Syllabus of Errors

The Syllabus Errorum ( "List of errors" ) is a list of 80 theses that. Pope Pius IX were condemned as wrong. The Syllabus Errorum, often referred to simply as the syllabus, was released at the same time with the complaining rank higher encyclical Quanta Cura liability on 8 December 1864.

Content

The condemned propositions repeat predominantly doctrinal statements of the Pope from other documents that must be used for the scope of the judgment. The syllabus is divided into ten paragraphs ( in brackets the numbers of the corresponding theses ):

• § 1: pantheism, naturalism, and absolute rationalism (1-7)
• § 2: Moderate rationalism (8-14 )
• § 3: indifferentism, latitudinarianism (15-18)
• § 4: socialism, communism, secret societies, Bible societies, liberal clerics clubs ( no theses, instead references to: Encyclical Qui pluribus (9 November 1846), apostolic speech Quibus Quantisque (20 April 1849), Encyclical Nostis et nobiscum ( December 8, 1849 ), apostolic speech Singulari Quadam (9 December 1854), Encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore (10 August 1863) )
• § 5: Misconceptions about the Church and its rights ( 19-38 )
• § 6: Misconceptions about the civil society, both in itself and in its relations with the Church ( 39-55 )
• § 7: Misconceptions about the natural and Christian moral law ( 56-64 )
• § 8: Misconceptions about Christian marriage ( 65-74 and reference to the encyclical Qui pluribus )
• § 9: Misconceptions about the state power of the Roman Pontiff ( 75-76 and references )
• § 10: Errors, which refer to the liberalism of our day ( 77-80 )

The Syllabus Errorum is essentially an excerpt from previous encyclicals, speeches, letters and apostolic letter. He needs ( for example, the so-called Kulturkampf in Germany ) are seen that have been emerging already in the middle of the 19th century in connection with intra-church disputes ( modernism ), but also in terms of the conflict between the Catholic Church and secular states. Despite a very long preparation time of about 15 years, the syllabus was finally released very suddenly during a domestic political escalation in Italy. The polarizing effect of the papal defensive strategy resulted for example in France to serious misunderstandings. Then the Pope has the restrictive interpretation that gave the Syllabus of the Bishop of Orleans Félix Dupanloup expressly approved. The German translation was approved church in 1865.

Examples of offenders sentenced Syllabus Errorum theses

1 There is no highest, wisest and everything before seeing divine being, that would be distinguished from the whole world. God is at the same time as the essence of things and therefore subject to change. In reality, God is a Nascent in man and in the world. Everything is God and has His own essence. God and the world are one and the same power and cause. Therefore, one and the same also spirit and matter, necessity and freedom, truth and falsity, good and evil, right and wrong.

2 Every action of God on the people and on the world is undeniable.

3 Human reason is, without us they would have to somehow relate to God, the judge of truth and falsity, good and evil. It is itself the law and with their natural force sufficient to secure the well-being of individuals and peoples.

15 It is up to each person to accept that religion and profess what he guided by the light of reason, holds, for true.

16 People can exercise at any religion find the way of eternal salvation and attain eternal bliss.

17 At least one must cherish good hope of the eternal salvation of all who do not live in the true Church of Christ.

18 Protestantism is nothing more than a different form of the same Christian religion, in which it is equally possible to please God, as in the Catholic Church.

20 The ecclesiastical power may use its authority without the permission and consent of the public authorities do not exercise (reference to allocution Meminit unusquisque ).

39 The state owns the source and origin of all rights and therefore an absolute right.

60 authority means nothing more than the totality of the set of numbers and the combination of physical forces.

61 A successful injustice brings the sanctity of the law no disadvantages (reference to allocution Iamdudum cernimus ).

62 The so-called principle of non-interference must be proclaimed and (reference to allocution Novos et ante) are observed.

77 In our time it is no longer useful, that the Catholic religion applies to the exclusion of all other cults as the sole state religion.

78 It is therefore to be commended, that is prescribed by law in certain Catholic countries that the immigrants, the public exercise of their worship, which he may be, should be permitted.

79 For it is wrong that the government freedom for every cult and all the granted power to freely and publicly made ​​known to admit their opinions and thoughts, leads to corrupt the mind and morals of the people and lead to the spread of the disease of indifferentism.

80 The Roman Pontiff can and should reconcile himself with progress, liberalism and modern civilization and unite ( as the basis for this point was derived from the March 18, 1861 allocution Iamdudum cernimus, so the detail is concerned ).

Interpretation and Meaning

The syllabus is subject Errorum extremely controversial discussions, and even the today's factional dispute in the Catholic Church occasionally resort to him. The fundamentalism recognizes in particular in the sets 15-18 and 77-80, a floor plan of anti-modern Catholic belief formulated by, he conceives the opposite position on these convictions as unalterable part of Catholic tradition.

Due to the rejection of the sentence, for example 39 or 60 of the sentence, which was then directed into the church self-determination against interference by the nation-states, was also the time not yet published political totalitarianism since its occurrence outside the boundaries of the Catholic doctrine. Therefore, communism, Nazism, fascism ( as the " Italian Fascism " is understood here) and the Action Française were later convicted. From today's perspective, the demarcation against totalitarianism is considered constant value. Not affected by this definition of authoritarian corporatism and the dictatorial form of government has been in itself ( Austria, Spain, Portugal, ... ), which the Catholic Church only since the Second World War ( Christmas message of Pope Pius XII. ), The encyclical Pacem in terris and the conciliar Constitution Gaudium et Spes hostile to.

Regarding the interpretation is to be noted that church condemnations to the beginning of the 20th century preferably followed the pattern of rejection of certain sentences. However, this legal method provokes misunderstandings when addressed to professional theologians judgments are interpreted by wider circles. Because these contradictory judgments included after the self- understanding of the Church no statement about the accuracy of the opposite. The " contrarian " sets are not " positive" taught. For example, forbidden set 80 not to dialogue with the modern world and does not prohibit any adjustment to every imaginable progress. Set 80 formulated a defense against progress and liberalism of the years around 1864. Papacy was not willing to submit to the primacy of politics. This is the permanent content of the papal self-understanding, the unforgiving expressed in the 19th century, from the encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891 but turned to the need of the times.

Overall, Pope Pius IX. Resisted, then still monarch in the Papal States, against interventions of the modern state in an area that is under his view exclusively ecclesiastical authority. In that regard it as a still undifferentiated, defense of the totalitarian state was expressed, this defensiveness was also a necessary preparation for it to reconsider the relationship between state and church in the 20th century redefined on the basis of the civil religion.

Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church accepts that a state community, for example, builds on the sets 15, 77, 78, while the belief of Catholicism the universal truth of the theorem 15 also rejects. Sentences 77-80 presuppose the concept of the Catholic state. Is this no longer viable, so they do not demand its re-establishment. Because overall, the syllabus devoted the time error of the time, especially their effects on the relationship of church and state. But he rejects any " eternal errors". From today's perspective, the syllabus no ground plan of the Catholic world view can be totally removed, but the vehement expression of the relationship between church and state, religion and society marks the beginning point which has led to the development of a Catholic social teaching.