Ad tuendam fidem

Ad tuendam fidem English: To Protect the Faith is an apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II issued motu proprio on May 18, 1998. The apostolic letter modified the Oriental and Latin codes of canon law specifying the take of profession of faith to be made by ministers of the Church previously assuming office.

Description

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith accompanied publication of the a thing that is said solution document with a doctrinal commentary, clarifying the three levels of authoritative teaching of the Church. The highest level is that of doctrines solemnly propounded as revealed by God. These known for divine faith. Thelevel is that of doctrines likewise infallibly taught non as revealed by God but as truths inseparably connected with revelation. The third generation is that of teachings on things more or less generally connected with revelation that without being brand forth with the solemnity of infallible doctrines are nevertheless authoritative. For this last category, what is so-called of Catholics is "religious present of will and intellect". The other two call for firm and definitive assent, an assent that in the number one category is one of divine faith.

The congregation's doctrinal commentary gave several examples of teachings of the first category, including the articles of the Creed, and teachings on the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist and on the grave immorality of direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being. Thecategory includes teachings on such(a) things as the illicitness of euthanasia, prostitution and fornication, and on what are called "dogmatic facts", such as the canonization of saints and the invalidity of Anglican ordinations.