Author Topic: What is Heresy (Read 508 times)

Matthew · « **on:** February 08, 2010, 10:29:20 AM »

Heresy is the denial of a dogma of the Catholic Faith. It comes from the Greek, meaning "to choose". Heretics CHOOSE which Catholic doctrines they believe in, and which ones they reject.

Obviously, Catholic doctrine all goes together. If you deny one part, you rip out one of the structural supports of the building, and the whole building falls down. That's why if you deny one dogma, you're not a Catholic.

It's true that we might have heretics visit us here on CathInfo -- but they are obvious, and I always ban them (remember Uriel?)

But there is no explicit Catholic dogma about the current Crisis in the Church (except in some peoples' minds!), and no explicit dogma about Baptism of Desire, EENS, or NFP! That also includes Fatima and other topics.

So those who disagree with you about those, or MANY OTHER disputed topics, are not heretics no matter what position they hold on those controversial issues.

When you come across something heretical, send me a link or a PM. I'll deal with the heretics. If you send me a link to someone talking about BoD, I'm not even going to respond.

Matthew

Caminus · « **Reply #1 on:** February 08, 2010, 11:52:25 AM »

I would also add that heretics are those who deny a dogma of the faith as defined by the Church. Thus the notion of "picking and choosing." Heretics properly speaking are those who deny the proximate rule of faith which is the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. Consequently, it is quite comical to see protestants censuring other protestants as "heretics."

That's not to say undefined doctrines are not heretical in another sense which is a sin against the virtue of faith, but for the purposes of membership within the Catholic Church, it only pertains to truths already defined.

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** February 08, 2010, 12:02:40 PM »

Thank you for the clarification and elaboration, Caminus.

gladius_veritatis · « **Reply #3 on:** February 08, 2010, 12:24:04 PM »

As for the lack of any (spiritual/ecclesiastical) guidebook for these times, it is similar to the temporal situation we face: NO ONE alive has seen times like this, and NO ONE who saw them before left us a manual about how to navigate such troubled waters.

Do ye manfully and trust in God. Godspeed.

Caminus · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2010, 12:44:09 PM »

And as a result, one cannot appeal to history to prove a point.