Introduction

The Church is perpetually under assault from without and from within. We believe it is quite evident that the Church has suffered an especially fierce attack from within over the past century. Pope Leo XIII foresaw this attack and promulgated the St. Michael prayer to defend against it. Pope Paul VI even warned that the "smoke of Satan" had entered the Church.

CAI also recognizes that there is "one Spirit but many gifts". Some are called to engage battles "from without," some are called to engage battles "from within," while others may be called to engage both to some degree. Some are given the gifts and calling to engage these battles with a more gentle, circumspect approach, others are given the gifts and calling engage them with greater shrewdness and assertiveness (Matt 10:16, Luke 16:8). These gifts and callings are all complementary when understood properly.

Insofaras CAI has engaged the spriritual and intellectual battles that rage within the Church, we have adopted a spiritual and intellectual approach in the general tradition of great Catholics such as Dietrich von Hildebrand, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Charles of Borromeo, St. Jerome and St. Paul. As our Sensus Catholicus statements below convey, we are fiercely loyal to the Seat of Peter and the successors to the Apostles. However, we also recognize our duties and responsibilities in relation to the hierarchy and laity as conveyed in canon law (Canon 212: 2, 3). This is part of the nature of battles from within the Church. And as such, we endeavor to engage our calling as faithfully and zealously as we are able.

CAI must also candidly admit that not all people are called to this same battle with the same spiritual and intellectual approach that CAI has adopted and discerned. We respect these differences and would request that others do likewise. In challenging beliefs and interpretations of events, we may rankle one another in the process, but in faith, we know that God very often works in such uncomfortable ways.

Finally, we at CAI strongly warn those who are not already deeply, spiritually and intellectually rooted in the Faith of the dangers involved in engaging the battle we have chosen to engage and in the way we have chosen to engage it. Serious discernment is required. This battle is most safely engaged by those who are solidly formed, both intellectually and spiritually. There are many grave dangers to those who are not sufficiently prepared, and even to those who are. One may unintentially cross into extreme acts of disobedience and resistence which are not rooted in Catholic tradition, and hence, by endeavoring to counteract a particular error or danger, one may inadvertently fall into an even more deadly error. Catholic history is full of such unfortunate occurrences. If you are unsure of your calling or ability, we advise you to wait and strengthen yourself. Consult with a good spiritual advisor if at all possible. We will endeavor to provide any limited guidance that is possible over the internet.

Yet, still, this battle must be engaged by those who are called to engage it. We solicit your prayers that we may faithfully fulfill our call at the service of Christ and His Bride, the Church.

Michael Forrest

Terms of Use

According to the 1983 Code of Canon Law, #215, "The Christian faithful are at liberty freely to found and direct associations for purposes of charity or piety or for the promotion of the Christian vocation in the world and to hold meetings for the common pursuit of these purposes."
Accordingly, the Sensus Catholicus Society (SCS) has been formed for the express purpose of promoting the Catholic faith. It is our goal to help accomplish this purpose by requiring the members of the Society to adhere to the principles outlined in this agreement.

The SCS is a body of like-minded Christian men and women who aspire to the highest standards of theological investigation and moral behavior. The SCS is especially interested in the promotion of relevant and needful communication about current issues facing Catholicism and its relationship to the world around us.

To foster productive and wholesome communication between its members, the SCS asks for a commitment from all those who use websites, electronic mail, blog spots, periodicals, books and any other such venues, to register with the SCS and abide by its principles.

In order to show support for the goals of the SCS, members are asked to place the following seal and related code in an appropriate place so that the public may view your commitment to SCS principles.

The SCS 15-point Agreement:

1) We agree, as fellow Christians, that SCS members will maintain the utmost respect, both in language and behavior, with all fellow members of SCS, and will consistently practice these principles in all areas outside of the SCS.

2) We agree that each member of the SCS will show due respect and submission to the magisterium of the Catholic Church, which includes all pontiffs, bishops and councils up to the present day.

3) We agree that all SCS members will affirm, profess and defend all the defined dogmas, official pronouncements, and moral teachings of the Catholic Church, without deviation.

4) We agree to give our obedience to the reigning pontiff, when in all things lawful and binding, he teaches with authority and holds us accountable to matters related to faith and morals.

5) We agree to accept all the official and binding teachings of the twenty-one ecumenical councils, including any binding teachings from the Second Vatican Council.

6) We agree, as a corollary point to #5, to accept any and all qualifications that a pontiff has assigned to a particular council, that is, whether the council is infallible, non-infallible, dogmatic or pastoral; and we accept papal decisions regarding the degree to which a particular papal or conciliar statement within or about those councils are binding, or not binding, upon the Christian faithful.

7) We agree to accept the most current conciliar _expression of loyalty and submission to the Roman pontiff and his councils, which _expression is found in the document, Lumen Gentium 25, written at the Second Vatican Council. In doing so, we give special observance to the words "authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak ex cathedra," since it is the goal of SCS to obey the pope when he speaks officially and makes it known that he is exercising his "authentic teaching authority."

8) We agree, as a corollary point to #7, in conjunction with the many warnings and admonitions from previous pontiffs, councils, saints and doctors who have expressed the same qualifications, that unless the pope's authentic teaching authority is exercised and made explicit to the faithful, they are not bound by any other statements, including unofficial musings or personal opinions of the pope or other members of the magisterium.

9) We agree, regarding actions and statements issued by members of the magisterium which are found, by the appropriate consensus, to be erroneous and objectionable in nature, that all Catholics, according to specific Canon Laws promulgated by the pope, have, "according to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess...the right and...duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful" (1983 Code of Canon Law, 212, 3).

10) We agree that, according to our canonical "right and duty," we can reject any unofficial or non-binding statement or personal opinion of any member of the magisterium which is at variance with the accepted tradition of the Church given to us by the unanimity of the Church Fathers, or dogmatic proclamations of previous popes and councils.

11) We agree to express our concerns, according to Canon Law, "with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons" (Canon Law, 212, 3).

12) We agree, among those of us who are recognized as theologians for the Church, that, according to the guidelines given by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the document, "Decree on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian" (# 31) regarding an objectionable and assumed erroneous teaching, we have the "...duty to make known to the Magisterial authorities the problems raised by the teaching in itself, in the arguments proposed to justify it, or even in the manner in which it is presented."

13) We, as a body of dedicated Catholics striving to attain a greater understanding of divine truths, agree to seek, in the spirit of fraternal charity and unity, through the various gifts God has given to each of us, to help each other abide by these principles.

14) We agree that each member of this SCS will be open to fraternal correction, bearing in mind Our Lord's words to the Apostles in Matthew 18:16-17: "And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. 17 And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican."

15) We agree to cooperate with one another and avoid anything that will lead to division. We agree, in accordance with the words of Jesus, that the only reasons to separate from a fellow member is when that member: (a) having previously accepted this agreement and posted the SCS seal acknowledging his agreement, refuses to abide by the principles in this agreement, (b) believes or teaches what has been dogmatically defined by the magisterium as heretical or schismatic, or (c) engages in consistent immoral behavior without repentance.

Authored by Robert Sungenis
Catholic Apologetics International
11-15-2002

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