Responsum ad Dubium
October 28, 1995
Dubium: Whether the teaching that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women, which is presented in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis to be held definitively, is to be understood as belonging to the deposit of faith. Responsum: In the affirmative.
This teaching requires definitive assent, since, founded on the written Word of God, and from the beginning constantly preserved and applied in the Tradition of the Church, it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium (cf. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium 25, 2). Thus, in the present circumstances, the Roman Pontiff, exercising his proper office of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32), has handed on this same teaching by a formal declaration, explicitly stating what is to be held always, everywhere, and by all, as belonging to the deposit of the faith.
The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, approved this Reply, adopted in the ordinary session of this Congregation, and ordered it to be published.
Rome, from the offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on the Feast of the Apostles SS. Simon and Jude, October 28, 1995.
+ Joseph Card. Ratzinger
Prefect
Prefect
+ Tarcisio Bertone
Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli
Secretary
Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli
Secretary
Well, some would say this is the case, "at this time in history."
ReplyDeleteVery good... I'm glad you dug it up. At issue here is a fundamental difference over the nature of the Church. Those calling for an infallible declaration on the subject are about a milleniam too late. It was part of the ordinary universal magisterium and it was infallible while the Church was still united east and west.
ReplyDeleteAs such, when we put the two comments together we get those who have a problem with the nature of the Church due to historicism.... these people need to conform to the Mind of the Church; or, in honesty, if they have a difficulty, submit themselves to guidance.... if these same people are in a place of authority in the Church, or have, at the least, been delegated some form of duty that impacts the lay faithful; then, it is incumbent upon religious superiors to act accordingly and remove such people.
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