Day 124: Teaching, Sanctifying, and Governing (888-896)

• It’s Day 124!!

• There is a three-fold office that belongs to the Pope and the bishops

• THE TEACHING OFFICE

• THE SANCTIFYING OFFICE

• THE GOVERNING OFFICE

• The Holy Father and other bishops with him are entrusted with these three roles and three areas of authority

• The Church always looks at this through the context of JESUS

• If a bishop, priest, or the Pope ever steps out of this model of Jesus who came not to be served, but to serve, then there is ERROR IN LIFESTYLE

• The bishops and Holy Father are entrusted with THE TEACHING OFFICE

• IN FACT…

• We are going to look at the degree and depth to which the Holy Father is given the ability to INFALLIBLY TEACH IN MATTERS OF FAITH AND MORALS

• There will be a lot of qualifications of when the Pope teaches infallibly

• Also when the bishops united with the Pope teach in an area of faith and morals in a definitive way it can also be an infallible teaching

• Not all teachings of the Holy Father and the bishops are considered to be infallible teachings

• They’re not even considered necessarily to be pronounced in a definitive manner

• There are still teachings that the Church has put forth for faith that are meant to be received to and adhered to with “religious assent”

• Paragraph 892 says, “Though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.”

• The assent of faith is what we have to give to ALL DOGMAS

• All those things that are ESSENTIAL TO BELIEVE as followers of Jesus Christ

• THE TEACHING OFFICE is the MAGISTERIUM

• We will also talk about THE SANCTIFYING OFFICE

• The Holy Eucharist that was entrusted to the Apostles that is then passed on to us

• Paragraph 893 says, “The bishop is ‘the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood,’ especially in the Eucharist…”

• Jesus is the Great High Priest, the Supreme Priest, the Ultimate Priest, the ONLY ONE

• AND YET…

• The bishops, and their successors, and by extension the priests have been invited to have a share in that priesthood of Jesus Christ

• As often as they exercise that ministry and handing on the Eucharist, that sanctifying of Jesus, that work of Christ, is extended throughout the whole world

• And then we have THE GOVERNING OFFICE

• Not only do the Apostles and their successors teach us and pass on the Grace which comes from Jesus Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit

• They have been given authority to govern and lead

• Paragraph 894 says, “‘The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the particular Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example, but over and above that also by the authority and sacred power’ which indeed they out to exercise so as to edify, in the spirit of service which is that of their Master.’”

• The bishops have the authority to govern

• In their particular diocese the bishop has the last word

• There is something dangerous about that

• We all know that absolute power can corrupt absolutely

• AND YET…

• That is why each bishop, just like each Christian, is called to have the mind of Christ

• Though He was in the form of God, emptied Himself into the form of a slave

• Every bishop is called to exercise their teaching, sanctifying, and governing office

• Every bishop is called to be in the same mind as that of Jesus who did not come to serve but to serve

• So let’s say a prayer!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise and we thank you. We thank you for the teaching office, the sanctifying office, and the governing office of our local bishop. We thank you for the teaching, sanctifying, and governing offices of the Holy Father. We ask that you please help them become the men that you have called them to be. Lord God, you have called them from all Eternity to serve. You have called them from all Eternity to teach, to sanctify, and to govern. You have called them from all Eternity to be our pastors, our shepherds, and our spiritual fathers. We ask that you please, in this moment and in this day, Lord God give them every grace that they need to be like you. Give them every grace that they need to not break the bruised reed, to not quench the smoldering wick. To give them the grace that they need to teach well, and clearly, and truthfully, and faithfully. Give them the grace that they need to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass with purity of heart and with power. Give them the grace to govern and to lead with all humility, but with all wisdom. Lord God, for all those who are carrying a burden today, the burden of teaching, the burden of sanctifying, the burden of governing, we ask that you meet them with your Grace. And please bless every person listening to this, that all of us may be led. All of us may receive teaching and be taught well, that all of us may be sanctified because you, Lord God, you are the source of all life. You are the source of holiness. And you, Holy Spirit, are the Sanctifier. So come, Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”

• So there we have it!!

• SO GOOD!!

• We are emphasizing THE TEACHING OFFICE of the Church

• Maybe it’s important to hear the distinction of the roles of the bishops and Holy Father as teachers

• The Catechism highlights the role of the People of God

• Paragraph 889 (Fr. Mike said 888 but he clearly means 889) says, “In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a ‘supernatural sense of faith’ the People of God, under the guidance of the Church’s living Magisterium, ‘unfailingly adheres to this faith.’”

• Sensus Fideli aka Sense of the Faithful

• As a whole Church in guidance with the bishops and united with the Holy Father

• When we adhere to that, there is something powerful, true, and good that we bring to the whole world

• Paragraph 890 says, “The mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the covenant established by God with his people in Christ.”

• What does that mean?

• God lives in a LIVING ACTIVE AND REAL relationship with His Church

• The Word of God is NOT a dead letter

• Neither is the TEACHING OF GOD

• Because we live in this REAL, ACTIVE, DYNAMIC relationship with the Lord, He CONTINUES TO TEACH US

• NOT through NEW REVELATION

• BUT…

• God continues to teach us THROUGH THE MAGISTERIUM

• Paragraph 890 continues, “It is this Magisterium’s task to preserve God’s people from deviations and defecations and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error.”

• The Lord wants to continue to TEACH and LEAD us

• He does this not only through Divine Revelation in Sacred Scripture and not only through Sacred Tradition

• But also through THE LIVING, TEACHING OFFICE of the Church

• Paragraph 890 continues, “To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church’s shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals.”

