, explains it accurately, and draws from this single deposit of the faith all that it proposes to us to believe as divinement being divinement revealed. ”

Degrees of magistère

Extraordinary Magistère

One calls “extraordinary magistère” the whole of the pontifical and conciliar acts whose object is the solemn definition of doctrines on the faith or manners. One finds his definition in Lumen Gentium with the n° 25, in the catechism of the Catholic church to the §891 and in the gun 749:

“Can. 749 - § 1. The Supreme Pontiff, under the terms of his load, enjoys infallibility in magistère when, like Pasteur and supreme Doctor of all the faithful ones to which it belongs to confirm his brothers in the faith, it proclaims by a decisive act doctrines to be held on the faith or the mœurs.

§ 2. The College of the Bishops also enjoys him infallibility in magistère when the Bishops assembled in Ecumenical Council exert magistère as doctors and judges of the faith and manners, and declare for the very whole Church that it is necessary to hold in a final way doctrines which relate to the faith or manners; or even when the Bishops, dispersed throughout the world, keeping the bond of the communion between them and with the successor of Pierre, teaching authentically in union with this same Romain Pontiff what relates to the faith or manners, agree on a point of doctrines to hold in a final way. ”

This teaching requires an adhesion of the faith on behalf of the faithful ones: cannot thus claim catholic that which refuses points defined by extraordinary magistère.

The last act of this type posed by a pope is the proclamation of the dogma of the Assomption of the Virgin Mary by the encyclical Munificentissimus Deus in 1950. The Concile the Vatican I has as for him defines the dogma of the pontifical Infaillibilité in 1870.

Universal ordinary Magistère

“ordinary and universal Magistère of the bishops” is a universal teaching (valid everywhere), in communion with the pope. It supposes the common adhesion of faith of the faithful ones. He is regarded as divinement revealed and thus irreformable. He east defines by Lumen Gentium in the n°25 and by the catechism of the Catholic church in the §891.

The faithful one owes with this teaching “the adhesion of the faith”.

It can happen that the need is felt to solemnize this teaching: either to fight against errors on this subject, or to return thanks to God. The pope or a council can then use of his extraordinary magistère: It is what occurred in 1950 with Munificentissimus Deus .

Authentic Magistère

It is the usual teaching of the pope and the bishops in their exhortations, their catechisms, their various letters, or their sermons or explanations. The authority of this magistère is very variable, according to what the pope or the manifest bishop of his thought and his will and that one can deduce in particular from the character of the documents, or of insistence to propose certain doctrines, or in the manner of even expressing itself.

“CEC - 892. The divine assistance is still given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Pierre, and, in a particular way, with the bishop of Rome, Pasteur of all the Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and deciding of a " final manner " , they propose in the exercise of ordinary Magistère a teaching which leads to a better intelligence of the Revelation faith manners. With this ordinary teaching the faithful ones owe " to give the religious approval of their " spirit; (LG 25) which, if it is distinguished from the approval of the faith, prolongs it however. ”

The faithful one owes with this teaching a “religious approval of their spirit”: the word of the bishop must be held for Juste and true, until fuller informed.

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