Vatican Reasserts Dogma Of the Pope's Infallibility
https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/06/archives/vatican-reasserts-dogma-of-the-popes-infallibility-proclaimed-in.html
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By Paul Hofmann; Special to The New York Times
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July 6, 1973
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ROME, July 5—The Vatican cautioned Roman Catholics sternly today against theologians who question the dogma of papal infallibility.
A 4,000‐word doctrinal statement also condemned what it termed the “dogmatic relativism” of some scholars and ordered church authorities to eliminate the “abuse” of laymen's attempting to perform the sacrament of holy communion, wherever it may occur.
The document did not mention any theologian by name. however, a Vatican spokesman indicated that it was aimed principally at the Rev. Dr. Hans Küng, a Swiss professor at Tübingen University in West Germany.
Father Küng recently published a study on the doctrine of the Pope's infallibility that aroused controversy throughout the church and started an investigation by the Vatican.
In his book, “Infallible? An Inquiry” Father Kling, a leader in liberal theology, analyzed the dogma of papal infallibility and found it nearly meaningless.
The dogma was proclaimed, following bitter disputes, by the first Vatican council in 1870. The doctrine of papal infallibility means that the Pope cannot err or teach error when he speaks on matters of faith and morals ex cathedra, or “from the chair” of the Apostle St. Peter—that is, in his role as supreme teacher of the church.
In the 103 years since Vatican I, this authority has been used only once, in 1950, when Pope Pius XII solemnly defined The new dogma of the Virgin Mary's bodily assumption to Heaven.
Churchmen here explained today that papal pronouncements not made ex cathedra were always authoritative but must not be considered infallible and irrevocable. They mentioned Pope Paul's condemnition of mechanical and chemical birth control and his insistence on celibacy for priests as examples of papal teachings issued without the invocation of infallibility—and therefore, at least theoretically, subject to change at some future time.
Faces ‘Proceedings’
The Vatican spokesman who discussed Father Küng's case today was the Most Rev. Joseph Schröffner, aGerman. At a news conference, Bishop Schröffner said that “proceedings” against Father Kiing were pending at the Vatican's Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
This body, until 1965 known as the Holy Office, is the church's supreme tribunal in matters of faith and morals, and issued the doctrinal statement today.
Bishop Schroffner said that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had written to Father Kling and that the “possibility of a colloquy” with him on his published views was contemplated. If he agreed with the doctrinal statement on infallibility, the bishop said, the proceedings against him could be ended.
This was understood to mean an invitation by the Vatican to Father Küng to submit to its interpretation of papal infallibility. If he fails to do so, he may be liable to church censures. Father Ming disclosed earlier that he had been summoned to Rome to be questioned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and that he refused to appear.
Sanctioned by Pope
A note appended to today's document, which was titled “Declaration in Defense of the Catholic Doctrine on the Church Against Certain Errors of the Present Day,” said that it had been sanctioned by the Pope. Ecclesiastics here observed that it contrasted with his liberal stance in international affairs, especially in the areas of human rights, social development and relations with socialist societies.
The Vatican statement emphasized the recent theological understanding that the Pope exercises infallibility not as an individual but as the leader of the bishops and the church.
Theologians, the document said, may carry out research into how dogmatic thought and expression evolved throughout the centuries, but they remain “subordinated” to church authority. Clearly alluding to Father Küng and other liberal theologians, the document warned against the “dogmatic relativism” that conceives of dogmas as mere imperfect definitions of truth, “this truth being like a goal that is constantly being sought by means of such approximations.”
A special section of the document stressed that certain church functions, like the Eucharist, or holy communion, were reserved to priests.
After recent reforms in the practice of the sacraments, it was decreed that members of the laity, including women, might assist priests in distributing communion wafers. However, only priests are regarded by the church as capable of performing the sacrament of the Eucharist, consisting in the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus.
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