Was this statement ex cathedra (ie, infallible)?

Question

Just recently, B-16 said that only catholics are christians. *squirms* I'm an atheist and already I have problems with this! Even my very devoutly catholic grandma and aunts have called Benny a dumbass, and I've never heard so much as a darn out of them!

Please tell me this wasn't an infallible statement!

http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_191110204.html

There, that's what I'm talking about. That's where it says what I said he said. Don't try to mess up the facts or deny the truth, just give me an answer please.

Answer 1

Neither the news report nor the original document said any such thing. Please reread the report and read the link given by Meg and imacatholic2.

Benny's not a dumbass; he's quite intelligent. But, like most Catholic bishops, he is a religious control freak.

OK, i'll tell you the statement wasn't infallible. But then again, i'm no longer Catholic, and my opinion of infallibility doesn't relfect theirs. I also wonder why a non-Christian would give a rat's zinger what the pope or the CDF says about the legitimacy of related superstitions.

Answer 2

That is a statement that is made every so often and its doctrine to believe that the RCC is the one true Church.

I don't see why your family have called B16 that, I think he's brilliant. In order to allow healing and dialog to take place, he had to outline the position of the Church on this matter.

"The Russian Orthodox Church, however, welcomed the Vatican satement. "For an honest theological dialogue to happen, one should have a clear view of the position of the other side," said Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk, the leading ecumenical official of the Moscow patriarchate.

Metropolitan Kirill observed that he saw "nothing new" doctrinally in the statement released on july 10 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He argued that "everything contained in the Catholic document rightfully applies to the Orthodox Church," since the Orthodox Church has preserved apostolic succession.

The Vatican document acknowledged that the Orthodox churches are sister churches with valid sacraments, but added that in the Orthodox world, "of the division between Christians, the fullness of universality, which is proper to the Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with him, is not fully realized in history."

Its just history to see that the Protestant sects do not have apostolic succession, as they were created by disgruntled Christians or Catholics who didn't want to change themselves so they tried to change Truth.

Edit: To Romainvicta, that is not true! There is NO such statement by the Second Vatican Council that states such rediculous relativism, and if you could produce the document, I'd love to see it.

In fact a document entitled Dominus Iesus came out around 2000, which was during the pontificate of JPII AND he supported it.

Edit 2: Please note that this document was made by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Answer 3

Hello,

No if the Pope speaks ex cathedra it is certainly published written out and sent to sent to all churches. Since 1870 it has only been used once:
Since the 1870 solemn declaration of Papal Infallibility by Vatican I, this power has been used only once: in 1950 when Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary as being an article of faith for Roman Catholics.

According to the teaching of the First Vatican Council and Catholic tradition, the conditions required for ex cathedra teaching are as follows:

1. "the Roman Pontiff"
2. "speaks ex cathedra" ("that is, when in the discharge of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, and by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority….")
3. "he defines"
4. "that a doctrine concerning faith or morals"
5. "must be held by the whole Church" (Pastor Aeternus, chap. 4)
For a teaching by a pope or ecumenical council to be recognized as infallible, the teaching must make it clear that the Church is to consider it definitive and binding. There is not any specific phrasing required for this, but it is usually indicated by one or both of the following: (1) a verbal formula indicating that this teaching is definitive (such as "We declare, decree and define..."), or (2) an accompanying anathema stating that anyone who deliberately dissents is outside the Catholic Church. For example, in 1950, with 'Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII's infallible definition regarding the Assumption of Mary, there are attached these words: "Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which We have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith."

Anyway you can see that in this case he has some ideas and opinions but not speaking ex-cathedra.

Michael

Answer 4

it is not infallible. The church during vatican 2 ruled that anyone can get into heaven no matter the religion, if this statement was infallible it would be declaring the only way to heaven is through catholicism, which would overturn a previous council and papal declaration. also it would undermine most of the work that Pope John Paul 2 did to bring the eastern church back in. And the current pope i think is trying to force people to become catholic which is really backfiring.

Answer 5

Here is the full text of the new document that states nothing new: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html

Most Christian denominations believe that each of them is the fullest version of the Church of Christ.

While the Catholic Church also believes that she is "the highest exemplar" of the mystery that is the Church of Christ, she does not claim that non-Catholic Churches are not truly Christian. The Catholic Church teaches:

Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.

Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church.

All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 819: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#819

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

>>Just recently, B-16 said that only catholics are christians.<<

Here's the document. You show me where it says that.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html

>>That's where it says what I said he said. Don't try to mess up the facts or deny the truth<<

1) The article does not say that the Pope said that "only catholics are Christians".

2) You need to have your head examined if you consider a news article ABOUT the document to be more factual and truthful about what the document really states than the document itself.

Answer 7

I agree with your grandma and aunts, he really is doing some stupid stuff.