MAGISTERIUM
(Etym. Latin magister, master.)
The Magisterium is vested in the bishops, as successors of the Apostles,
under the Roman Pontiff, as successor of St. Peter.
It is also vested in the Pope, as Vicar of Christ
and visible head of the Catholic Church.
Magisterium Summaries
The Magisterium has been promulgated by the Catholic Church throughout 2000 years.
CUSP Publishing adapted these official church documents and condensed their core content, referenced by document and paragraph number
These Magisterial Summaries comprise a distillation of Council documents, Papal letters, encyclicals, and publications by the dicasteries.
Our books were first published in 1990 under the title of Précis of Official Catholic Teaching
The content is organized under eleven topics and published in 13 volumes compriseing 4.000 pages.
These books were printed in 5 by 8 inch volumes and reached 52 countries. The mission of CUSP is to republish the Magisterium Summaries for this present and future generations of Catholics.
A Compilation of Accurate and Readable Summaries of the Magisterium
Foreword by James Cardinal Hickey, Archbishop of Washington
Foreword
Cardinal Hickey(1920-2004) served as Archbishop of Washington from 1980 to 2000, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1988.
I am happy to introduce this Precis of Official Teachings on Faith, Revelation and the Bible [prepared by CUSP Publications]. This volume, and the series that will be published, makes no claim to originality; it is rather an accurate and readable summary of official Church teachings. Its compilers have rendered an important service in making these important documents accessible to a wide range of readers. Accurate knowledge of the Faith is so important for anyone who truly wishes to follow Christ and to live as members of His Church.
Church teaching opens our mind and heart to Christ and to the plan of redemption which He revealed and accomplished by His birth, His teaching and above all His death and resurrection.
We cannot be content with the view that religion is simply a matter of subjective opinion.
Rather, we need to ensure that our life of faith has strong foundations in the authentic teachings of the Church, in the teaching of the Holy Father and the bishops in communion with him.
The magisterium is truly at the service of the Word of God by ensuring that the teaching of Christ will come to us in all its entirety, without dilution or distortion.
I encourage clergy, religious, teachers and anyone wishing to know their faith more deeply and accurately to read this volume carefully and to refer to it often.
James Cardinal Hickey, Archbishop of Washington
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Table of Magisterium Topics
11 Magisterial Topics Correspond with 6 Dimensions of Christian Life
Vicars of Christ
Explain the imperative of the Magisterium
Concern for Human Life
“So often we find ourselves in situations where we see that what is valued the least is life. That is why concern for human life in its totality has become in recent years a real priority for the Church’s Magisterium, especially for the most defenseless, i.e. the disabled, the sick, the newborn, children, the elderly, those whose lives are most defenseless.”
Pope Francis – Public Address, International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations ((September 20, 2013)
Cultivate an Adult Faith
“We must do everything possible for catechetical renewal. To do this we need an ‘adult faith.’ This does not mean… a faith detached from the Magisterium of the Church. When we abandon the Magisterium, the result is dependency ‘on the opinions of the world, on the dictatorship of the communications media.”
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI – Public Address, to priests in Rome (February 23, 2012)
Service to the Truth
“This is the context in which the conviction that theology needs the living and clarifying word of the Magisterium becomes fully understandable and perfectly consistent with the logic of the Christian faith. The meaning of the Church’s Magisterium must be considered in relation to the truth of Christian doctrine.”
Saint John Paul II Address to Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (November 24, 1995)
Three Truths
Though his Savior walked the earth for 33 years, Pope John Paul I, as the Vicar of Christ, served his Savior for only 33 days.
“You will say further: how can this happen? It happens because one is attached to three truths: God is almighty, God loves me immensely, God is faithful to promises. And it is he, the God of mercy, who kindles trust in me; so that I do not feel lonely, or useless, or abandoned, but involved in a destiny of salvation, which will lead to Paradise one day.”
Pope John Paul I – General Audience (September 20, 1978)
Natural MoraL Law
“No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent in her Magisterium to interpret the natural moral law. It is in fact indisputable, as our predecessors have many times declared, that Jesus Christ, when He communicated His divine power to Peter and the other Apostles and sent them to teach all nations His commandments, constituted them as the authentic guardians and interpreters of the whole moral law, not only, that is, of the law of the Gospel but also of the natural law.”
Pope Paul VI – Humanae Vitae (July 25, 1968)
Until the end of time
“In calling this vast assembly of bishops, the latest and humble successor to the Prince of the Apostles who is addressing you intended to assert once again the Magisterium (teaching authority), which is unfailing and perdures until the end of time, in order that this Magisterium, taking into account the errors, the requirements, and the opportunities of our time, might be presented in exceptional form to all men throughout the world.”
Saint John XXIII – Opening Address at Vatican II (October 11, 1962