Levels
| Teacher: | Level of Magisterium: | Degree of certitude: | Assent required: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pope ex cathedra | Extraordinary (and universal) | Infallible on matters of faith and morals | Full Assent of Faith |
| 2. Bishops, in union with Pope, defining doctrine at General Council | Extraordinary (and universal teaching of the Church) | Infallible on matters of faith and morals | Full Assent of Faith |
| 3. Bishops proposing definitively, dispersed, but in unison, in union with Pope | Ordinary and universal teaching of the Church | Infallible | |
| 4. Pope | Ordinary | Authoritative but noninfallible | Religious submission of intellect and will |
| 5. Bishops | Ordinary | Authoritative but noninfallible | Religious submission of intellect and will |
| 6. Theologians | Magisterium cathedrae magistralis (according to Thomas Aquinas) | Neither authoritative nor infallible | Legitimate Disagreements and Dialectic (according to the long tradition of Quaestiones Disputatae) |
| 7. Priests | No magisterial authority |
Read more about this topic: Magisterium
Famous quotes containing the word levels:
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