DOCTRINAL COMMENTARY ON THE CONCLUDING FORMULA OF THE
PROFESSIO
FIDEI Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
[This commentary was issued coincident with the promulgation of "Ad
tuendam fidem" by Pope John Paul II, modifying the Oriental and Latin
codes of canon law.]
4. This new formula of the Professio fidei restates the Nicene- Constantinopolitan
Creed and concludes with the addition of three propositions or paragraphs intended
to better distinguish the order of the truths to which the believer adheres.
The correct explanation of these paragraphs deserves a clear presentation, so
that their authentic meaning, as given by the Church's Magisterium, will be well
understood, received and integrally preserved.
In contemporary usage, the term 'Church' has come to include a variety of meanings,
(Lionel:The irrational premise, inference and conclusion would be used to
change the concept of Church (ecclesiology).)
which, while true and consistent, require greater precision when one refers to the
specific and proper functions of persons who act within the Church.(it creates an
artificial rupture with Tradition ) In this area, it is clear that, on questions of
faith and morals, the only subject qualified to fulfil the office of teaching with
binding authority for the faithful is the Supreme Pontiff and the College of
Bishops in communion with him.8 (They are all interpreting Magisterial
documents with the irrational premise, inference and conclusion to
create a rupture with the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus,
Athanasius Creed etc).
The Bishops are the "authentic teachers" of the faith, "endowed
with the authority of Christ,"9 because by divine institution they are
the successors of the Apostles "in teaching and in pastoral governance":
together with the Roman Pontiff they exercise supreme and full power over
all the Church, although this power cannot be
exercised without the consent of the Roman Pontiff. ( They are all interpreting
Magisterial documents with the false premise , inference and conclusion. )
5. The first paragraph states: "With firm faith, I also believe everything contained
in the Word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the
Church, either by a solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium,
sets forth to be believed as divinely revealed." The object taught in this paragraph
is constituted by all those doctrines of divine and catholic faith which the Church
proposes as divinely and formally revealed and, as such, as irreformable.( It
really means all Magisterial documents are to be rejected after they are
interpreted with the false premise, inference and conclusion.The confusion
is obligatory).
These doctrines are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and defined
with a solemn judgment as divinely revealed truths either by the Roman Pontiff when he
speaks 'ex cathedra,' or by the College of Bishops gathered in council, or infallibly
proposed for belief by the ordinary and universal Magisterium.(Ex cathedra
teachings like the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus and the Creeds,are
rejected when the baptism of desire,baptism of blood and invincible
ignorance are interpreted with an irrational premise, inference and
conclusion )
These doctrines require the assent of theological faith by all members of the
faithful. (They have to affirm heresy and schism to be in communion with
the new concept of Church)Thus, whoever obstinately places them in doubt
or denies them falls under the censure
of heresy, as indicated by the respective canons of the Codes of Canon Law..
( He means they have to affirm heresy and schism created with the false
premise, inference and conclusion , otherwise they would be censured as
heretics for affirming rationality and orthodoxy)
6. The second proposition of the Professio fidei states: "I also firmly accept and
hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching
on faith and morals." The object taught by this formula includes all those teachings
belonging to the dogmatic or moral area,13 which are necessary for faithfully
keeping and expounding the deposit of faith,
even if they have not been proposed by the Magisterium of the Church as formally
revealed. (This document is also written based upon Vatican Council II interpreted
with the false premise, inference and conclusion.Others have to also interpret
Vatican Council II in the same way).
Such doctrines can be defined solemnly by the Roman Pontiff when he speaks 'ex
cathedra' or by the College of Bishops gathered in council, or they can be taught
infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium of the Church as a "sententia
definitive tenenda".14
Every believer, therefore, is required to give firm and definitive assent to these
truths, based on faith in the Holy Spirit's assistance to the Church's Magisterium,
and on the Catholic doctrine of the infallibility of the Magisterium in these matters.15
Whoever denies these truths would be in a position of rejecting a truth of Catholic
doctrine16 and would therefore no longer be in full communion with the Catholic
Church.(So all Catholics have to affirm Magisterial documents with the false
premise,inference and conclusion to be considered in full communion
with the Catholic Church.
So the Society of St. Pius X(SSPX) had to doctrinally accept the false
interpretation of Vatican Council II to recognised canonically.This was
a doctrinal issue for Pope Benedict.)
