What's an example of a Roman Catholic doctrine that exists now, but would have once been condemned as heresy?

Answer 1

The idea that one could obtain salvation without paying for indulgences was considered heresy at one point in time. (Which is why Martin Luther was tossed out of/left the Catholic Church)

Answer 2

Doctrines can not change in the Catholic Faith. They were established by Jesus. Now, some have progressed but never from what they originally meant.

Many "Hate" what they perceive of Catholicism, not the "Truth" of Catholicism.

Investigate your fears.
Edit:
The shape of earth was NOT a doctrine.
Mathematics was never church doctrine.
How you received Jesus in the Eucharist was NOT a doctrine.
The Trinity is a doctrinal belief that is unchangeable.
Laity reading of the bible was NOT a doctrine. Most could not read anyway, so what would be the point?!
Paying for indulgences has NEVER been a doctrine of the Church, however unscrupulous priest did falsely charge for such prayers.
Science was NOT a doctrine of the Church. Evolution was not a doctrine, Jesus simply did not discuss the science of creation specifically.

Answer 3

There was a period of time when they considered it heresy if a lay person read the bible or interpreted it to other people.

I heard a story about a guy who tranlated the bible from Latin to another language. It wasn't considered bad at the time. Later, after he died, it was. The church DUG HIS BODY UP and burned it!!!!

(I don't know why people gave me thumbs down...maybe they don't believe me. Here is a wiki article on the man:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wycliff
His name is John Wycliff...he died on December 31st, 1384

"The Council of Constance declared Wycliffe (on 4 May 1415) a stiff-necked heretic and under the ban of the Church. It was decreed that his books be burned and his remains be exhumed. The latter did not happen till twelve years afterward, when at the command of Pope Martin V they were dug up, burned, and the ashes cast into the River Swift that flows through Lutterworth. "

Answer 4

well done Lives7 you wrote the truth and historical facts. Pope Benedict said most people who reject the Church are not really rejecting the actual Catholic Church but only their erroneous false ideas about the Church. This is exampled by all these negative comments here. It is a common way Satan deceives people and causes hatred or prejudice against our Church founded by Jesus. If he can persuade anyone to believe his evil lies against the Church they feel justified in rejecting what appears to be so evil. Thus they rightly reject that evil false idea while projecting that onto the whole Church with some calling the Bride of Christ a whore. If you had infinite power what could you do to someone who called your beloved bride a whore? would you give them your kingdom and all your riches? or something else. What would you give to someone who despised your mother refusing to honor her or speak to her? your favors?

Actually the Earth is the center of the universe not geographically but spiritually in God's eyes because the one through whom the universe and all things were made lived and died and resurrected here becoming a human being as his eternal way of being. The Queen of the universe his mother is from earth not some other galaxy.

No doctrinal teachings were once considered contrary to Christ's divine revelation which is what doctrine means, not a bunch of laws. Understanding and application of doctrine develops or improves in time but never changes to its contrary. Our faith has this security from God the Holy Spirit of truth who preserves God's revelation error free always never failing.One of the primary purposes of his Church is to carefully keep God's revelation free from error or imperfections. Those without our faith invent their own ideas about it thus 60,000 denominations all different products of different good intentioned egos and self will. Jesus showed me no Protestant believes his whole Gospel because they exclude Him in his Holy Eucharist around which our faith and love is centered, by God's design.

Answer 5

Slavery is evil.

The Bible does not condemn slavery. Colossians 3:22 even states, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything."

This was much debated in the U.S. before and during the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), four hundred years after the Catholic Church became one of the first groups to condemn slavery.

The condemnation of slavery is one of those nonbiblical doctrines that Catholics have developed through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over the centuries.

+ In 1462, Pius II declared slavery to be "a great crime" (magnum scelus). Note that this was 30 years before Columbus "discovered" America.

+ In 1537, Paul III forbade the enslavement of the Indians

+ Urban VIII forbade it in 1639

+ Benedict XIV forbade it in 1741

+ Pius VII demanded of the Congress of Vienna, in 1815, the suppression of the slave trade

+ Gregory XVI condemned it in 1839

+ In the Bull of Canonization of the Jesuit Peter Claver, one of the most illustrious adversaries of slavery, Pius IX branded the "supreme villainy" (summum nefas) of the slave traders.

+ Leo XIII, in 1888, addressed a letter to the Brazilian bishops, exhorting them to banish from their country the remnants of slavery -- a letter to which the bishops responded with their most energetic efforts, and some generous slave-owners by freeing their slaves in a body, as in the first ages of the Church.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14036a.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

Several centuries ago, the europeans had no number to represent zero. (There is no zero in roman numerals.) When arabic number first came to Europe, the church denoucned zero as heresy.

Answer 7

Evolution.

Answer 8

Receiving communion as both bread and wine. It was once absolutely FORBIDDEN:

Canon 1. "If anyone says that each and all the faithful of Christ are by a precept of God or by the necessity of salvation bound to receive both species of the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist, let him be anathema." (June, 1562)

Answer 9

The world is round
The sun is the center of the solar system.

Answer 10

The teaching of the Trinity is simply false, if that's what you're asking.

Check out information regarding the Council of Nicaea.