Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 7/6/2009

Question

Dear Fr. Timothy,

I hope that you will be able to answer a question which has troubled me for a good while.  It concerns  the teaching of
the Roman Catholic church, regarding infallibility.  I've
been told by one parish priest that all the teachings
of the magisterium must be regarded as infallible.  

Is that an official dogma of the Church?   
Regarding this issue, I have read that the
writings of st. Thomas Aquinas were condemned for
some years, soon after he died.  Clearly, that action
has been rescinded, but the decision to condemn this
saint's writings could not have been an infallible one.
Likewise, the decision to condemn and execute St. Joan of Arc could not have been an infallible one.  

Were either of these  decisions made by the magisterium,
and were either of them regarded as infallible at the time
the decisions were made?


Many thanks,

Bob Hadley


Answer
Hi, Bob:
Thanks for the question.
This is something getting outside the area of my knowledge and study.  The dogmatic teachings of the Church are considered infallible by virtue of the teaching office entrusted to her by Jesus Christ Who sent the Holy Spirit to guide the Church into all truth.
The matters you mention, as far as I know, were more of a disciplinary nature, and not necessarily universal and in union with the Pope with all the Bishops of the Church.  The Church, while upholding the theological teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas in general is not making a statement that all of his teachings are infallible (or else his writing would be considered Sacred Scripture, which they are not).  For example, St. Thomas had issue with the dogma of the Immaculate Conception; but it was based upon not seeing how Christ could be the Savior of Mary if she was sinless.  However, this was due to a limited view of seeing salvation coming through Christ as the One Who forgives and removes sin.  It was Dunns Scotus who finally proposed how Christ can save in this unique and special manner by "preventing" the BVM from ever being under the stain of original sin in the first place, by the power of Christ as Savior.
As for St. Joan of Arc, my understanding was that some local Bishops of France condemned her for whatever political or other kind of motives they had.  Though they may have claimed to be acting in the name of the universal Church, they were not.  In some way, this situation would be similar to dissenting and heretical local Bishops in the contemporary age who deny fundamental and basic Catholic Church dogmatic and moral teachings already clearly defined by the Magisterium of the Church.
I have to conclude only by encouraging you to study the issue further from the no doubt many resources available in libraries and on the web.

Fr. Timothy Johnson