John Lane on Fr. Gleize's study:
"Fr. Gleize's central point is absolutely the same question, couched in terms appropriate to the matter of canonisation. He is asking what mechanism, so to speak, is employed by the Holy Ghost, cooperating with men, to bring about the complete certitude that is required in order for a proposition ("this man is in heaven and his life, one of heroic not merely ordinary virtue, is to be venerated and imitated") to be "definable."
This is basically what I have been saying for a long time in that the Church has yet to define, first of all, that canonizations are infallible and if so, then secondly, what are the conditions that need to be fulfilled prior to giving us the certitude that the canonization is infallible.
Just because the Church has not defined it, does not mean that you are free to not believe it.
Bp. Gasser has answered this question in his relatio as a relator of the Faith at Vatican I.
But in no way, therefore, should it be feared that the universal Church could be led into error about faith through the bad faith and negligence of the Pontiff. For the protection of Christ and the divine assistance promised to the successors of Peter is a cause so efficacious that the judgment of the supreme Pontiff would be impeded if it were to be erroneous and destructive of the Church ...
Bishop Gasser also said:
"The infallibility of the Roman Pontiff is obtained, not by way of revelation, nor by way of inspiration, but by way of divine assistance. That is why the pope, in virtue of his function, is bound to employ the means required in order to elucidate the truth sufficiently and to expound it correctly; and these means are the following: meetings with bishops, cardinals, and theologians, and having recourse to their counsels. The means will vary according to the matters treated; and we must believe that when Christ promised divine assistance to St. Peter and to his successors, this promise also included the requisite and necessary means so that the Pontiff could state his judgment infallibly.[24]
24. Discourse given on behalf of the Deputation de fide by Bishop Vincent Ferrer Gasser, Prince-Bishop of Brixen, Austria Tyrol, during the 84th general assembly of July 11, 1870, in reply to the 53rd amendment of Ch. IV of the Constitution De Ecclesia in Mansi, t. 52, col. 1213. See also Billot, L'Eglise, II, No. 991, p. 486.
I suspect you can read Sean, and it is clear that Bp. Gasser did not contradict himself.
But in no way, therefore, should it be feared that the universal Church could be led into error about faith through the bad faith and negligence of the Pontiff. For the protection of Christ and the divine assistance promised to the successors of Peter is a cause so efficacious that the judgment of the supreme Pontiff would be impeded if it were to be erroneous and destructive of the Church ...
So then you concede the point when Bishop Gasser said:
"The infallibility of the Roman Pontiff is obtained, not by way of revelation, nor by way of inspiration, but by way of divine assistance.
That is why the pope, in virtue of his function, is bound to employ the means required in order to elucidate the truth sufficiently and to expound it correctly; and these means are the following: meetings with bishops, cardinals, and theologians, and having recourse to their counsels. The means will vary according to the matters treated; and we must believe that when Christ promised divine assistance to St. Peter and to his successors, this promise also included the requisite and necessary means so that the Pontiff could state his judgment infallibly.[24]
24. Discourse given on behalf of the Deputation de fide by Bishop Vincent Ferrer Gasser, Prince-Bishop of Brixen, Austria Tyrol, during the 84th general assembly of July 11, 1870, in reply to the 53rd amendment of Ch. IV of the Constitution De Ecclesia in Mansi, t. 52, col. 1213. See also Billot, L'Eglise, II, No. 991, p. 486.
Topic: Beatification and Canonization Since Vatican II: 3-Part Study (Read 7873 times)