Here's
a post from a Roman Catholic on the CARM forums. I came across this same sort of problem
a few months ago on the Catholic Answers forums: a Roman Catholic was defending a particular interpretation of "Tradition" as if it were Rome's official position.
The irony is that these words are the private interpretation of the person posting these comments:
To My Fellow Catholics
It has come to the attention of all that we are rather divided on what is required beliefs and what are not. Limbo was brought up for instance and we can't keep bring up that white elephant calling it doctrine. The proposed Marian Dogma of Mediatrix and Redeptrix was already put to bed by Pope Emeritus Benedict during his reign. The rosary is not Tradition; it is a devotion that is really nice. Don't put it on par with the Liturgy of the Hours because no authoritative source has said that. I think I myself confused some people with the Eastern Catholic understanding of the Dormition and the Immaculate Conception that seem to depart from the expressions.
In an effort for a fallible minds be unified in solid doctrine, I would ask that you please consult authoritative documents only. First and foremost, we must use the Scriptures. As interpretive tools, use the Fathers. I think a general rule we should follow is never post the Fathers without some Scripture for back up but I leave that to your discretion. Finally, please use Church documents properly. Here are a couple of links that will help us remember which one carry dogmatic weight and which ones are strong suggestions. This will also allow us to dismiss those arguments that use non-authoritative documents to make a point.http://www.adoremus.org/0902AuthorityChurchDoc.html https://www.ewtn.com/HolySee/pontiff/categories.asp
Finally, and it is embarrassing to say it since I too am guilty, keep the dialogue civil. Yes, sometimes the rhetoric gets heated but that is no excuse for us to lose our bearing. I speak as one sinner to another here as I am sure we have all done it. Also, let us use this thread to improve constantly how we dialogue here. Here is some encouragment from the Pope.
2 comments:
"One picture, a thousand words."
A thousand words, yet not a single point.
Guy, is the canon open or closed? You said one must go to an extra biblical authority to learn which books comprise the Bible, but it seems not even Rome knows for sure, and Catholics take Trent to mean different things.
This predates you current enthusiasm for commenting:
http://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-canon-is-closed-according-to-roman.html
So whatever side you come down on, it's ultimately your private judgment. Because Rome isn't saying. Catholics even disagree about how much Scripture has been infallibly interpreted, and how many ex cathedra dogmas there are. Surely you see the irony. That you disagree on the canon is rather tedious because it is so inevitable.
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