Thursday, August 16, 2018
Why should we listen to the pope? He’s just a man.
The question about listening to and obeying the pope’s teaching can be divided into two parts: infallible teachings and everything else. The previous "Ask Mr. Mueting" deals with papal infallibility, so we need to look at everything else.
The pope is the supreme teacher of the Church. If the pope is confirming the faith and morals of the Church as has been handed down from Jesus to Peter and the apostles to the pope and the bishops today, he is teaching God’s Revelation. His words “must be adhered to with the obedience of faith” as the Catechism writes. (para. 891)
However, the pope also speaks and writes on other matters that are not directly found in Revelation. Even then, the pope, when he proposes “in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals” (para. 892) is due religious assent. That means the pope’s teaching should be accepted and followed.
The pope is a man, but he is also the pope, a man with the responsibility of guiding the Church and the world to come closer to God. Of course, we should listen to him! Read more about the teaching office of the pope in the Catechism, para. 888-892.
Know your faith. Live your faith. Teach your faith.
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