Aug 27 Sun
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answers him: I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church.” All who wish to belong to the People of God will have to obey Peter’s voice.
The First Vatican Council stated that “by divine and Catholic faith everything must be believed which is contained in the written word of God or in Tradition, and which is proposed by the Church as a divinely revealed object of belief, either in a solemn decree or in her ordinary, universal teaching.”
If we want to possess the fullness of Christ's doctrine, it is absolutely essential to follow the Church's Magisterium. The absence of this communion leads to darkness and sterility.
“In the Church of Christ, everyone is obliged to make a tenacious effort to remain loyal to the teaching of Christ.” Saint Josemaría warned us to be on our guard against the dangers of doctrinal deviation.
St Augustine says that Christ himself “wished to forewarn us against those who, as he himself had predicted, would arise throughout history saying, ‘Lo, here is the Christ, or there he is.’ He instructed us not to give them any credence. We have no excuse at all if we disregard the Shepherd's voice; it is so clear, so open, so evident, that not even the most shortsighted and stupid of individuals could say: ‘I didn't understand’."
Moreover, when the Church, drawing on her authority in matters of faith, clarifies their exact meaning for us, she helps us not to make mistakes; she frees our minds from the danger of error, and makes it possible for us to yield supernatural fruit.
Can the Pope be wrong? The Pope possesses infallibility in teaching when he proclaims a doctrine of faith or morals to be held. This infallibility is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is exercised in his role as the supreme pastor and teacher of all the Christian faithful. However, this infallibility is exercised within certain parameters and is closely connected to the deposit of divine Revelation. The Pope's infallibility may also be exercised in union with the College of Bishops, and the Pope’s agreement is necessary for the exercise of their authority
Saint Josemaría: “We can be that good wheat by obeying the Church's Magisterium, especially today, when all the old heresies are being renewed. Our times seem just like those of the French Revolution, or those of Protestantism, which rent the Church's garment, or even like those more distant times of which St Augustine wrote: ‘Many contradictory voices ring out; different heresies and schisms appear, and many voices contradict the true doctrine. Run to the tabernacle of God, be in the Catholic Church, do not deviate from the rule of truth’.”
Listen to the podcast: