Tony Blair on dogma

19 December 2008  

When talking about how he can consider himself a catholic when he disagrees with just about all papal dogma, Blair is reported to have said (in Newsweek):

I guess there’s probably not many people of any religious faith who fully agree with every aspect of the teaching of the leaders of their faith.

Just in case Blair didn’t get the memo when he underwent his “conversion” to catholicism, he’s supposed to think of his pope as infallible (i.e. can’t make a mistake into catholic doctrine) and the bona fide representative of his god on this little blue planet:

[I]nfallibility … belongs to the body of bishops as a whole, when, in doctrinal unity with the pope, they solemnly teach a doctrine as true. We have this from Jesus himself, who promised the apostles and their successors the bishops, the magisterium of the Church: “He who hears you hears me” (Luke 10:16), and “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Matt. 18:18). — catholic.com

/hattip: NSS Newsline

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One Response to “Tony Blair on dogma”

  1. pnm765 on December 21st, 2008 1:46 am

    "supposed to think of his pope as infallible" is rather a stretch.. This hasn't actually been the case for a very long time indeed.

    For example, from the Wikipedia article on Papal Infallibility (admittedly not the most reliable source): "In practice, popes seldom use their power of infallibility, but rely on the notion that the Church allows the office of the pope to be the ruling agent in deciding what will be accepted as formal beliefs in the church."[2] Since the solemn declaration of Papal Infallibility by Vatican I on July 18, 1870, this power has been used only once ex cathedra: in 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary as being an article of faith for Roman Catholics. Thus, for example, the encyclical Humanae Vitae, issued in 1968 by Pope Paul VI is not considered to be infallible."

    There's also a section on disagreement with this doctrine within the Catholic church.

There's probably no god.  Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.