Foundations of Faith 9 - THE MAGISTERIUM

 Notes summarised from

1. The Study: "Foundations of Faith : A Journey Through the Catechism of the Catholic Church" (Core message Video - session 2)
2. Notes from "Overview of Catholic Theology", Rev Fr Michael Chan 

Scripture and Tradition "make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which is entrusted to the Church".

THE MAGISTERIUM

The Magisterium of the Catholic Church is the church's authority or office to give authentic interpretation of this Word of God, "whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition". 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Magisterium listens to the Word of God, guards it, protects it, and proclaims it. 

And it’s given a special protection from the Holy Spirit to not fall into error when it’s officially teaching in matters of faith and morals. 

So the task of authentically interpreting and proclaiming the Word of God is entrusted to the Church’s Magisterium, that is, the Pope and the bishops in union with him. 

HISTORICAL

And it makes sense that Jesus would build the Church this way. 

He gave his apostles authority to teach and proclaim the Gospel in his name. 

Matthew 10:1: And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.”

In this verse, Jesus chose 12 men to be his apostles. 

And it says that he gave them authority to go teach in his name. 

So close was the relationship between Jesus and his apostles that he says in Matthew 10:40: Whoever receives you receives me.

Matthew 10:40: He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.”

He says it again in Luke’s Gospel. 

He says whoever receives you, receives me. Whoever rejects you, rejects me. 

These apostles were Jesus’s representatives and they were formal, authoritative teachers of his teachings.

ONE GIVEN PREEMINENT AUTHORITY

There was one apostle among the twelve who stands out and was given a preeminent authority, and that is Peter. 

Peter was, we know, served as the first Pope, the Bishop of Rome.  This comes from Matthew chapter 16 in a pivotal moment in Jesus’s public ministry, when he changed this apostle’s name from Simon to Peter. Peter meaning rock. 

Matthew 16:18-19 “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

And Jesus says that Peter will be the rock, the foundation upon which the Church will be built. 

He also says that he would give Peter the keys of the Kingdom. 

The significance of this image of giving Peter the keys of the Kingdom

In the Old Testament, the kings in Israel would have a right-hand man, a Prime Minister, someone that was known as the “al  habayit” which means over the household. 

This person was the number two man in the Kingdom vested with the King’s authority and entrusted with the responsibility of the day-to-day affairs of the Kingdom. 

Isaiah chapter 22 describes how this person, this al habayit had real authority, and he was like a father to the citizens of the Kingdom. 

The symbol of his authority was the keys of the Kingdom. 

So, when Jesus says to Peter, I give you the keys to the Kingdom, this is not just a random image. It comes from Isaiah 22. 

He is telling Peter, I am the king, and you are going to be my al habayit. You are going to be my master of the palace, my Prime Minister, the authoritative teacher, the one who will be like a father to the citizens of the Kingdom. 

Today we call Peter and his successors, the Pope, which comes from the word Papa meaning father. 

Why do we call the Pope Holy Father? It’s because it’s biblical. He is in that role of being the father of the citizens of the Kingdom, the authoritative teacher for us in the Catholic Church.

 

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