REASON & THEOLOGY

In addition to accepting the 1989 Profession of Faith promulgated by Pope St. John Paul II, I maintain the following 40 propositions on the state of the church:

1. I accept that Pope Francis is the successor of St. Peter who currently sits on his throne as the bishop of Rome. 
2. I accept 21 ecumenical councils and adhere to their decisions as proposed by the living magisterium of the universal church. 
3. I accept the magisterium of popes St. John XXIII, St. Paul VI, Blessed John Paul I, St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. I adhere to their teachings with the appropriate level of assent required by the magisterium. 
4. I accept that dogmas always retain the same meaning as when they were first defined.
5. I accept a hermeneutic of reform and continuity as expressed by Pope Benedict XVI for the proper interpretation of magisterial teachings. 
6. I accept that non-definitive teachings are to be given religious submission of intellect and will unless the exceptions outlined by the magisterium in Donum Veritatis are present.
7. I accept that when these exceptions are present, a suspension of assent and even a public expression of concern is conceivable – though public dissent is almost always imprudent and can often be a grave sin.  
8. I accept that the universal magisterium’s non-definitive teachings and disciplinary judgements, whether exercised immediately or vicariously, are theologically safe. 
9. I accept that I ought to be reluctant to attribute a reversal to the church’s authentic magisterium in matters that are taught non-definitively, while simultaneously recognizing that there can be no full reversal in the substantial meaning of definitive teachings.
10. I accept that if the authentic magisterium has reversed itself in a non-definitive teaching, I will assent to the teaching that has been taught by the magisterium with a higher weight. 
11. I accept the magisterium has plenary authority over the rites and liturgies of the church, provided the substance of the sacraments are untouched and all other higher laws of God are maintained. 
12. I accept the correction of my superiors save only those matters of which the Apostle said “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) – while simultaneously recognizing the role of the magisterium and the role of my superiors in forming my conscience about the laws of God. 
13. I reject the errors of those who have been seeking to cast off the yoke of Christ and his teachings. 
14. I reject the errors of those who nullify Scripture with the claim that the Scriptures have been corrupted by an intermingling of God’s word with human errors. 
15. I reject the error of those who do not employ a hermeneutic of continuity with the Scriptures.
16. I reject the error of those who ignore the pre-conciliar magisterium.
17. I reject the error of those who create an absolute opposition between the definitive teachings of the pre-conciliar magisterium and the post-conciliar magisterium.
18. I reject the error of those who attempt to undermine the deposit of faith under the guise of doctrinal development.
19. I reject the error of those who sever discipline from doctrine to the extent that they propose disciplines that are diametrically opposed to doctrine and consequently create scandal. 
20. I reject the error of those who wish to bless sin.
21. I reject the error of those who say that sexual acts outside the sanctity of marriage are good and are true expressions of love.
22. I reject the error of those who undermine the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until death.
23. I reject the error of those who create an opposition between God’s love and the duty to call the sinner back to repentance.
24. I reject the error of those who assume the presence of invincible ignorance in everyone who is not a Catholic in such a way that they neglect the duty to call everyone to full communion with Christ’s church.
25. I reject the error of those who assume the presence of mitigating circumstances in the presence of someone who has committed a grave sin in such a way that they neglect to call the sinner to repentance.
26. I reject the error of those who assume non-Catholics are informal members of the Church in such a way that they maintain it is not necessary to call them to formalize their membership with the Church.
27. I reject the new Protestant rebellion that has been festering in the church and presents itself as a pious and Spirit led movement under the guise of “Tradition.”
28. I reject the error of those clergy who set themselves in opposition to the Holy See.
29. I reject the error of those clergy who undergo supplied grace ceremonies for any reason, including but not limited to, a supply of grace that was not given to them at the time of their ordination in the reformed rite. 
30. I reject the error of those who say the see is vacant or that the current Holy Father has lost the papacy. 
31. I reject the error of those who break communion with the Holy See under the pretext of preserving Sacred Tradition.
32. I reject the error of those who say the papacy or the college of bishops has taught heresy in its magisterium, whether speaking definitely or non-definitively. 
33. I reject the error of those who ignore the living magisterium or the post-conciliar magisterium.
34. I reject the error of those who say the living magisterium of the universal church presently does or ever will intentionally deceive the faithful or oppose the deposit of faith. 
35. I reject the error of those who say the magisterium hates Tradition and desires to eradicate faithful Catholics. 
36. I reject the error of those who aid the enemies of the church by publicly slandering and bearing false witness against the leaders of the Catholic Church.
37. I reject the error of those who criticize the church while offering no constructive solutions to the confusion in the church and making no effort to cover the nakedness of our fathers. 
38. I reject the error of the rigorists who fail to offer the judgment of charity to the teachings of the magisterium.
39. I reject the error of the rigorists who fail to show mercy to the sinner.
40. I reject the error of those who say non-Catholics in no way may be members of the Christ’s Church that subsists in the Catholic Church alone.

If I have erred in anything above, I humbly defer to the magisterium’s judgment and renounce my error.

Michael Lofton

07/10/2023