Is there an example of an infallible Catholic teaching contradicting itself?

Answer 1

A:There are grounds for arguing that the present use of the filioque clause in the Nicene Creed contradicts the infallibility of the Council of Nicea, as confirmed by the Council of Ephesus, as well as the papal infallibility defined at the First Vatican Council.

First of all, the doctrine of the infallibility of ecumenical councils states that solemn definitions of ecumenical councils, approved by the pope, which concern faith or morals, and to which the whole Church must adhere are infallible. Such decrees often have an attached anathema, a penalty of excommunication, against those who refuse to believe the teaching. The First Council of Nicaea solemnly defined the Nicene Creed, which presumably then was infallibly stated. The third Ecumenical Council, the Council of Ephesus in 431, had forbidden any further changes to the Creed, except by another such council: "We do not permit anyone in any way to upset the defined faith or the creed drawn up by the holy fathers who assembled at Nicaea as the times demanded. We give neither ourselves nor them the licence to alter any expression there or to change a single syllable, remembering the words: 'Remove not the ancient landmarks which your fathers have set'." In combination, the two councils appear to have infallibly defined the Nicene Creed.

Since 1870, the pope has been considered by the Catholic Church when speaking ex cathedra on matters of morals and faith. The pope speaks ex cathedra when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians and in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church. This doctrine is held to apply retrospectively to all popes.

A current teaching of the Catholic Church is known as the 'filioque' clause, inserted into the original Nicene Creed and therefore perceptibly changing the nature of the Trinity. This appears inconsistent with the teaching of Leo III, who forbade the addition of filioque to the Nicene Creed, when asked to confirm the decision of a Council of Aachen held in 809. He also ordered that the Nicene Creed, without filioque be displayed on silver tablets placed in Saint Peter's Basilica, adding: "Haec Leo posui amore et cautela orthodoxae fidei" (I, Leo, put these here for love and protection of orthodox faith).

Nothing can be more certain than that Pope Leo was using his supreme apostolic authority in defining a doctrine that the filioque was not to be part of the Nicene Creed, nor that his doctrine was to be held by the whole Church. His words, " for love and protection of orthodox faith," could not be clearer. However, it is generally assumed that he really agreed with the filioque clause even as he refused to allow its use. Whether this is an example of hypocrisy or political expedience on his part, Leo does seem to have created a precedent at odds with the notion of papal infallibility if the use of the filioque clause is allowed to stand.

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Catholic Answer

Sorry, there are no examples of the Catholic faith contradicting itself, they are not to be had. The example used by some of Pope Leo III does not pan out as he clearly supported the Filoque, even though he did not recommend putting it in the creed:

Servus Immaculatae:

From the Catholic Encyclopedia article:

Quote

The teaching of Sacred Scripture on the double Procession of the Holy Ghost was faithfully preserved in Christian tradition. Even the Greek Orthodox grant that the Latin Fathers maintain the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son. The great work on the Trinity by Petavius (Lib. VII, cc. iii sqq.) develops the proof of this contention at length. Here we mention only some of the later documents in which the patristic doctrine has been clearly expressed:

the dogmatic letter of St. Leo I to Turribius, Bishop of Astorga, Epistle 15 (447);

the so-called Athanasian Creed;

several councils held at Toledo in the years 447, 589 (III), 675 (XI), 693 (XVI);

the letter of Pope Hormisdas to the Emperor Justius, Ep. lxxix (521);

St. Martin I's synodal utterance against the Monothelites, 649-655;

Pope Adrian I's answer to the Caroline Books, 772-795;

the Synods of Mérida (666), Braga (675), and Hatfield (680);

the writing of Pope Leo III (d. 816) to the monks of Jerusalem;

the letter of Pope Stephen V (d. 891) to the Moravian King Suentopolcus (Suatopluk), Ep. xiii;

the symbol of Pope Leo IX (d. 1054);

the Fourth Lateran Council, 1215;

the Second Council of Lyons, 1274; and the

Council of Florence, 1439.

Scriptorium:

Get Jergens. Faith of the Early Fathers, Vol. 1, 2, and 3.

McNider:

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America admits that the Athanasian Creed is a source of Eastern Orthodox teaching. What does it say?

The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.