“During the pontificate of John Paul II,” writes Dr. E. Christian Brugger, “Catholics had confidence that what was taught by the pope was sound. An unintended side effect was that some became overly dependent on papal statements to know what to think and what to value.
“Devout Church watchers today face a different situation,” he writes. “Given the pope’s ambiguous and confusing statements, it is essential that Catholics learn their faith and know their tradition so they can reasonably assess the value of statements and actions that issue from the Vatican.”
And it’s not only “the Vatican.” Claiming the authority of something called the “Synodal Way,” various national conferences of bishops are now claiming that fundamental Church teaching on sexual morality, ordination, and other vital aspects of the Faith are optional.
To confront this confusion, Catholics “must (among other things) understand what Church teaching authority is and what it is not.”
Dr.Brugger addresses that essential question with clarity and precision.
Read More Here: www.catholicworldreport.com/2022/08/04/pope-francis-contraception-and-the-problem-of-ecclesial-authority/