What is the Magisterium, and what is its role in interpreting the Bible?
The Magisterium is the living teaching office of the Church, exercised by the Pope and the bishops in communion with him.
The task of giving an authentic and binding interpretation of the Word of God, whether written in Scripture or handed on in Tradition, has been entrusted exclusively to the Magisterium. Christ promised the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth and said to them: 'Whoever listens to you listens to me.'
The Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God; it is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously, and explaining it faithfully. The Magisterium protects the faithful from private, contradictory interpretations that distort the true Gospel.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 85
- 2 Peter 1:20-21
- Luke 10:16
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.