Roman Catholic theology Catholic theology is the understanding of Catholic doctrine or teachings, and results from the studies of theologians. It is based on canonical scripture, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by the magisterium of the Catholic ...

, a theological censure is a doctrinal judgment (

censure A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. In parliamentary procedure, it is a debatable main motion that could be adopted by a majority vote. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a sp ...

) by which the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

or Catholic theologians stigmatize(s) certain teachings or opinions as detrimental to

faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

morals Morality () is the categorization of intentions, decisions and actions into those that are ''proper'', or ''right'', and those that are ''improper'', or ''wrong''. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduc ...

or both. Theological censures have been described as the "negative

corollaries In mathematics and logic, a corollary ( , ) is a theorem of less importance which can be readily deduced from a previous, more notable statement. A corollary could, for instance, be a proposition which is incidentally proved while proving another ...

" of

theological notes The theological notes designate a classification of certainty of beliefs in Catholic theology. While theological notes qualify positively beliefs and doctrines, said beliefs and doctrines are qualified negatively by theological censures. The the ...

; while theological notes qualify positively beliefs and doctrines, said beliefs and doctrines are qualified negatively by theological censures. The theological censures' "enumeration, division and evaluation" vary between authors. Theological censures are only directed at teachings or opinions; this distinguishes them from canonical censures which are spiritual punishments imposed on people.

History

William of Ockham William of Ockham or Occam ( ; ; 9/10 April 1347) was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher, apologist, and theologian, who was born in Ockham, a small village in Surrey. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medie ...

appears to have been the first

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

to attempt to formally categorise the theological censure of his time.

Authority of the censures

" e supreme organs for heological

notes Note, notes, or NOTE may refer to: Music and entertainment * Musical note, a pitched sound (or a symbol for a sound) in music * ''Notes'' (album), a 1987 album by Paul Bley and Paul Motian * ''Notes'', a common (yet unofficial) shortened versi ...

and censures (and exclusively so for infallible matters) are the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

and the

Ecumenical Councils An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote are ...

. Limited competences attaches to the

Roman Congregations In the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church, a congregation () was a type of department. They were second-highest-ranking departments, ranking below the two Secretariats, and above the pontifical councils, pontifical commissions, tribunals and off ...

, Provincial

Synods A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

(

episcopal conferences Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

) and the individual

bishops A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

and major superiors of

religious orders A religious order is a subgroup within a larger confessional community with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Religious orders often trace their lineage from revered teachers, venerate their founders, and have a d ...

. The whole

people of God ''People of God'' () is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to the Israelites and used in Christianity to refer to Christians. In the Bible Hebrew Bible and Old Testament In the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the Israelites are referred ...

is charged with the safeguarding of the true faith.

Theologians Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

have a special responsibility and thus are especially qualified to give theological notes nd censures ..though their authority is not one of jurisdiction. Their notes nd censureshave the weight of 'professional' opinions and have often influenced the

magisterium The magisterium of the Catholic Church is the church's authority or office to give authentic interpretation of the word of God, "whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition". According to the 1992 ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' ...

." "If theological censurebe pronounced by the Teaching Authority of the Church it is an authoritative or judicial judgment (censura authentica or iudicialis). If it be pronounced by Theological Science it is a private doctrinal judgment (censura doctrinalis)."

Various classifications

''Catholic Encyclopedia''

Theological censures are divided into three groups by the ''

Catholic Encyclopedia ''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...

''; this division is according to as the censures bear principally upon either 1) the degree, or 2) the expression, or 3) the consequences, of condemned propositions: :1) A proposition is :*

heretical Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Christianity, Judai ...

() when it goes directly and immediately against a revealed or defined dogma, or dogma ''de fide''; :*erroneous (''erronea'') when it contradicts only a certain (''certa'') theological conclusion (i.e., a truth clearly deduced from two premises, the first premises being an article of faith, the second being a

natural Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are part ...

certain reflexion). :2) A proposition is :*ambiguous (''ambigua'') when it is worded so as to present two or more senses, one of which is objectionable; :*captious (''captiosa'') when acceptable words are made to express objectionable thoughts; :*evil-sounding (''male sonans'') when improper words are used to express otherwise acceptable truths; :*offensive when verbal expression is such as rightly to shock the Catholic sense and delicacy of faith (''piarum aurium offensiva'', offensive to pious ears). :3) In the third category fall propositions ''subsannativa religionis'' (derisive of religion), ''decolorativa candoris ecclesiæ'' (defacing the beauty of the Church), ''subversiva hierarchiæ'' (subversive of the

hierarchy A hierarchy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy ...

), ''eversiva regnorum'' (destructive of governments), ''scandalosa'', ''perniciosa'', ''periculosa in moribus'' ( scandalous, pernicious, dangerous to morals), ''blasphema, idolatra, superstitiosa, magica'' (

blasphemous Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of Reverence (emotion), reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered Sanctity of life, inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic o ...

, leading to

idolatry Idolatry is the worship of an idol as though it were a deity. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the Abrahamic ...

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...

sorcery Sorcery commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces ** Goetia, ''Goetia'', magic involving the evocation of spirits ** Witchcraft, the ...

