Use By The Magisterium
Consensus among the faithful is a powerful witness to the truth of a doctrine, but that consensus is not what makes the doctrine true. The consensus is a result, not a cause of the truth of the doctrine.
The Marian dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Mary were defined predominantly on the basis of the sensus fidei. Pope Benedict XVI said: "Faith both in the Immaculate Conception and in the bodily Assumption of the Virgin was already present in the People of God, while theology had not yet found the key to interpreting it in the totality of the doctrine of the faith. The People of God therefore precede theologians and this is all thanks to that supernatural sensus fidei, namely, that capacity infused by the Holy Spirit that qualifies us to embrace the reality of the faith with humility of heart and mind. In this sense, the People of God is the 'teacher that goes first' and must then be more deeply examined and intellectually accepted by theology." In each case, the dogma was defined "not so much because of proofs in scripture or ancient tradition, but due to a profound sensus fidelium and the Magisterium". Each of the two popes concerned consulted the bishops of the world about the faith of the community before proceeding to define the dogma.
Donal Dorr has commented critically on what he sees as the Church's failure to effectively listen to the sensus fidei, perhaps seeking this sensus in Third World countries, since he also sees Catholic social teaching as showing a western and ethnocentric leaning, There are opposing theologians, such as George Weigel, who believe that Catholic social doctrine is emerging as more liberal and attentive to this tendency in the community of the faithful.
Read more about this topic: Sensus Fidelium