Disclaimer: This will 'not' be a discussion on the problems contained within the Vatican 2 documents in reference to previous Church teaching/tradition, this will be solely a discussion about whether it exercises the same infallibility present within other Ecumenical Councils before it.
Disclaimer Disclaimer: While I privately disagree with the contents (and, obviously, infallibility) of the Vatican 2 documents, while they are implemented, they are still binding to all members of the Catholic Church, including me, so I cannot, and will not, preform an act contrary to them, while still implemented.
Does Vatican 2 exercise the same protection of infallibility that extends to other Ecumenical Councils? One should note that Pope John XXIII's opening statement:
So, already, we have a statement that the Council was a non-dogmatic, purely pastoral Council, that makes the claim to not have made any strong, doctrinal statements in regards to the previous Church definitions of infallibility. Already, this seems to prove the view that Council does, indeed, not exercise infallibility.
Bishop Butler of England also shares this view:
As well as Bishop Rudolf Graber:
Disclaimer Disclaimer: While I privately disagree with the contents (and, obviously, infallibility) of the Vatican 2 documents, while they are implemented, they are still binding to all members of the Catholic Church, including me, so I cannot, and will not, preform an act contrary to them, while still implemented.
Does Vatican 2 exercise the same protection of infallibility that extends to other Ecumenical Councils? One should note that Pope John XXIII's opening statement:
“The salient point of this council is not, therefore, a discussion of one article or another of the fundamental doctrine of the Church which has repeatedly been taught by the Fathers and by ancient and modern theologians, and which is presumed to be well known and familiar to all. For this a council was not necessary. [...] The substance of the ancient doctrine of the Deposit of Faith is one thing, and the way in which it is presented is another. And it is the latter that must be taken into great consideration with patience if necessary, everything being measured in the forms and proportions of a magisterium which is predominantly pastoral in character.”
Bishop Butler of England also shares this view:
“Not all teachings emanating from a pope or Ecumenical Council are infallible. There is no single proposition of Vatican II - except where it is citing previous infallible definitions - which is in itself infallible.”
“Since the Council was aiming primarily at a pastoral orientation and hence refrained from making dogmatically binding statements or disassociating itself, as previous Church assemblies have done, from errors and false doctrines by means of clear anathemas, many questions took on an opalescent ambivalence which provided a certain amount of justification for those who speak of the spirit of the Council.”
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