III. The Interpretation of the Heritage of
Faith
The heritage
of faith entrusted to the whole of the Church
84
The apostles entrusted the "Sacred deposit" of the faith (the
depositum fidei),45 contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the
whole of the Church. "By adhering to [this heritage] the entire holy
people, united to its pastors, remains always faithful to the teaching of the
apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. So, in
maintaining, practising and professing the faith that has been handed on, there
should be a remarkable harmony between the bishops and the
faithful."46
The
Magisterium of the Church
85
"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God,
whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to
the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is
exercised in the name of Jesus Christ."47 This means that the task
of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the
successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.
86
"Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its
servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command
and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it
with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as
being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of
faith."48
87
Mindful of Christ's words to his apostles: "He who hears you, hears
me",49 The faithful receive with docility the teachings and
directives that their pastors give them in different forms.
The dogmas
of the faith
88
The Church's Magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to the
fullest extent when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes truths
contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes in a definitive way
truths having a necessary connection with them.
89
There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas.
Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it
secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will be
open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith.50
90
The mutual connections between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found in the
whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ.51 "In Catholic
doctrine there exists an order or hierarchy 234 of truths, since they vary in
their relation to the foundation of the Christian faith."52
The
supernatural sense of faith
91
All the faithful share in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They
have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who instructs them53
and guides them into all truth.54
92
"The whole body of the faithful. . . cannot err in matters of belief. This
characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus
fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to the last of
the faithful, they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and
morals."55
93
"By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of
truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority
(Magisterium),. . . receives. . . the faith, once for all delivered to the
saints. . . the People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more
deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily
life."56
Growth in
understanding the faith
94
Thanks to the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the understanding of both the
realities and the words of the heritage of faith is able to grow in the life of
the Church:
- "through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these
things in their hearts";57 it is in particular "theological
research [which] deepens knowledge of revealed truth".58
- "from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which [believers]
experience",59 The sacred Scriptures "grow with the one who
reads them."60
- "from the preaching of those who have received, along with their right
of succession in the episcopate, the sure charism of truth".61
95
"It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God,
sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church are so
connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others.
Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit,
they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls."62
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