Theological censure

In Roman Catholic theology, a theological censure is a doctrinal judgment by which the Church stigmatizes certain teachings as detrimental to faith or morals.[1][2][3]

Theological censures have been described as the "negative corollaries" of theological notes.[4]

That they are directed at teachings distinguishes them from canonical censures, which are spiritual punishments imposed on people.

The history of theological censures begins in the 13th century; William of Ockham appears to have been the first to attempt to formally categorise them. [5]

Specific theological censures are divided into three groups according to as they bear principally upon (1) the import, or (2) the expression, or (3) the consequences, of condemned propositions.

1. A proposition is branded heretical (hæretica) when it goes directly and immediately against a revealed or defined dogma, or dogma de fide; erroneous (erronea) when it contradicts only a certain (certa) theological conclusion or truth clearly deduced from two premises, one an article of faith, the other naturally certain.
2. A proposition is ambiguous (ambigua) when it is worded so as to present two or more senses, one of which is objectionable; captious (captiosa) when acceptable words are made to express objectionable thoughts; evil-sounding (male sonans) when improper words are used to express otherwise acceptable truths; offensive when verbal expression is such as rightly to shock the Catholic sense and delicacy of faith (piarum aurium offensiva, offensive to pious ears).
3. In the third category fall Subsannativa religionis (derisive of religion), decolorativa canodris ecclesiæ (defacing the beauty of the Church), subversiva hierarchiæ (subversive of the hierarchy), eversiva regnorum (destructive of governments), scandelosa, perniciosa, periculosa in moribus (scandalous, pernicious, dangerous to morals), blasphema, idolatra, superstisiosa, magica (blasphemous, leading to idolatry, superstition, sorcery), arrogans, acerba (arrogant, harsh), etc. This enumeration, though incomplete, sufficiently draws the aim of the third group of censures; they are directed against such propositions as would imperil religion in general, the Church's sanctity, unity of government and hierarchy, civil society, morals in general, or the virtue of religion, Christian meekness, and humility in particular.

Bibliography

• Cahill, John (1955). The development of the theological censures after the council of Trent (1563–1709). Studia Friburgensia. N. S. 10. Fribourg, Switzerland: University Press.
• Cartechini, Sixtus (1951). De valore notarum theologicarum et de criteriis ad eas dignoscendas. Rome: Pontificiae Universitatis gregorianae.
• Résultat des conférences ecclésiastiques du diocèse du Puy, tenues en l'année 1838 sur les vertus théologales (in French). Impr. Gaudelet. 1839. p. 171. OCLC 420617887.
• Tournély, Honoré (1765). Praelectiones Theologicae De Opere Sex Dierum, Et De Locis Theologicis (in Latin). pp. 348–450.
• Sessa, Scrutinium doctrinarum (Rome, 1709)
• D'Argentré, Collectio iudiciorum (Paris 1728)
• Viva, Damnatarum thesium theologica trustina (Padua, 1737)
• Montagne, De censuria seu notis theologicis, ed. Migne (Paris, 1837)
• Di Bartolio, Les critères théol., Fr. tr. (Paris, 1889), on the Index
• Didiot, Logigue surnaturelle subjective (Paris 1891), No. 377
• Manning, The Vatican Council in Privilegium Petri (London, 1871)
• Newman, A letter to the Duke of Norfolk in Certain Difficulties of Anglicans (London, 1892), II
• Choupin, Valeur des décisions doctrinales du Saint-Siège (Paris, 1907)
• Ferraris, Propositiones damnatæ in Prompta Bibliotheca
• Quillet, Censures doctrinnales in Dict. de théol. cath
• Lagrange, Le décret "Lamentabili" in Rev. Bibl. (Oct., 1907)

References

1. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary
2. Joseph Sollier, "Theological Censures" in Catholic Encyclopedia 1908
3. "Anglicans Online Essays - Pierre Whalon - A Review of Rowan Williams' 'Grace and Necessity'?".
4. Ernst, Harold (December 1, 2002). "The Theological Notes and the Interpretation of Doctrine" (PDF). Theological Studies. 63 (4): 813–825. doi:10.1177/004056390206300407.
5. Pierre Fraenkel (1961). Testimonia Patrum. E. Droz. p. 308.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Theological Censures". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.