Which Catholic doctrines have changed?

Question

There was an earlier question asking if Catholic doctrines change. Lots of people said "yes", but gave no examples.

Change in language of Mass? - no, this is a custom
Validity of Limbo? - no, not doctrine, just a theory that is being re-examined.

Julie - The existence of Limbo has never been decalred as a doctrine by the Catholic Church. It is a theory that St Augustine came up with to answer the question of the fate of the soul of unbaptized children. It is a widely popular theory, but it has never been declared as truth, or dogma.

Darwin - Indulgences were never done away with. The selling of indulgences caused a great scandal and therefore not much was mentioned or is mentioned about indulgences, but there are still indulgences out there

Evan - Vatican II did not declare any new doctrine. A lot of customs and practices changed with Vatican II, but no new doctrine. Changing the mass from the Treditine to teh Novus Ordo was not a change in doctrine, but a change in practice and custom.

Eating meat on Friday being a sin - Eating meat on Friday was considered a sin because that was a rule of the Catholic Church (heirarchy) and purposely disobeying the Church that God established on earth is a sin. If a rule is changed to allow something that was once forbidden, purposely committing that act is no longer a sin.

Aurora - How can the Bible be the final authority when the Church was established BEFORE the Bible was compiled. Is the work greater than the person who created the work?

Mae, the Catholic Church is NOT rethinking Purgatory. It is the theory of Limbo that is being looked at. You cannot pray anyone out of Hell.

Answer 1

Church doctrine does not change. A doctrine is "a truth whose acceptance is necessary for the faithful, whether or not infallibly taught".

All dogmas are doctrines, but only some doctrines are dogmas. Dogmas are a "subset" of doctrines.

New doctrine being created is very rare.

This is a great question, and you answered all those people's misconceptions correctly. Good job!

Maybe you can learn dem Protestants sumptin'!

Answer 2

A lot of people, including many Catholics, in the past did not know the difference between church doctrine and church law and in church law they didn't understand the difference between church law of divine origin and church law of human origin.

For instance, in Mexico they never had to abstain from meat on Friday. It was a church law of human origin which Catholics were obliged to obey, but Mexico was still under dispensation given to Spain many years before.

Fast before communion is a church law of human origin. I had a friend back in the days of the 3 hour fast before Vatican 2. She had a lot of training in understanding church law. She went to Mass after work and one day she forgot and ate a candy bar from the vending machine. She was standing in the Communion line and remembered it. She did not go back and sit down because she said the scandal she would have caused would have been more serious. I have heard priest and a bishop say her position was exactly correct. The law of abstinence is not an end into itself.

Also, say you are invited to a home on a day of Abstinence for a meal and your host has gone to a great deal of effort to prepare the meal and meat is the main entree. According to priests and a bishop, charity toward your host should take precedence and you can eat the meat.

These things have never been church doctrine.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church that came out about 20 years ago did not mention limbo.

Not every utterance or action of the Pope is considered infallible. Only when he defines doctrine ex cathedra in union with the Bishops of the world. I understand this has only happened about 20 times in the past 2000 years.

Answer 3

Doctrine is unchanging. Practices have changed (indulgences, why way the Mass is offered has changed (but its still the Mass).

Limbo was never an official teaching. I suppose it was something like visions that saints had, you didn't have to believe it.

New doctrines are added [rarely], like the immaculate conception, but they cannot be taken away.

Examples of basic Christian doctrine are:
the Trinity
the Resurrection
Heaven
Hell
Eucharist[Catholic]
the other 6 sacraments [Catholic]
Virgin Birth
Immaculate Conception [Catholic]
Purgatory [Catholic]

Answer 4

You're right that Doctrine doesn't change in the Church. Although sometimes I wonder if we haven't interpreted some dogma differently over the years. For example, the part of the Apostle's Creed that states Jesus went to Hell. We interpret this as Him having gone to the dead, not actual Hell. I sometimes wonder if it was interpreted literally by the Apostles. After all, they were quite literal in that culture.

Not trying to cause trouble but just wondering.

Yours in Christ Jesus, Grace

Answer 5

somewhat. the two deeper information of the Holy Scriptures and the ongoing guidence of the Holy Spirit in Holy custom have led the Catholic Church to progressively exchange a number of its doctrines. listed under are some examples: + What writings have been to be coated contained in the Bible weren't finalized till approximately 4 hundred C.E. + The doctrine of the Holy Trinity did no longer exchange into sturdy till aabout 325 C.E. in case you stated the Holy Trinity to the unique Apostles they does not have understand what you have been speaking approximately. + The Catholic Church did no longer start to sentence slavery, a doubtless biblically approved way of existence, till the 1400s while finding on the affection of God as shown contained in the Bible as an entire quite of verse by verse delivered the evil of slavery into view. With love in Christ.

Answer 6

The core doctrines of CHRIST cannot change. That is teh commandments of OUR LORD. There have been doctrinal changes over the course of the Church but always we come to knowledge of the TRUTH for JESUS being OUR HEAD. Having the promise of infallibilty to prevail over the gates of hell because of CHRIST. We will LIVE because of CHRIST.

As a for instance of doctrinal change there were at one time i believe ten commandments which later became just seven, but today we still believe in sacrementals but keep only seven sacrements . .. You'll have to research that, i am recalling from memory . ..

the Seven sacrements which are traditional since the inception of the church, which are kept today and are all given by OUR LORD . .. are: Baptism, Confirmation, Pennance, THE HOLY EUCHARIST, marriage, HOLY orders, and last rites . ..

LOVE your neighbor as yourself.
Amen.

Answer 7

Just as I am still the same person as I was 25 years ago with the same DNA,so the Church is the same when it grows and develops or clarifies her doctrines in the face of new questions,challenges and crises. Growth is development consistent with its being and integrity(unlike cancer).
The Church cannot 'jettison" its dogmas and doctrines.

Answer 8

Doctrinally, nothing in the Roman Catholic Church has changed since the Second Vatican Council in 1964.

Answer 9

I believe the last time a doctrine of the Church was changed -- and really that was not so much a change, but formalization of "explicit universal acceptance" of what had already been generally accepted for quite some time -- was the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854.

Answer 10

There are Traditions(oral teaching) and then there are traditions(customs and practices). Traditions are dogma declared ex cathedra. these are rare, and councils are called to clarify existing dogmas. when the pope declares excathedra a Tradition(oral teaching) he is affirming an existing teaching that was called into question.

the church calls these councils to maintain the unity of faith, those who continually disagree are free to leave, and they do and they have for centuries, forming their own "churches" and declaring themselves the pope(saying "we follow the Bible not men")