ANSWERS: 3
-
There are dogmas, which can never change (as truth can never change), then there are traditions and practices which can change over time, or differ between geographic regions or cultures. The dogmas can be found here: http://www.catholicfirst.com/thefaith/churchdocuments/dogmas.cfm
-
"The theology of the Roman Catholic Church largely resembles that of Catholic Christianity. Roman Catholics believe in the authority of Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as interpreted by Magisterium. Teaches that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, keeping of Ten commandments and receiving sacraments. The denomination [Church] also has a number of distinctive teachings which differentiate it from other Christian churches (although some of these beliefs are also held in other churches). Most notably, Roman Catholics believe in existance of Purgatory, Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church), Pope as the "Vicar of Chirst on Earth", papal infallibility, Immaculate Conception of Mary and many others. Church belief is encapsulated in the Nicene Creed and detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Formal Catholic worship is ordered by means of the liturgy, which is regulated by church authority. The celebration of the Eucharist, one of seven church sacraments, is considered the center of Catholic worship. However there are numerous additional forms of personal prayer and devotion including the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and Eucharistic adoration. The church community consists of the ordained priesthood and deaconate, those like monks and nuns living a consecrated life under rule, and the laity." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_theology 2) Note that in the above quoted text, the word "denomination" is not appropriate: the word "Church" should be used here. The Catholic Church does not support denominationalism: "This particular doctrine is, of course, unacceptable to those Christian groups that see themselves as being the "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church" as a whole. This includes the Eastern Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, the Oriental Orthodox Communion, and the Anglican Communion each of which claims to be the exclusive "Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church"." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denominationalism 3) "Magisterium is a "teaching authority, especially of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc. (in particular, though rarely, the office of tutor or instructor of youth, tutorship, guardianship) or teaching, instruction, advice. In the Roman Catholic Church the word "Magisterium" refers to the teaching authority of the church. This authority is understood to be embodied in the episcopacy, which is the aggregation of the current bishops of the church, led by the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), who has authority over the bishops, individually and as a body, as well as over each and every Catholic directly. According to Catholic doctrine, the Magisterium is able to teach or interpret the truths of the Faith, and it does so either non-infallibly or infallibly (see chart below). "The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him."" Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magisterium 4) "Revealed truths become formally dogmas when defined or proposed by the Church. There is considerable hostility, in modem times, to dogmatic religion when considered as a body of truths defined by the Church, and still more when considered as defined by the pope. The theory of dogma which is here expounded depends for its acceptance on the doctrine of the infallible teaching office of the Church and of the Roman pontiff. It will be sufficient to notice the following points, (1) the reasonableness of the definition of dogma; (2) the immutability of dogma; (3) the necessity for Church unity of belief in dogma (4) the inconveniences which are alleged to be associated with the definition of dogma. (1) Against the theory of interpretation of Scripture by private judgement, Catholics regard as absolutely unacceptable the view that God revealed a body of truths to the world and appointed no official teacher of revealed truth, no authoritative judge of controversy; this view is as unreasonable as would be the notion that the civil legislature makes laws, and then commits to individual private judgment the right and the duty of interpreting the laws and deciding controversies. The Church and the supreme pontiff are endowed by God with the privilege of infallibility in discharge of the duty of universal teacher in the sphere of faith and morals; hence we have an infallible testimony that the dogmas defined and delivered to us by the Church are the truths contained in Divine revelation. (2) The dogmas of the Church are immutable. Modernists hold that religious dogmas, as such, have no intellectual meaning, that we are not bound to believe them mentally, that they may be all false, that it is sufficient if we use them a guides to action; and accordingly they teach that dogmas are not immutable, that they should be changed when the spirit of the age is opposed to them, when they lose their value as rules for a liberal religious life. But in the Catholic doctrine that Divine revelation is addressed to the human mind and expresses real objective truth, dogmas are immutable Divine truths. It is an immutable truth for all time that Augustus was Emperor of Rome and George Washington first President of the United States. So according to Catholic belief, these are and will be for all time immutable truths -- that there are three Persons in God, that Christ died for us, that He arose from the dead, that He founded the Church, that He instituted the sacraments. We may distinguish between the truths themselves and the language in which they are expressed. The full meaning of certain revealed truths has been only gradually brought out; the truths will always remain. Language may change or may receive a new meaning; but we can always learn what meaning was attached to particular words in the past. (3) We are bound to believe revealed truths irrespective of their definition by the Church, if we are satisfied that God has revealed them. When they are proposed or defined by the Church, and thus become dogmas, we are bound to believe them in order to maintain the bond of faith. (See ). (4) Finally, Catholics do not admit that, as is sometimes alleged, dogmas are the arbitrary creations of ecclesiastical authority, that they are multiplied at will, that they are devices for keeping the ignorant in subjection, that they are obstacles to conversions. Some of these are points of controversy which cannot be settled without reference to more fundamental questions. Dogmatic definitions would be arbitrary if there were no Divinely instituted infallible teaching office in the Church; but if, as Catholics maintain, God has established in His Church an infallible office, dogmatic definitions cannot be considered arbitrary. The same Divine Providence which preserves the Church from error will preserve her from inordinate multiplication of dogmas. She cannot define arbitrarily. We need only observe the life of the Church or of the Roman pontiffs to see that dogmas are not multiplied inordinately. And as dogmatic definitions are but the authentic interpretation and declaration of the meaning of Divine revelation, they cannot be considered devices for keeping the ignorant in subjection, or reasonable obstacles to conversions, on the contrary, the authoritative definition of truth and condemnation of error, are powerful arguments leading to the Church those who seek the truth earnestly." Source and further information: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_%281913%29/Dogma
-
The Catholic Church has published a record of all Her beliefs in what is called the catechism of the catholic church. The faith contuines to grow with every ecumenical council, although we insist that She doesnt "change" Her beliefs rather they are brought into "further focus". for example, the church has always been agains abortion (there are records of one of the Church fathers condeming abortion along with a whole list of sins) and has always been against homosexual sex, its just that in the past 50 some odd years there has actually been an offical statement by the Church on those subjects.
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC

by 