Page:Petri Privilegium - Manning.djvu/374

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
60
THE VATICAN COUNCIL.

5. Fifthly, that in the discharge of this office our Lord is with His Church always, and to the consummation of the world.

The doctrine of faith, and the doctrine of morals are here explicitly described. The Church is infallible in this deposit of revelation.

And in this deposit are truths and morals both of the natural and of the supernatural order; for the religious truths and morals of the natural order are taken up into the revelation of the order of grace, and form a part of the object of infallibility.

1. The phrase, then, 'faith and morals' signifies the whole revelation of faith; the whole way of salvation through faith; or the whole supernatural order, with all that is essential to the sanctification and salvation of man through Jesus Christ.

Now, this formula is variously expressed by the Church and by theologians; but it always means one and the same thing.

The Second Council of Lyons says, 'if any questions arise concerning faith,' they are to be decided by the Roman Pontiff.[1]

The Council of Trent uses the formula 'in things of faith and morals, pertaining to the edification of Christian doctrine.'[2]

Bellarmine says, 'in things which pertain to faith,' and again, 'The Roman Pontiff cannot err in faith;' and further he says, 'Not only in decrees of faith the

  1. 'Si quæ subortæ fuerint quæstiones de fide, suo (i.e. Rom. Pont.) debent judicio definiri.'—Labbe, Concil. tom. xiv. p. 512. Venice, 1731.
  2. 'In rebus fidei et morum ad ædificationem doctrinæ Christianæ pertinentium.'—Labbe, Concil. tom. xx. p. 23.