Dear Benedict's Apprentice:

It is the habit of some to throw about the word heresy fairly freely. And so I am sure you have heard it used and read it in online posts from others etc..

But let me put your mind to rest.

The declaration of anything as heresy or heretical - is an authority and right reserved for proper church authority and even they must follow cannon law as steps to pronounce or declare something as heresy or someone as heretical. Certainly it would be chaos is every member of the church had the ability to determine for himself what was or was not heretical. No one would agree - and anyone ho disagreed would be branded as heretical by anyone who disagreed � etc� etc�

So if a painting within the Sistine chapel itself - was heretical - the Church authorities would know about it - because it is their duty and right - alone - to decide such things.

In her charity - the Church (proper authority following cannon law) makes a difference between what is heretical and what is error. Not every error in logic or understanding - is heretical - because to be declared heretical - can only be done by following the steps of cannon law. And the final step of cannon law (after several layers of investigation) is that the person must be notified by Church authority and asked to cease and desist. If the person refuses - and the church is sure the person understand the truth clearly - that act of defiant will can then be declared heresy and heretical.

There are many criteria involved - just to name a few�

What is being taught - must - be determined to be causing significant har to the church. Not just theoretical harm. It must be threathening to cause a division in the church or great harm to the public reputation of the church.

The person involved must be a member of the church. The church can not declare heresy or heretical to any non-member of the church. For example - it is not within the authority of the church to declare - a Buddhist - a heretic or his teachings as heretical. They can declare that teaching as being in error - but not heretical.

The person involved and his statements - must be determined by investigation - not to have been the results of having been improperly catechumed. If there was something lacking in his training - or if he misunderstood something - the church is required to - stop all proceedings and arrange proper training with full attention to his understanding what the church teaches.

Heretical doctrine - must - be connected to a person or group. For example - error can spread in the church for many reasons - but someone heretical and heresy - belongs to an act of human will - to resist such remedies as I mentioned above.

Let us take an old heresy - for example that Jesus did not have a real body and was a phantasm. The person or group that was teaching that was asked to cease and they refused - so - it followed the steps to Heresy. These people are no long dead. Now let us say that someone in New Jersey comes out with a teaching that Jesus was not real flesh and bones but was a phantasm - even though this is the same doctrine that had been declared heresy 1000 years ago - coming from this person or group in New Jersey today it would simply be error - until all steps of cannon law were followed up to the last step. Only then - may the authorities of the church declare this new expression of an old error - as heresy.

By ourselves, as member of the church, we can determine to the best of our ability if someone else is in error (be he a member of the church or not) but we have no capability at all (because that capacity resides only in authority) to determine if it is heresy or not.

Let me say that another way�. 2 + 2 = 4 (we can figure that out for ourselves) and we can judge that 2 + 3 = 4 is in error - but only proper church authority has the power to make that error into heresy. Within the steps of cannon law and the investigations involved etc� up to the final official declaration of heresy - it remains just - error. And so the reality of heresy or not - is not a judgement on our part even by our logic - it remains soley a power of Church authority.
So if you write something in forums or say something - even if it is in error - and someone replies �Oh� that sounds like heresy to me.� that are dead wrong - what you said may be in error but it is in not way heretical - that is unless the hierarchy of the church have contacted you and investigated you and asked you personally to cease - and you refused any further training - and then they issued a sign decree upon on you. That has not happened to you - right? (hehe).

Some people throw about the implication - to frighten you - so they can win the argument and look smart to everyone else.

Only what and who - has been specifically declared by official acts of the church - can be heretical or heresy. It is a very limited pronouncement - and so these declaration of the church are recorded and on record.

So there is nothing heretical about the Sistine chapel - unless the church decided and declares there is. It is a - power and authority - which the hierarchy can exercise - and we can not exercise.

-ray

-ray