Magisterium
MAGISTERIUM
BASIC R.C. BELIEF “The teaching authority of the Church in the pope and the bishops united with the pope. It is designed to take things from scripture and tradition (remote rules of faith) and apply them in a living way, hence it’s being called the proximate rule of faith” (Dr. Ludwig Ott, FUNDAMENTALS OF CATHOLIC DOGMA).
In spite of this definition by a Roman Catholic theologian, any matter that has not been made an article of faith is open to theological debate.
POST VATICAN II This theological debate has especially been active since Vatican II, but the recent papal censure of Hans Kung by Pope John Paul II indicates that the Pope is re-asserting the traditional teaching of the Church.
CHRISTIAN COMMENT By having this proximate rule of faith the ultimate authority, it becomes unimportant what the Bible says. What the pope says the Bible says is important.