7. The truths belonging to this second paragraph can be of various natures,
thus giving different qualities to their relationship with revelation. There are truths
which are
necessarily connected with revelation by virtue of an historical relationship; while
other truths evince a logical connection that expresses a stage in the maturation
of understanding of revelation which the Church is called to undertake.(He calls
the use of the false premise and inference to create a non traditional
conclusion and then calls it a doctrinal
development). The fact that these doctrines may not be proposed as
formally revealed,
insofar as they add to the data of faith elements that are not revealed
or which are not yet expressly recognized as such, in no way diminishes their
definitive character,
which is required at least by their intrinsic connection with revealed truth.
Moreover, it cannot be excluded that at a certain point in dogmatic
development,(dogmas develop for this liberal pope with the use of
the false premise, inference and conclusion )
the understanding of the realities and the words of the deposit of faith can
progress in the life of the Church, and the Magisterium may proclaim some of these
doctrines as also dogmas of divine and catholic faith.(The deposit of faith
can develop with the use of the irrationality and the non magisteial
conclusion has to be accepted by all )
8. With regard to the nature of the assent owed to the truths set forth by the Church as
divinely revealed (those of the first paragraph) or to be held definitively (those of the
second paragraph), it is important to emphasize that there is no difference with respect
to the full and irrevocable character of the assent which is owed to these teachings. The
difference concerns the supernatural virtue of faith: in the case of truths of the first
paragraph, the assent is based directly on faith in the authority of the Word of God
(doctrines de fide credenda); in the case of the truths of the second paragraph, the
assent is based on faith in the Holy Spirit's assistance to the Magisterium and on the
Catholic doctrine of the infallibility of the Magisterium (doctrines de fide tenenda).
9. The Magisterium of the Church, however, teaches a doctrine to be believed as
divinely revealed (first paragraph) or to be held definitively (second paragraph) with
an act which is either defining or non-defining. In the case of a defining act, a truth
is solemnly defined by an "ex cathedra" pronouncement by the Roman Pontiff or by
the action of an ecumenical council.(The ex cathedra teaching of EENS
has been changed with the irrational interpretation of BOD, BOB and I.I.
Vatican Council II has also been interpreted irrationally in the ordinary
Magisterium.) In the case of a non-defining act,
a doctrine is taught infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium of the Bishops
dispersed throughout the world who are in communion with the Successor of Peter.
Such a doctrine can be confirmed or reaffirmed by the Roman Pontiff, even without
recourse to a solemn definition, by declaring explicitly that it belongs to the teaching
of the ordinary and universal Magisterium as a truth that is divinely revealed
(first paragraph) or as a truth of Catholic doctrine (second paragraph).
Consequently, when there has not been a judgment on a doctrine in
the solemn form of a definition, but this doctrine, belonging
to the inheritance of the depositum fidei, is taught by the ordinary and universal
Magisterium, which necessarily includes the Pope, such a doctrine is to be
understood as having been set forth infallibly.17 The declaration of confirmation
or reaffirmation by the Roman Pontiff in this case is not a new dogmatic definition,
but a formal attestation of a truth already possessed and infallibly transmitted by
the Church.
10. The third proposition of the Professio fidei states: "Moreover, I adhere with religious
submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the
College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium, even if
they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act." To this paragraph
belong all those teachings on faith and morals - presented as true or at least as sure,
even if they have not been defined with a solemn judgment or proposed as definitive
by the ordinary and universal Magisterium. Such teachings are, however, an authentic
expression of the ordinary Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff or of the College of Bishops
and therefore require religious submission of will and intellect.18 They are set forth in
order to arrive at a deeper understanding of revelation, or to recall the conformity of a
teaching with the truths of faith, or lastly to warn against ideas incompatible with these
truths or against dangerous opinions that can lead to error.( He means Catholics
have to overlook all Magisterial documents being interpreted with aritificial
confusion )
A proposition contrary to these doctrines can be qualified as erroneous or, in the case
of teachings of the prudential order, as rash or dangerous and therefore "tuto doceri
non potest".( He interprets Vatican Council II with the false
premise, inference and conclusion and so the
interpretation would always be erroneous )
11. Examples. Without any intention of completeness or exhaustiveness, some examples
of doctrines relative to the three paragraphs described above can be recalled.
