Five Principles on Five Principles on Authority in the ChurchAuthority in the Church

Richard R. Gaillardetz, Ph.D.Richard R. Gaillardetz, Ph.D.

First Principle: Authority Describes First Principle: Authority Describes a Relationshipa Relationship

Authority is Not Irrational Authority is Not Irrational

Authority is Not Opposed to Freedom Authority is Not Opposed to Freedom and Spontaneity and Spontaneity

Second Principle: There Are Second Principle: There Are Different Kinds of AuthorityDifferent Kinds of Authority

The BibleThe Bible TraditionTradition MagisteriumMagisterium Witness of BelieversWitness of Believers Expertise of TheologiansExpertise of Theologians

Third Principle: The Church is Not a Third Principle: The Church is Not a Democracy (Neither is It a Democracy (Neither is It a Monarchy/Oligarchy)—It is an Ordered Monarchy/Oligarchy)—It is an Ordered Spiritual CommunionSpiritual Communion

Re-Thinking HierarchyRe-Thinking Hierarchy

The Universal Church is a The Universal Church is a Communion of CommunionsCommunion of Communions

                         

 

The Hierocratic Church

The Church as Communion of The Church as Communion of CommunionsCommunions

Fourth Principle: The Efficacy of the Church’s Fourth Principle: The Efficacy of the Church’s Teaching Office Presupposes Teaching Office Presupposes a a Conspiratio Conspiratio Fidelium Fidelium et Pastorumet Pastorum

St. Augustine: St. Augustine: What I should be for you fills What I should be for you fills me with anguish; what I can be with you is me with anguish; what I can be with you is my consolation. Because for you I am a my consolation. Because for you I am a bishop, but with you a Christian. The first bishop, but with you a Christian. The first points to my duty, the second to grace. The points to my duty, the second to grace. The first shows the danger, the other salvation.first shows the danger, the other salvation.

Fourth Principle: The Efficacy of the Church’s Fourth Principle: The Efficacy of the Church’s Teaching Office Presupposes Teaching Office Presupposes a a

Conspiratio Fidelium et PastorumConspiratio Fidelium et Pastorum

St. Cyprian of Carthage:St. Cyprian of Carthage: But it is unrepentant But it is unrepentant presumption and insolence that induces men to presumption and insolence that induces men to defend their own perverse errors instead of defend their own perverse errors instead of giving assent to what is right and true, but has giving assent to what is right and true, but has come from another. The blessed apostle Paul come from another. The blessed apostle Paul foresaw this when he wrote to Timothy with the foresaw this when he wrote to Timothy with the admonition that a bishop should be not admonition that a bishop should be not wrangling or quarrelsome but gentle and wrangling or quarrelsome but gentle and teachable. Now a man is teachable if he is meek teachable. Now a man is teachable if he is meek and gentle and patient in learning. It is thus a and gentle and patient in learning. It is thus a bishop’s duty not only to teach but also to learn. bishop’s duty not only to teach but also to learn. For he becomes a better teacher if he makes For he becomes a better teacher if he makes daily progress and advancement in learning daily progress and advancement in learning what is betterwhat is better

Fifth Principle: In Attending to Official Church Fifth Principle: In Attending to Official Church Teaching We Must Avoid both Cafeteria Teaching We Must Avoid both Cafeteria

Catholicism and Creeping Infallibilism Catholicism and Creeping Infallibilism

There are Gradations in the Authority There are Gradations in the Authority of Church Teaching of Church Teaching

Gradations in Church Gradations in Church TeachingTeaching

A.A. DogmaDogma

Gradations in Church Gradations in Church TeachingTeaching

A.A. DogmaDogma

B. Definitive Doctrine

Gradations in Church Gradations in Church TeachingTeaching

A.A. DogmaDogma

B.B. Definitive Definitive DoctrineDoctrine

C. Authoritative Doctrine

Gradations in Church Gradations in Church TeachingTeaching

A.A. DogmaDogmaB.B. Definitive Definitive

DoctrineDoctrineC.C. AuthoritativeAuthoritative

DoctrineDoctrine

D. Church Discipline

Fifth Principle: In Attending to Official Church Fifth Principle: In Attending to Official Church Teaching We Must Avoid both Cafeteria Teaching We Must Avoid both Cafeteria

Catholicism and Creeping Infallibilism Catholicism and Creeping Infallibilism

There are Gradations in the Authority of There are Gradations in the Authority of Church Teaching Church Teaching

There are Gradations in the Response of There are Gradations in the Response of the Faithful to Church Teaching the Faithful to Church Teaching

““Unity in Essentials, Liberty in Doubtful Unity in Essentials, Liberty in Doubtful Matters, and in All Things, Charity!”Matters, and in All Things, Charity!”