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Jesus said to them: “I have come into this world so that a sentence may fall upon it, that those who are blind should see, and those who see should become blind. If you were blind, you would not be guilty. It is because you protest, ‘We can see clearly,’ that you cannot be rid of your guilt.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

The Thoughtful Theologian reflects on the canonisations of 27 April 2014

Guest Author · April 25, 2014

548 Giotto Last Judgment ONCERNING the veneration of departed members of the faithful, modern Catholic practice distinguishes beati (“blessed” to whom only a restricted public veneration is permitted) and sancti (who are entitled to public cult throughout the entire Church). In the early Church this distinction was “almost, if not quite, unknown.” In the era of the “Enlightenment,” during the course of the XVIIIth century, the detailed procedures leading to what we know today as “canonization” were collected by the learned scholar or private “doctor” PROSPERO LAMBERTINI OF BOLOGNA (1675/1758) in his classic four-volume work De servorum Dei Beatificatione et Beatorum Canonizatione (Bologna 1734/38). Later, the author reigned as Pope Benedict XIV from 1740 to 1758. Two centuries later, the lengthy legal process of determining heroic virtue, the truth of two miracles, consultation of witnesses, medical and theological experts etc. set forth in Lambertini’s tomes was reformed by the will of Papa Wojtyla, indeed the very concept of “sanctity” was changed by the Apostolic Constitution Divinus perfectionis Magister of 29 January 1983 = AAS 75 (1983) 349/55.

It is important to note that though both Benedict XIV (whilst merely a private doctor) and John Paul II (whilst reigning Pope) issued administrative norms, none of these is of creedal stature, as an article of faith. Analogously to the case of “limbo” for unbaptized infants, canonization is not an article of Catholic faith which must be believed by all who would be Catholic. Both are in fact simply theological opinions.

The First Vatican Council in 1870 solemnly defined papal primacy of jurisdiction and the infallible Magisterium of the Pope under specific conditions which if not completely fulfilled render a pope’s teachings non-infallible, meaning not that they say something that is wrong or deceitful, but that they are subject to the possibility of error. The dogmas defined by Vatican I call for fides divina, and we must believe them by divine faith. Non-infallible acts, however, such as canonisations, call for fides ecclesiastica, ecclesiastical faith, meaning belief on the basis of the principle that the Church as a whole cannot err in matters of faith and morals. Here, as elsewhere, exceptions do not cancel the rule! Canonisations are NOT dogmas, because they do not propose a truth of faith or morals contained in Revelation which is a necessary condition for infallibility. Dogmatic definitions never involve a new doctrine of faith or morals, since whatever a Pope defines must be contained in Holy Writ or in Tradition in order to be infallible. This is not the case with canonization. It also explains why Canon Law (both 1917 and 1983 Codes) does not contain the “doctrine” of canonization, nor do the Catechisms of the Catholic Church both old and new. Canonisation aims at and deals with FACTS concerning human belief and action, which are facts connected (at best) only indirectly with dogma. Note par. 2 of the Instruction Ad tuendam fidem of the CDF dated 18 May 1998!

These considerations scarcely lead to a rational conclusion that one should “leave the Church” in response to the 27 April 2014 canonisations. * To do so would be dashing, but supremely witless: God is Truth Itself, and so faith transcends reason, and elevates it without contradicting it. O Lord, increase our faith!


***                      


Artwork: Giotto Last Judgement (1306AD)


*   Editor’s Note: The impetus for this guest blog came from several irresponsible articles published in early 2014.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Are Canonizations Infallible, Papal Infallibility And Canonizations Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Is the USCCB trolling us?
    I realize I’m going to come across as a “Negative Nancy” … but I can’t help myself. This kind of stuff is beyond ridiculous. There are already way too many options in the MISSALE RECENS. Adding more will simply confuse the faithful even more. We seriously need to band together and start creating a “REFORM OF THE REFORM” Missale Romanum so it will be ready when the time comes.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Common” Responsorial Psalm?
    I try to avoid arguing about liturgical legislation (even with Catholic priests) because it seems like many folks hold certain views—and nothing will persuade them to believe differently. You can show them 100 church documents, but it matters not. They won’t budge. Sometimes I’m confronted by people who insist that “there’s no such thing” as a COMMON RESPONSORIAL PSALM. When that happens, I show them a copy of the official legislation in Latin. I have occasionally prevailed by means of this method.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 5th Sunday of Easter (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 5th Sunday of Easter (18 May 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. The Communion Antiphon was ‘restored’ the 1970 Missale Romanum (a.k.a. MISSALE RECENS) from an obscure martyr’s feast. Our choir is on break this Sunday, so the selections are relatively simple in nature.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

“In older times we referred to humans as the human race, but according to this foundation we are being classed with the animals on the farm, the cow, the horse, the mule […] According to this foundation, I have no right to be born, for I am the youngest of 16 children, and God bless my mother for every one of them!”

— Archbishop Schrembs (d. 1945) vs. a foundation promoting artificial contraception

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