• INFALLIBILITY is this charism and grace to be able to TEACH WITHOUT ERROR

• BUT…

• That does not mean to teach ANYTHING without error

• The bishops cannot get together and say, “We declare that up is down and down is up!” or “2+2 is 5” (They also cannot say, “We declare that the Dallas Cowboys are good!!” 🤪🤣🤣BUT…they CAN declare the TRUTH that the Dallas Cowboys stink!! 🤣🤣)

• It is a charism of infallibility IN MATTERS OF FAITH AND MORALS

• THAT IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!

• The exercise of this charism of infallibility takes many forms

• What is the extent and what are the limits of infallibility?

• Paragraph 891 says, ‘“The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful-who confirms his brethren in the faith-he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals…”

• When the Holy Father teaches…

• Not just teaches…

• (SQUIRREL!! 😉)

• Pope Benedict XVI wrote a book and made it clear, “I am writing this as a theologian. I am not writing this as the Supreme Pastor and Teacher of all the faithful. I am writing this as a person who has dedicated his life to studying God’s Word, studying theology, and studying the teachings of the Church.”

• So now we have JESUS OF NAZARETH, a multi-volume work that he wrote

• INCREDIBLE!!

• The definitive act DOES NOT MEAN EVERYTHING the Pope says as Pope

• BUT…

• When the Pope proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals, he is making it very very clear that he is speaking EX CATHEDRA

• Ex Cathedra means FROM THE CHAIR

• When he is teaching as the supreme pastor

• When he is teaching as the teacher of all the faithful

• And he proclaims by a definitive act, “This is a doctrine that is pertaining to faith and morals and that is binding on all the People of God.”

• THAT is when Papal infallibility happens

• There is also an infallibility promised to the Church that comes through the body of bishops when they are united with the Holy Father and they exercise the SUPREME MAGISTERIUM

• When they exercise the SUPREME MAGISTERIUM it is at an ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

• Vatican II was an ecumenical council where we have the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation

• DEI VERBUM

• This is a DOGMATIC STATEMENT and a DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION

• So that is an example of an exercise of the SUPREME MAGISTERIUM

• Paragraph 891 continues, “When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine ‘for belief as being divinely revealed,’ and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions ‘must be adhered to with the obedience of faith.’”

• If the Holy Father declares something INFALLIBLY

• OR…

• When the Supreme Magisterium declares something to be DIVINELY REVEALED and to be BELIEVED AND EMBRACED

• We the faithful MUST adhere to it with the OBEDIENCE OF THE FAITH

• This is not EVERY ONE OF THE TEACHINGS of the Magisterium and bishops

• Paragraph 892 says, “Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a ‘definitive manner,’ they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful ‘are to adhere to it with religious assent’ which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.”

• There are a lot of teachings of the Church that have been made DEFINITIVE

• We say them in THE CREED

• We MUST adhere to them with the OBEDIENCE OF FAITH

• BUT…

• There are other teachings that the Church arrives at without an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a definitive manner

• What this is all saying is when we approach the teachings of the Church and the Magisterium, we approach them with DOCILITY

• We are people who are EAGER TO BE TAUGHT

• These are important details

• BUT…

• When it comes to us, the big question is how do we approach the teachings of the Church?

• How do we approach the teachings of Jesus?

• How do we approach the teachings all throughout Scripture?

• Do we do this with a mind that says, “Ok prove it to me.”

• OR…

• Do we do this with a mind that says, “Teach me. I’m open to being taught. I’m willing to learn. I’m also willing to change.”

• THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR US!!

• If we are going to actually ALLOW the Church to teach us, guide us, and sanctify us then we have to have that OPENNESS TO BEING TAUGHT

• THE SANCTIFYING OFFICE

• As often as the bishops and priests offer the Eucharist, the world is sanctified

• IT IS INCREDIBLE!!

• The world is not sanctified by domineering

• The world is sanctified by SERVING

• TRULY!!

• THE GOVERNING OFFICE

• The bishops are called and given the authority to lead and govern

• Paragraph 895 says, “‘The power which they exercise personally in the name of Christ, is proper, ordinary, and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the supreme authority of the Church.’ But the bishops should not be thought of as vicars of the Pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the whole Church does not annul, but on the contrary confirms and defends that of the bishops. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the whole Church under the guidance of the Pope.”

• So every bishop is bishop of HIS DIOCESE

• His authority there is proper, ordinary, and immediate

• At the same time…

• He must be in communion with his brother bishops and the Holy Father

• Paragraph 896 says, “The Good Shepherd out to be the model and ‘form’ of the bishop’s pastoral office.”

• The bishop knows his own weakness 

• The bishop knows he is beset by weakness

• The bishop knows his own limitations

• The bishop is not a prince of the diocese

• The bishop is the SERVANT of his diocese

• Just like the Pope is the SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD

• When we have a bishop like that who teaches well and offers the Mass which sanctifies you and the whole Church

• When he leads well and governs well, not as a master, but as a SERVANT

• Those kinds of bishops are easy to follow

• It’s easy to be docile and open to being taught

• It’s easy to go to Mass and allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us through the ministry of the Sacraments

• It’s easy to follow them

• St. Ignatius of Antioch says in Paragraph 896, “Let all follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed his Father, and the college of presbyters as the apostles; respect the deacons as you do God’s law. Let no one do anything concerning the Church in separation from the bishop.”

• Hopefully we are united to our bishop

• If you suffer under a bishop who struggles, PRAY FOR HIM

• If you get to be led by a bishop who thrives and is the image of Jesus, PRAY FOR HIM TOO!

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!