Doctrine and dogma in Roman Catholic theology. According the second word in ‘social doctrine’, the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on social and economic affairs is called a ‘doctrine’.55 Doctrine, which in 52 According to which: ‘ […] we [the RCC] cannot but deplore certain habits of mind, which are sometimes found too among Christians, which do not sufficiently attend to the rightful independence of science and which, from the arguments and controversies they spark, lead many minds to conclude that faith and science are mutually opposed.’ SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Gaudium et spes. 36. AAS 58. 1966. 53 Compendium, 76 – 78. 54 See XXXXXX, Catholic social thought: renovating the tradition, 16. 55 A brief definition of ‘doctrine’ in Catholic theology: ‘(Veritates catholicae or doctrina catholica). With this term are called, in a rigorous theological sense, all those truths that the Church is presenting in an authentic way, but not infallible. Catholic doctrine includes some theological conclusions, many affirmations from Papal encyclicals, etc. The Church requires, for such presented truths, an internal adherence, but not an absolute and irrevocable faith adherence. Adherence, given by Church authority, can be taken away when one, with considerations overwhelming the present situation until that the end means teaching, in our context refers to teaching that is suitable to be shaped and developed through the time. It is an always renewed teaching according to the contemporary situations, in which elements of tension are grasped and analysed. A doctrine is conceptually to be distinguished from that which in RC theology is defined as dogma.56 Doctrine and dogma both teach something. But in the theology of the Roman Catholic Church, dogma indicates a taught truth not open to modification. Dogma goes untouched through the ages. It is a principle from which certain consequences arise on the level of belief as well as in everyday activity for the believer. Only from dogma itself, in a descending line, is it allowed to speculate on its consequences or deeper meaning. Never is a modification of its content allowed once it has been defined as such by the authority of the RCC. This is due to the fact that a dogma comes, according to the RCC, directly from the revelation of God, and the RCC can only give a written interpretation of it but cannot modify its content. In contrast to dogma, doctrine, about social and economic topics in this case, allows for more extensive speculation, which may involve also th...
