L’autorità, la coscienza comune e l’infallibilità della Chiesa, nella visione di Dumitru Staniloae

Abstract

This article presents the vision of the Romanian Orthodox theologian Dumitru Stăniloae about the authority, the common sense, and the infallibility of the Church. According to the Romanian theologian, the authority of the Church results from its quality as the mystical body of Christ in the Holy Spirit and refers to the ability to know and preserve without alteration the revealed truth, as well the ability to interpret authentically the Holy Scripture and Tradition. From the fact that the Church is the mystical body of Christ in the Holy Spirit results, apart from the ability to know, preserve and interpret the truth, also the common sense of the believers, that is, the common responsibility for the faith of each and every one, before God and the Church. In the Orthodox conception, infallibility refers to the ability of the Church to preserve without error the apostolic faith, that is, the authentic understanding of Revelation. This capacity of the Church results from the fact that, thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit, it immutably experiences the fullness of life in Christ. The infallibility of the Church is exercised in respect of the revelation contained in Scripture and in Tradition and consists in the ability to remain in the truth and in the humility to submit to it, without adding anything, but teaching only what is contained in it.