Theological censure


In Roman Catholic theology, a theological censure is a doctrinal judgment by which the Catholic Church or Catholic theologians stigmatize certain teachings or opinions as detrimental to faith or morals or both.
Theological censures have been described as the "negative corollaries" of theological notes; 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

appears to have been the first medieval theologian to attempt to formally categorise the theological censure of his time.

Authority of the censures

"he supreme organs for notes and censures are the Pope and the Ecumenical Councils. Limited competences attaches to the Roman Congregations, Provincial Synods and the individual bishops and major superiors of religious orders. The whole people of God is charged with the safeguarding of the true faith. Theologians have a special responsibility and thus are especially qualified to give theological notes though their authority is not one of jurisdiction. Their notes have the weight of 'professional' opinions and have often influenced the magisterium".
"If be pronounced by the Teaching Authority of the Church it is an authoritative or judicial judgment. If it be pronounced by Theological Science it is a private doctrinal judgment ".

Various classifications

''Catholic Encyclopedia''

Theological censures are divided into three groups by the Catholic Encyclopedia; 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:
There are four degrees of heresy according to the Catholic Encyclopedia in another one of its articles:
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. Next, a doctrinal proposition, without directly contradicting a received dogma, 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
  4. 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 ; that is, an opinion suspected, or savouring, of heresy

    Ludwig Ott

Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott describes the following censures, which he says are the most common theological censures:
  1. Heretical proposition : "This signifies that the proposition is opposed to a formal dogma"
  2. Proposition proximate to heresy : "the proposition is opposed to a truth which is proximate to the Faith "
  3. Proposition savouring of, or suspect of, heresy
  4. Erroneous proposition : "opposed to a truth which is proposed by the Church as a truth intrinsically connected with a revealed truth or opposed to the common teaching of theologians "
  5. False proposition : "contradicting a dogmatic fact"
  6. Temerarious proposition : "deviating without reason from the general teaching"
  7. Proposition offensive to pious ears : "offensive to religious feeling"
  8. Proposition badly expressed : "subject to misunderstanding by reason of its method of expression"
  9. Captious proposition : "reprehensible because of its intentional ambiguity"
  10. Proposition exciting scandal

    ''Sommaire de théologie dogmatique''

The Sommaire de théologie dogmatique proposes the following degrees of theological censure:
  1. 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"
  2. Proximate to heresy: if the proposition "opposes a truth presented by the common teaching of theologians as certain and soon to be defined". An example of one of those truths is the universal Mediation of the Virgin Mary
  3. 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 affirms insistently that faith alone justifies, and never affirms that works are also necessary for justification"
  4. Erroneous: the proposition "opposes a strictly speaking theological conclusion". An example of erroneous proposition is: "each Bishop in his diocese is independent of the Sovereign Pontiff, since he holds from Christ himself the powers necessary to govern his diocese"
  5. 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 for children who died without baptism"
  6. 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 have been exempted from the original sin"
  7. Offensive to pious ears: "hen the terms used go against the respect due to holy things"
  8. Badly expressed : "f the words are improper and open to misinterpretation"
  9. Scandalous, seducing: "f the professed doctrine leads to evil"
  10. Seditious: "f the doctrine leads to rebellion against the legitimate Authority"
  11. Schismatic: "f it leads to separation from the Church"

    John Hardon

Catholic theologian John Hardon states: