In Roman Catholic theology, a theological censure is a doctrinal judgment ( censure) by which the Catholic Church or Catholic theologians stigmatize(s) certain teachings or opinions as detrimental to faith or morals or both. Theological censures have been described as the "negative corollaries" of

theological notes The theological notes designate a classification of certainty of Roman Catholic beliefs in Catholic theology. While theological notes qualify positively beliefs and doctrines, said beliefs and doctrines are qualified negatively by theological ce ...

; while theological notes qualify positively beliefs and doctrines, said beliefs and doctrines are qualified negatively by theological censures. The theological censures' "enumeration, division and evaluation" vary between authors. Theological censures are only directed at teachings or opinions; this distinguishes them from canonical censures which are spiritual punishments imposed on people.

History

William of Ockham appears to have been the first medieval theologian to attempt to formally categorise the theological censure of his time.

Authority of the censures

" e supreme organs for heological notes and censures (and exclusively so for infallible matters) are the Pope and the

Ecumenical Councils An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote ar ...

. Limited competences attaches to the Roman Congregations, Provincial

Synods A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mea ...

( episcopal conferences) and the individual

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

and major superiors of religious orders. The whole

people of God ''People of God'' ( he, עם האלהים) is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to the Israelites and used in Christianity to refer to Christians. In the Bible Hebrew Bible and Old Testament In the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the Isr ...

is charged with the safeguarding of the true faith. Theologians have a special responsibility and thus are especially qualified to give theological notes nd censures ..though their authority is not one of jurisdiction. Their notes nd censureshave the weight of 'professional' opinions and have often influenced the magisterium". "If theological censurebe pronounced by the Teaching Authority of the Church it is an authoritative or judicial judgment (censura authentica or iudicialis). If it be pronounced by Theological Science it is a private doctrinal judgment (censura doctrinalis)".

Various classifications

''Catholic Encyclopedia''

Theological censures are divided into three groups by the '' Catholic Encyclopedia''; this division is according to as the censures bear principally upon either 1) the degree, or 2) the expression, or 3) the consequences, of condemned propositions: :1) A proposition is :* heretical () when it goes directly and immediately against a revealed or defined dogma, or dogma ''de fide''; :*erroneous (''erronea'') when it contradicts only a certain (''certa'') theological conclusion (i.e., a truth clearly deduced from two premises, the first premises being an article of faith, the second being a natural certain reflexion). :2) A proposition is :*ambiguous (''ambigua'') when it is worded so as to present two or more senses, one of which is objectionable; :*captious (''captiosa'') when acceptable words are made to express objectionable thoughts; :*evil-sounding (''male sonans'') when improper words are used to express otherwise acceptable truths; :*offensive when verbal expression is such as rightly to shock the Catholic sense and delicacy of faith (''piarum aurium offensiva'', offensive to pious ears). :3) In the third category fall propositions ''subsannativa religionis'' (derisive of religion), ''decolorativa canodris ecclesiæ'' (defacing the beauty of the Church), ''subversiva hierarchiæ'' (subversive of the

hierarchy A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...

), ''eversiva regnorum'' (destructive of governments), ''scandelosa'', ''perniciosa'', ''periculosa in moribus'' ( scandalous, pernicious, dangerous to morals), ''blasphema, idolatra, superstisiosa, magica'' ( blasphemous, leading to

idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...

sorcery Sorcery may refer to: * Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces ** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities * Magic in fiction, ...

), ''arrogans, acerba'' (arrogant, harsh), etc. :This enumeration, though incomplete, sufficiently draws the aim of the third group of censures; they are directed against such propositions as would imperil religion in general, the Church's sanctity, unity of government and hierarchy, civil society, morals in general, or the virtue of religion, Christian meekness, and humility in particular. There are four degrees of heresy according to the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' in another one of its articles: # Pertinacious adhesion to a doctrine contradictory to a point of faith clearly defined by the Catholic Church is heresy pure and simple, heresy in the first degree # If the doctrine in question has not been expressly defined or is not clearly proposed as an article of faith in the ordinary, authorized teaching of the Catholic Church, an opinion opposed to it is styled ''sententia haeresi proxima'', that is, an opinion approaching heresy # Next, a doctrinal proposition, without directly contradicting a received dogma, may yet involve logical consequences at variance with revealed truth. Such a proposition is not heretical, it is a ''propositio theologice erronea'', that is, erroneous in theology # Lastly, the opposition to an article of faith may not be strictly demonstrable, but only reach a certain degree of probability. In that case the doctrine is termed ''sententia de haeresi suspecta, haeresim sapiens'' (scholarly heretic); that is, an opinion suspected, or savouring, of heresy

Luwig Ott

Catholic theologian Luwig Ott describes the following censures, which he says are the most common theological censures: # Heretical proposition (): "This signifies that the proposition is opposed to a formal dogma" # Proposition proximate to heresy (''propositio heresi proxima''): "the proposition is opposed to a truth which is proximate to the Faith (Sent. fidei proxima)" # Proposition savouring of, or suspect of, heresy (''propositio haeresim sapiens'' or ''de haeresi suspecta'') # Erroneous proposition (''prop erronea''): "opposed to a truth which is proposed by the Church as a truth intrinsically connected with a revealed truth (''error in fide ecclesiastica'') or opposed to the common teaching of theologians (error theologicus)" # False proposition (''prop falsa''): "contradicting a

dogmatic fact The term ''dogmatic fact'' is employed in the teaching of the Catholic Church, to mean any fact connected with a dogma, wherein the application of the dogma is itself what constitutes, or more accurately canonizes, the fact. For example, if a certa ...

" # Temerarious proposition (''prop temeraria''): "deviating without reason from the general teaching" # Proposition offensive to pious ears (''prop piarum aurium offensiva''): "offensive to religious feeling" # Proposition badly expressed (''prop male sonans''): "subject to misunderstanding by reason of its method of expression" # Captious proposition (''prop captiosa''): "reprehensible because of its intentional ambiguity" # Proposition exciting scandal (''prop scandalosa'')

''Sommaire de théologie dogmatique''

The ''Sommaire de théologie dogmatique'' proposes the following degrees of theological censure: # Heretic: if the proposition "directly and immediately opposes a truth formally revealed and defined or proposed as such by the solemn or ordinary and universal Magisterium of the church" # Proximate to heresy: if the proposition "opposes a truth presented by ''the common teaching of'' 'l'ensemble'' destheologians as certain and soon to be defined". An example of one of those truths is the universal Mediation of the Virgin Mary # Scholarly heretic: if the proposition "can be interpreted in either a Catholic or heretical sense; but, juging by the circumstances, the latter sense prevails. Example: someone who is rightly suspected of Protestantism affirms insistently that faith alone justifies, and never affirms that works are also necessary for justification" (see '' Sola fide'') # Erroneous: the proposition "opposes a strictly speaking theological conclusion". An example of erroneous proposition is: "each Bishop in his diocese is independent of the

Sovereign Pontiff The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

, since he ach Bishopholds from Christ himself the powers necessary to govern his diocese" # Positively temerarious: the proposition "having for itself no probable reason, ..opposes a doctrine universally received in the Church". An example of a positively temerarious proposition is: "there is no Limbo for children who died without baptism" # Negatively temerarious: the proposition "without probable foundation, ..affirms a theological doctrine which has never been taught by the Church". An example of a negatively temerarious proposition is: "some more people other than the

Holy Virgin Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

have been exempted from the

original sin Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (t ...

" # Offensive to pious ears: " en the terms used go against the respect due to holy things" # Badly expressed 'Mal sonnante'' " the words are improper and open to misinterpretation" # Scandalous, seducing: " the professed doctrine leads to evil" # Seditious: " the doctrine leads to rebellion against the legitimate Authority" #

Schismatic Schismatic may refer to: * Schismatic (religion), a member of a religious schism, or, as an adjective, of or pertaining to a schism * a term related to the Covenanters, a Scottish Presbyterian movement in the 17th century * pertaining to the schi ...

: " it leads to separation from the Church"

John Hardon

Catholic theologian John Hardon states: