Magisterium 101

Upon commissioning the preaching of the Gospel, our good Lord said to His Apostles, “He who hears you hears me.” (Luke 10:16, RSV) These words the Catholic bishops applied to themselves: “This sacred Council teaches that the bishops, from divine institution, have taken the place of the Apostles as the pastors of the Church: he who hears them, hears Christ.” Is this a legitimate understanding of these words of the Gospel?

Read my article which appeared in the Homiletic and Pastoral Review entitled, "He Who Hears You Hears Me." Explore at length:

• What is the connection between Tradition and Magisterium?

• Why do we need infallible Magisterium?

• Is the Pope the only infallible teacher in the Church?

• Can Church doctrine ever change?

• Does all Church teaching require assent from the faithful?

Learn the difference between:

• the three different kinds of doctrine, and how to recognize them in a Church document

• the three authoritative magisterial acts

• Religious Submission of Will and Intellect versus the Assent of Faith.

Click to read my article "He Who Hears You Hears Me." You may wish to give yourself some time to read it and consider printing it out. This is a lengthy article that is good to keep on hand as a reference for whenever you wish to discern Church teachings.