), ''arrogans, acerba'' (arrogant, harsh), etc. :This enumeration, though incomplete, sufficiently draws the aim of the third group of censures; they are directed against such propositions as would imperil religion in general, the Church's sanctity, unity of government and hierarchy, civil society, morals in general, or the virtue of religion, Christian meekness, and

humility Humility is the quality of being humble. The Oxford Dictionary, in its 1998 edition, describes humility as a low self-regard and sense of unworthiness. However, humility involves having an accurate opinion of oneself and expressing oneself mode ...

in particular. There are four degrees of

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

according to the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' in another one of its articles: # Pertinacious adhesion to a doctrine contradictory to a point of faith clearly defined by the Catholic Church is heresy pure and simple, heresy in the first degree # If the doctrine in question has not been expressly defined or is not clearly proposed as an article of faith in the ordinary, authorized teaching of the Catholic Church, an opinion opposed to it is styled ''sententia haeresi proxima'', that is, an opinion approaching heresy # Next, a doctrinal proposition, without directly contradicting a received

dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...

, may yet involve logical consequences at variance with revealed truth. Such a proposition is not heretical, it is a ''propositio theologice erronea'', that is, erroneous in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

# Lastly, the opposition to an article of faith may not be strictly demonstrable, but only reach a certain degree of probability. In that case the doctrine is termed ''sententia de haeresi suspecta, haeresim sapiens'' (scholarly heretic); that is, an opinion suspected, or savouring, of heresy

Ludwig Ott

Catholic theologian

Ludwig Ott Ludwig Ott (24 October 1906 – 25 October 1985) was a Roman Catholic theologian and medievalist from Bavaria, Germany. Biography After training at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ott was ordained a Catholic priest The ...

describes the following censures, which he says are the most common theological censures: # Heretical proposition (): "This signifies that the proposition is opposed to a formal dogma" # Proposition proximate to heresy (''propositio haeresi proxima''): "the proposition is opposed to a truth which is proximate to the Faith (''sententia fidei proxima'')" # Proposition savouring of, or suspect of, heresy (''propositio haeresim sapiens'' or ''de haeresi suspecta'') # Erroneous proposition (''propositio erronea''): "opposed to a truth which is proposed by the Church as a truth intrinsically connected with a revealed truth (''error in fide ecclesiastica'') or opposed to the common teaching of theologians (error theologicus)" # False proposition (''propositio falsa''): "contradicting a dogmatic fact" # Temerarious proposition (''propositio temeraria''): "deviating without reason from the general teaching" # Proposition offensive to pious ears (''propositio piarum aurium offensiva''): "offensive to religious feeling" # Proposition badly expressed (''propositio male sonans''): "subject to misunderstanding by reason of its method of expression" # Captious proposition (''propositio captiosa''): "reprehensible because of its intentional ambiguity" # Proposition exciting scandal (''propositio scandalosa'')

''Sommaire de théologie dogmatique''

The ''Sommaire de théologie dogmatique'' proposes the following degrees of theological censure: # Heretic: if the proposition "directly and immediately opposes a truth formally revealed and defined or proposed as such by the solemn or ordinary and universal Magisterium of the church" # Proximate to heresy: if the proposition "opposes a truth presented by ''the common teaching of'' 'l'ensemble'' destheologians as certain and soon to be defined". An example of one of those truths is the universal Mediation of the Virgin Mary # Scholarly heretic: if the proposition "can be interpreted in either a Catholic or heretical sense; but, juging by the circumstances, the latter sense prevails. Example: someone who is rightly suspected of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

affirms insistently that faith alone justifies, and never affirms that

works Works may refer to: People * Caddy Works (1896–1982), American college sports coach * John D. Works (1847–1928), California senator and judge * Samuel Works (c. 1781–1868), New York politician Albums * ''Works'' (Pink Floyd album), a Pi ...

are also necessary for justification" (see ''

Sola fide (or simply ), meaning justification by faith alone, is a soteriological doctrine in Christian theology commonly held to distinguish the Lutheranism, Lutheran and Reformed tradition, Reformed traditions of Protestantism, among others, from th ...

'') # Erroneous: the proposition "opposes a strictly speaking theological conclusion". An example of erroneous proposition is: "each

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

in his

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

is independent of the

Sovereign Pontiff The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

, since he ach Bishopholds from

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

himself the powers necessary to govern his diocese" # Positively temerarious: the proposition "having for itself no probable reason, ..opposes a doctrine universally received in the Church". An example of a positively temerarious proposition is: "there is no

Limbo The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...

for children who died without baptism" # Negatively temerarious: the proposition "without probable foundation, ..affirms a theological doctrine which has never been taught by the Church". An example of a negatively temerarious proposition is: "some more people other than the

Holy Virgin Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loret ...

have been exempted from the

original sin Original sin () in Christian theology refers to the condition of sinfulness that all humans share, which is inherited from Adam and Eve due to the Fall of man, Fall, involving the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the Image ...

" # Offensive to pious ears: " en the terms used go against the respect due to holy things" # Badly expressed 'Mal sonnante'' " the words are improper and open to misinterpretation" # Scandalous, seducing: " the professed doctrine leads to evil" #

Seditious Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establis ...

: " the doctrine leads to rebellion against the legitimate Authority" # Schismatic: " it leads to separation from the Church"

John Hardon

Catholic theologian

John Hardon John Anthony Hardon (June 18, 1914 – December 30, 2000) was an American Jesuit priest, writer, teacher and theologian. A candidate for sainthood since 2005, he is recognized by the Catholic Church as a Servant of God. Early life John Hardon ...

states: