Cardinal Schönborn on Changing the Catechism, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture, Oct 24, 2023

Jeffrey Mirus holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Princeton University. A co-founder of Christendom College, he also pioneered Catholic Internet services. He is the founder of Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org.

I confess I was initially annoyed by Cardinal Schönborn’s statement to Synod reporters that the Pope could change the Catechism on homosexuality. The Cardinal was referring specifically to the Catechism’s statement that homosexuality is “intrinsically disordered”. His point seemed to be that since the Pope promulgated the Catechism, only the Pope can change it. That is true enough, and in context the remark seems far less provocative. But I still wish to add perspective.

For convenience, I will drop the formal italics for the short title of the Catechism. Cardinal Schönborn’s comment is, in some ways, distressingly true. The Catechism can be changed, both for better or worse, and this is because it is a “sure norm” in a general human sense, but not in the sense of being an exercise of infallibility. Why do I make such a point of this? …