A Study of The Foundational Doctrines of The Catholic Church

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A Study of The Foundational Doctrines of The
Catholic Church
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The Authority of Councils

• A Council is the assembly of Bishops, called
  together by the Pope, and presided over by him or
  his legate, to decide questions of faith, morals,
  or discipline for the Church.
• (Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and
  Practice, Rev. Thomas J. OBrien, 1922, p. 235)

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The Authority of Councils

• There are General or Ecumenical councils
  National or Plenary councils Provincial
  councils and Diocesan councils, or synods. The
  decrees of General councils, approved by the
  Pope, are infallible in matters pertaining to
  faith and morals.
• (Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and
  Practice, Rev. Thomas J. OBrien, 1922, p. 235)

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The Authority of Councils

• When he saw that the dispute was not to be
  settled so easily Constantine called a council of
  the whole church, the first ecumenical general
  council, at Nicaea in 325.
• (The History of Christianity, Richard Todd, p.
  133. Eerdmans 1977)

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The Authority of Councils

• The Emperor himself presided over the critical
  session, and it was he who proposed the
  reconciling word, homoousios (Greek for of one
  essence), to describe Christs relationship to
  Father.
• (The History of Christianity, Richard Todd, p.
  133. Eerdmans 1977)

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The Authority of Councils

• A creed is a summary of the principal articles
  of faith.
• With the spread of Christianity various
  erroneous teachings regarding the doctrines of
  faith were proclaimed. It thus became necessary
  to define the truths of revelation more
  explicitly.
• (The Revised Baltimore Catechism, Rev. Francis
  J. Connell. pp.7-8, 1949)

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The Authority of Councils

• Acts 154 And when they had come to Jerusalem,
  they were received by the church and the apostles
  and the elders and they reported all things that
  God had done with them.
• Acts 156 Now the apostles and elders came
  together to consider this matter.

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The Authority of Councils

• Acts 1523 They wrote this, letter by them The
  apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
• To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in
  Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia Greetings.
• Acts 1528-29 For it seemed good to the Holy
  Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater
  burden than these necessary things

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The Apostles Creed

• I believe in God almighty (the Father almighty)
• And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord
• Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin
  Mary
• Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was
  buried
• And the third day rose from the dead

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The Apostles Creed

• Who ascended into heaven
• And sits on the right hand of the Father
• Whence he comes to judge the living and the dead.
• And in the Holy Ghost
• The Holy Church
• The remission of sins
• The resurrection of the flesh
• The life everlasting

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The Authority of Tradition

• Holy Scripture and Tradition are sources whence
  the Church derives the truths that God has
  revealed to man.
• (Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and
  Practice, Rev. Thomas J. OBrien, 1922, p. 231)

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The Authority of Tradition

• Tradition consists of the truths of divine
  revelation make known by Jesus Christ to the
  Apostles, and handed down to us, (1) in the
  writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the
  Church (2) in the decrees of Councils and (3)
  in the Creeds and prayers of the Church.
• (Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and
  Practice, Rev. Thomas J. OBrien, 1922, p. 233)

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The Authority of Tradition

• in the Scripture and handed down by the bishops
  of the church constituted the churchs final
  authority. No other writings, synods, councils,
  or bishops could assert another or new
  authority.
• (What Christians Believe, A Biblical Historical
  Summary, Summary of the Council of Carthage 397
  AD. Alan Johnson, 1984, p. 39)

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The Authority of Tradition

• Thus we may think of the ancient church as
  holding to the ultimate authority of the
  Scripture while it honored both the creeds as
  summaries of Scripture and the writings of the
  Fathers as expositions of Scripture.
• (What Christians Believe, A Biblical Historical
  Summary, Summary of the Council of Carthage 397
  AD. Alan Johnson, 1984, p. 39)

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The Authority of Tradition

• Limits are still fluid, and some writings
  outside the Canon as such, share in the
  inspirational power of Holy Scripture.
• (Hugh of St. Victor, (1096-1141 AD) De Scripture
  et scriptoribus, ch. 6, pl 175, 15-16,)

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The Authority of Tradition

• Its proper authorities are those of canonical
  Scripture, and these it applied with convincing
  force. It has other proper authorities, the
  doctors of the church, and these it looks to as
  its own, but for arguments that carry no more
  than probability.
• (Thomas Aquinas, (1225-1274 AD) Summa
  Theologiae, V.I. OL, ART 8)

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The Authority of Tradition

• What would happen if the church and the
  Scripture disagree?
• (Henry of Ghent, (1293 AD), Commentary on the
  Sentences, ART. 10, Q1.)

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The Authority of Tradition

• In the decree concerning the canonical
  Scriptures, on April 8, 1546, the Catholic
  church affirmed that Christian truth is to be
  found in the written books and the unwritten
  traditions.
• (John Leith, Creeds of the Christian Church, The
  Council of Trent, p. 402, 1963)

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The Authority of Tradition

• Matthew 153-6 He answered and said to them, "Why
  do you also transgress the commandment of God
  because of your tradition?
• Matthew 156-Thus you have made the commandment
  of God of no effect by your tradition.

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The Authority of Tradition

• Matthew 159 And in vain they worship Me,
  Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
• Colossians 28 Beware lest anyone cheat you
  through philosophy and empty deceit, according to
  the tradition of men, according to the basic
  principles of the world, and not according to
  Christ.

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