To the truths of the first paragraph belong the articles of faith of the Creed, the various
Christological dogmas21 and Marian dogmas;22 the doctrine of the institution of the
sacraments by Christ and their efficacy with regard to grace;23 the doctrine of the real
and substantial presence of Christ in the Eucharist24 and the sacrificial nature of the
eucharistic celebration;25 the foundation of the Church by the will of Christ;26 the doctrine
on the primacy and infallibility of the Roman Pontiff;27 the doctrine on the existence
of original sin;28 the doctrine on the immortality of the spiritual soul and on the immediate
recompense after death;29 the absence of error in the inspired sacred texts;30
the doctrine on the grave immorality of direct and voluntary killing of an innocent
human being. ( He excludes the ecclesiocentric ecclesiology of the Catholic Church )
With respect to the truths of the second paragraph, with reference to those connected
with revelation by a logical necessity, one can consider, for example, the development
in the understanding of the doctrine connected with the definition of papal infallibility,
prior to the dogmatic definition of the First Vatican Council. The primacy of the Successor
of Peter was always believed as a revealed fact, although until Vatican I the discussion
remained open as to whether the conceptual elaboration of what is understood by the
terms 'jurisdiction' and 'infallibility' was to be considered an intrinsic part of revelation or
only a logical consequence. On the other hand, although its character as a divinely
revealed truth was defined in the First Vatican Council, the doctrine on the infallibility
and primacy of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff was already recognized as definitive
in the period before the council. History clearly shows, therefore, that what was accepted
into the consciousness of the Church was considered a true doctrine from the beginning,
and was subsequently held to be definitive; however, only in the final stage - the
definition of Vatican I - was it also accepted as a divinely revealed truth.
A similar process can be observed in the more recent teaching regarding the doctrine
that priestly ordination is reserved only to men. The Supreme Pontiff, while not wishing
to proceed to a dogmatic definition, intended to reaffirm that this doctrine is to be held
definitively,32 since, founded on the written Word of God, constantly preserved and
applied in the Tradition of the Church, it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary
and universal Magisterium.33 As the prior example illustrates, this does not foreclose
the possibility that, in the future, the consciousness of the Church might progress to the
point where this teaching could be defined as a doctrine to be believed as divinely revealed.
The doctrine on the illicitness of euthanasia, taught in the Encyclical Letter Evangelium
Vitae, can also be recalled. Confirming that euthanasia is "a grave violation of the law
of God," the Pope declares that "this doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon
the written Word of God, is transmitted by the Church's Tradition and taught by the
ordinary and universal Magisterium".34 It could seem that there is only a logical
element in the doctrine on euthanasia, since Scripture does not seem to be aware
of the concept. In this case, however, the interrelationship between the orders of faith
and reason becomes apparent: Scripture, in fact, clearly excludes every form of the
kind of self-determination of human existence that is presupposed in the theory and
practice of euthanasia.
Other examples of moral doctrines which are taught as definitive by the universal
and ordinary Magisterium of the Church are: the teaching on the illicitness of
prostitution35 and of fornication.36
With regard to those truths connected to revelation by historical necessity and which
are to be held definitively, but are not able to be declared as divinely revealed, the
following examples can be given: the legitimacy of the election of the Supreme Pontiff
or of the celebration of an ecumenical council, the canonizations of saints (dogmatic
facts), the declaration of Pope Leo XIII in the Apostolic Letter Apostolicae Curae on
the invalidity of Anglican ordinations ...37
As examples of doctrines belonging to the third paragraph, one can point in general to
teachings set forth by the authentic ordinary Magisterium in a non-definitive way, which
require degrees of adherence differentiated according to the mind and the will manifested;
this is shown especially by the nature of the documents, by the frequent repetition of the
same doctrine, or by the tenor of the verbal expression.38
12. With the different symbols of faith, the believer recognizes and attests that he
professes the faith of the entire Church. It is for this reason that, above all in the earliest
symbols of faith, this consciousness is expressed in the formula 'We believe.' As the
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "'I believe' (Apostles' Creed) is the faith of
the Church professed personally by each believer, principally during Baptism. 'We
believe' (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed) is the faith of the Church confessed by
the Bishops assembled in council or more generally by the liturgical assembly of
believers. 'I believe' is also the Church, our mother, responding to God by faith as
she teaches us to say both 'I believe' and 'We believe'".39
In every profession of faith, the Church verifies different stages she has reached on
her path toward the definitive meeting with the Lord. No content is abrogated with the
passage of time; instead, all of it becomes an irreplaceable inheritance through which
the faith of all time, of all believers, and lived out in every place, contemplates the constant
action of the Spirit of the risen Christ, the Spirit who accompanies and gives life to his
Church and leads her into the fullness of the truth.
Rome, from the offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 29, 1998,
the Solemnity of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.
+ Joseph Card. Ratzinger
Prefect
+ Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B.
Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli
Secretary
Posts
