Theme; Conforming Our Minds to Reality: Truth, History, and the Present States of Affairs

Title: The Magisterium on the Magisterium: Contributions to a Constructive Critique of the Council

By Br. André Marie, M.I.C.M.

This scholarly presentation offers a wealth of crucial information that traditional Catholics need to have at their fingertips in order to present a logical defense of their opposition to all unorthodox teaching that, while currently tolerated under the umbrella of ecclesiastical patronage, would compromise the integrity of the Faith. With Benedict XVI's motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, and the Declaration of the Holy Office on certain disputed questions following immediately after, Brother explains why these two promulgations mark the beginning of the end of Vatican sufferance, even support, of liturgical and doctrinal aberrations. The theme of this scholarly, yet lucid, talk was the proper understanding of the magisterium of the Church. The speaker never swerved from that theme. He first explains what the word "magisterium" means, then, he explains what the essence of that teaching authority is, its source and its field of extension, and finally, he translates for everyman's understanding the traditional teaching concerning the three levels of authority within the ecclesial magisterium. After precisely differentiating these three grades of Catholic authoritative teaching with familiar doctrinal examples he then went to highlight the degrees of subjective submission, or fidelity, required by the believer's virtue of Catholic obedience in regard to each level. This was the most fascinating part of an intensely engaging delivery. After absorbing the easily understood distinctions that must be made in order to make a supernatural act of divine and Catholic faith (which is an intellectual act and not just a passive emotional submission of an uninformed mind content just to obey) there should follow immense gratitude to God, gratitude for His electing us to be member of that one true Church in which one can have the certitude that goes with faith in its teaching authority. Brother insisted that, without knowing these proper authoritative distinctions, it is very difficult to explain to others who are less traditionally minded than yourself why it is that you refuse the assent of your will to certain teachings of Vatican II, for example, or to the heresy that promotes salvation outside the Church, or to the heteropraxy of false ecumenism, or to many other aberrations that have had either the approval or the toleration of the hierarchy even at the highest level. The key questions: What constitutes the extraordinary or solemn magisterium? What is the universal and ordinary magisterium? Is it infallible? What is the ordinary magisterium, its standard or measure, and its degree of authority? Traditional Catholics need to know the answers to these questions. You have those answers here. This presentation would be a great gift to give to a priest, religious, or catechist.

From 2007 SBC Conference

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