These two essays address the degree of infallibility enjoyed by acts of the ordinary magisterium. At the time of Pius XII, when the first essay was written, the authority of the ordinary magisterium was downplayed, especially by the "new theologians"; after Vatican II, it is so exaggerated that some now claim the Pope can contradict and reverse the teaching of his predecessors.
The first essay, written by Dom Paul Nau, OSB (Solesmes) in 1956 lays down the groundwork for a theological understanding of the Church's Ordinary and Universal Magisterium, based especially upon the teaching of the First Vatican Council.
The second essay, written in 1980 by Canon Rene Berthod, clearly outlines the universality required for the infallibility of the Ordinary Magisterium and applies it to the present crisis in the Church, and in particular to the teachings of Vatican II, answering the question, to what extent and in what way they can be considered infallible ... or not.
If you are tempted to think that this is a bit too theological and/or technical for you or that it has no practical application to your life, consider this observation of Archbishop Lefebvre who said that the master-stroke of Satan was to foment Revolution in the Church imposed by obedience. Consequently, to avoid this snare of the devil and it's accompanying errors (obedience to modernist directives and, the other extreme, sedevacantism), it is essential to thoroughly understand the Ordinary and Universal Magisterium and the role it plays in the Church, the Mystical Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
77pp, softcove
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