One of the reasons I started this substack is because I often get caught up in responding to internet trolls (I’m trying to quit), which is typically an utter waste of time. But when I respond to them, I frequently come across some interesting things in my research. Why not share my findings here?
Today, an anonymous troll responded to our tweet of Pedro Gabriel’s latest piece (which I highly recommend). Here’s the WPI tweet:
Someone going by the handle “@MastroTitta17” apparently created a brand new Twitter account for the sole purpose of replying to this tweet. S/he wrote:
“There is no such thing as a living magisterium. There is the Magisterium, and it cannot be changed or contradicted to meet whims of your modernist _____ ______ hearts.”
Such confidence! Such ignorance. Back in the early days of the Francis papacy, I would often dig up the relevant pre-Vatican II magisterial quotes (to demonstrate continuity with the past) that easily refute rad-trads’ inane theological arguments against Pope Francis or any teaching of the last 60 years.
I couldn’t help myself. For some reason, this troll’s bald-faced assertion that “There is no such thing as a living magisterium” compelled me to do it again.
But rather than waste these in a series of tweets, I am sharing with you the quotes and citations:
“45. For the rest, in this as in other points of Christian doctrine, “the proximate and universal norm of truth” is for all the living Magisterium of the Church, which Christ established “also to illustrate and explain those matters which are contained only in an obscure way, and implicitly in the deposit of faith.”
Ad Caeli Reginam
Proclaiming the Queenship of Mary
Pope Pius XII - 1954
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius12/p12caeli.htm
"9. ... Wherefore, as appears from what has been said, Christ instituted in the Church a living, authoritative and permanent Magisterium, which by His own power He strengthened, by the Spirit of truth He taught, and by miracles confirmed. He willed and ordered, under the gravest penalties, that its teachings should be received as if they were His own."
Satis Cognitum
On the Unity of the Church
Pope Leo XIII - 1896
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/leo13/l13satis.htm
"8. ... For often those who disagree with the true Church complain openly of their disagreement in matters of dogma and thus unwillingly bear witness to the necessity of a living Teaching Authority."
"21. It is also true that theologians must always return to the sources of divine revelation: for it belongs to them to point out how the doctrine of the living Teaching Authority is to be found either explicitly or implicitly in the Scriptures and in Tradition. ... For, together with the sources of positive theology God has given to His Church a living Teaching Authority to elucidate and explain what is contained in the deposit of faith only obscurely and implicitly. This deposit of faith our Divine Redeemer has given for authentic interpretation not to each of the faithful, not even to theologians, but only to the Teaching Authority of the Church."
Humani Generis
On Human Origin
Pope Pius XII - 1950
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius12/p12human.htm
"17. To prove, to expound, to illustrate Catholic Doctrine by the legitimate and skillful interpretation of the Bible, is much; but there is a second part of the subject of equal importance and equal difficulty — the maintenance in the strongest possible way of its full authority. This cannot be done completely or satisfactorily except by means of the living and proper magisterium of the Church. The Church, 'by reason of her wonderful propagation, her distinguished sanctity and inexhaustible fecundity in good, her Catholic unity, and her unshaken stability, is herself a great and perpetual motive of credibility, and an unassailable testimony to her own Divine mission.'"
Providentissimus Deus
On the Study of Holy Scripture
Pope Leo XIII - 1893
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/leo13/l13provi.htm
Nice and handy reference to have at easy reach MIke - cheers