Our thirty-third show debuts RIGHT HERE on July 20 at 7:00 PM Eastern (note the time change this week only!). It will then be rebroadcast on Friday at 7 PM Eastern (6 Central), and again on the following Monday at 3 PM Eastern (2 Central) and 7 PM Eastern (6 Central). The topic is Heretics, Apostates and Schismatics Oh My! My guest is Mr. Ryan Grant, Managing Editor of Mediatrix Press, translator and scholar of the work of Saint Robert Bellarmine.
Listen now! (link not yet live)
- On the Church Militant — book by Saint Robert Bellarmine, translated by Ryan Grant and published by Mediatrix Press.
- Saint Robert Bellarmine — by Brother André Marie at catholicism.org
- The Contradiction of Core —by Brother André Marie at catholicism.org (an article on the sin of schism)
The schismatics and sowers of discord: Mahomet (inspired by Dante), by William Blake (1757–1827) source
“Reconquest” is a militant, engaging, and informative Catholic radio program featuring interviews with interesting guests as well as commentary by your host. It is a radio-journalistic extension of the Crusade of Saint Benedict Center.
Each weekly, one-hour episode of Reconquest will debut RIGHT HERE on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM Eastern (7:00 PM Central). It will then be rebroadcast on Friday at 7:00 PM Eastern (6:00 Central), and again on the following Monday at 3 PM Eastern (2 Central) and 7 PM Eastern (6 Central).
After listening to the show I was left with this question. Ryan Grant covered the category of occult/hidden apostates stating that they would still remain members of the Church albeit dead members. However, what about actual bishops and priests who openly reject authoritative Church teaching in homilies and other public statements in which they reject, for example, the doctrine of transubstantiation, the teachings on contraception and homosexuality etc.? It would seem that if such irreformable and authoritative Church doctrine were continuously openly rejected by such clerics they would ipso facto be formal heretics and thus outside the Church. However, I know this cannot be since many of the like still posses faculties and jurisdiction. So what am I overlooking?
Just wondering how this question can be answered given the fact that many times in conversation when you point out that one must believe such and such doctrine in order to be a Catholic someone responds by saying that Father so and so or Bishop whoever doesn’t believe that and they’re still Catholic and remain members of the Church. How can I untangle this?
Josue: For a Catholic (be he layman or ecclesiastic) to be considered a heretic would require that he formally reject the teaching, not just say something that logically contradicts it. This formal repudiation of the Faith would have to be very clear.
Unless the matter is adjudicated by a competent ecclesiastical authority, the accusation of one’s having left the Church by heresy, schism, or apostasy will be certain only if that person openly repudiated Catholicism in favor of some other sect (or false system, e.g., atheism, agnosticism).