Post by alyosha on Sept 22, 2023 6:59:00 GMT -5
Salve Maria.
I recently began studying the SSPX's arguments regarding the doubts surrounding recent canonizations. My curiosity on the subject is immense as I believe this is an untenable position. However, in my studies I came across two interesting arguments that may be of interest to this forum. I would like to know your opinion on these arguments.
First Argument (Fr. Álvaro Calderón): The magisterium does not want to seal canonizations with its authority.
Justification:
1: Lumen Gentium declares that the authority of the magisterium must be subordinated to the sensus fidei of the people of God. Because of this, the hierarchy feels obliged to canonize those who achieve a reputation for holiness, in a kind of confirmation of popular faith.
2: Conciliar collegiality removes the analysis of the individual's virtues, writings and miracles from apostolic authority, and places it in the hands of episcopal authority. Therefore, the Pope does not use his authority to canonize, he simply confirms what the bishops concluded.
3: The theologians who analyze the writings are no longer appointed by the Holy See, but by episcopal conferences. In the current process, they only analyze public writings, not private ones, and the judgment of their orthodoxy regarding the deposit of faith is subject to individual subjectivism.
It could then be concluded that canonization lacks apostolic authority. As infallibility is conditioned on the use of authority, current canonizations are not infallible.
Now I must say, to me this is the weakest argument, and it borders on heresy. One cannot have an a priori understanding of how the Magisterium thinks and based on that conclude the lack of authority of the act, specially when it’s an extraordinary act such as a canonization. But I would like to know what you guys think.
Second argument (Fr. Jean-Michel Gleize): The current canonization process is similar to a process already declared fallible by Benedict XIV.
Justification:
In De Servorum Dei Beatificatione Et Beatorum Canonizatione, Pope Benedict XIV describes how the infallibility of canonizations is conditioned on their process. He states that, as this process was prone to falsehoods before the systematization carried out in the 12th century, canonizations from that time are doubtful. The reform of the canonization process carried out in 1983 by John Paul II corrupts the process in a similar way, mainly in the use of local episcopal authority to investigate the individual to be canonized. Therefore, equivalently, current canonizations are dubious.
Gleize gives the reference for this claim. The original quote from Benedict XIV is in latin, a language I don’t know. Because of this I’ll post the original, aswell as the machine translation.
Original:
Machine translation:
Now, this is a much simpler but much better argument, because it is based on papal authority. Not only that, but the greatest authority on canonizations in church history. Reading from the translated text, it seems Pope Benedict XIV is claiming that an episcopal conference could never canonize someone, even with the approval of the Pope. If Gleize is correct, the current canonizations would function similarly, as it is the episcopal conferences that do all the process and only the solemn proclamation is done by the Pope. I’m not so sure if that is what’s really happening today, but I can see a possible merit in the argument. But I would like to know your opinion on this.
Thank you in advance. God bless.
Edit: The quote from Benedict XIV is from the aforementioned book, First Volume, Chapter X, Article 6.
I recently began studying the SSPX's arguments regarding the doubts surrounding recent canonizations. My curiosity on the subject is immense as I believe this is an untenable position. However, in my studies I came across two interesting arguments that may be of interest to this forum. I would like to know your opinion on these arguments.
First Argument (Fr. Álvaro Calderón): The magisterium does not want to seal canonizations with its authority.
Justification:
1: Lumen Gentium declares that the authority of the magisterium must be subordinated to the sensus fidei of the people of God. Because of this, the hierarchy feels obliged to canonize those who achieve a reputation for holiness, in a kind of confirmation of popular faith.
2: Conciliar collegiality removes the analysis of the individual's virtues, writings and miracles from apostolic authority, and places it in the hands of episcopal authority. Therefore, the Pope does not use his authority to canonize, he simply confirms what the bishops concluded.
3: The theologians who analyze the writings are no longer appointed by the Holy See, but by episcopal conferences. In the current process, they only analyze public writings, not private ones, and the judgment of their orthodoxy regarding the deposit of faith is subject to individual subjectivism.
It could then be concluded that canonization lacks apostolic authority. As infallibility is conditioned on the use of authority, current canonizations are not infallible.
Now I must say, to me this is the weakest argument, and it borders on heresy. One cannot have an a priori understanding of how the Magisterium thinks and based on that conclude the lack of authority of the act, specially when it’s an extraordinary act such as a canonization. But I would like to know what you guys think.
Second argument (Fr. Jean-Michel Gleize): The current canonization process is similar to a process already declared fallible by Benedict XIV.
Justification:
In De Servorum Dei Beatificatione Et Beatorum Canonizatione, Pope Benedict XIV describes how the infallibility of canonizations is conditioned on their process. He states that, as this process was prone to falsehoods before the systematization carried out in the 12th century, canonizations from that time are doubtful. The reform of the canonization process carried out in 1983 by John Paul II corrupts the process in a similar way, mainly in the use of local episcopal authority to investigate the individual to be canonized. Therefore, equivalently, current canonizations are dubious.
Gleize gives the reference for this claim. The original quote from Benedict XIV is in latin, a language I don’t know. Because of this I’ll post the original, aswell as the machine translation.
Original:
Verum, quidquid fit de hac controverfia, quemadmodum certum effe videtur, uti fupra dictum eft, nunquam Epifcopos potuiffe veras peragere Canonizationes: præcipere etenim, ut aliquis tamquam Sanctus publico cultu colatur in univerfa Ecclefia, nec poteft, nec potuit unquam ad eum pertinere, qui limitatam obtinet jurifdiétionem in una dicecefi, aut provincia, fed ad eum tantummodo, qui jus obtinet in universa Ecclesia: ita perfpicuum apparet, Primates, Archiepifcopos, aut Epifcopos olim potuiffe cultum publicum indulgere erga Martyres, aut Confeffores in fua provincia, aut diccefi, quod eft, idem ac dicere, Beatificationis honores concedere, ant advocata fummi Pontificis auctoritate, aut etiam jare fuo, abfque eo quod ab illa dependerent, ficut ex fupradictis facile colligi poteff.
Machine translation:
It is true, whatever happens about this controversy, as it seems certain, as it has been said, that the bishops could never have carried out true canonizations: indeed, to order that someone should be worshiped as a Saint in public worship in the whole Church, neither can, nor could it ever apply to him, who obtains a limited jurisdiction in one diocese, or province, given only to him who obtains the right in the whole Church: thus it appears clear, that Primates, Archbishops, or Bishops were formerly able to indulge in public worship for Martyrs, or Confessors in that province, or diocese, that it is the same as saying, to grant the honors of Beatification, whether they are advocated by the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, or even in their own, without the fact that they depend on it, as you can easily gather the above.
Now, this is a much simpler but much better argument, because it is based on papal authority. Not only that, but the greatest authority on canonizations in church history. Reading from the translated text, it seems Pope Benedict XIV is claiming that an episcopal conference could never canonize someone, even with the approval of the Pope. If Gleize is correct, the current canonizations would function similarly, as it is the episcopal conferences that do all the process and only the solemn proclamation is done by the Pope. I’m not so sure if that is what’s really happening today, but I can see a possible merit in the argument. But I would like to know your opinion on this.
Thank you in advance. God bless.
Edit: The quote from Benedict XIV is from the aforementioned book, First Volume, Chapter X, Article 6.