Role Of Patristics Within Western Catholicism

[Patrick]

[quote name='Resurrexi' post='1896453' date='Jun 20 2009, 04:51 AM']As a Catholic, I don't believe that the Church suddenly stopped holding ecumenical councils after the first millennium. I hold the dogmas defined by Trent to be just as dogmatic as those defined as Nicaea. As Trent used the Latin translation of the Creed in the same way that the Fathers of Nicaea used the Greek translation, I hold the Latin version to be equally as authoritative.[/quote]

Yes, but as Orthodox, I'm used to the idea that the witness of the Fathers is not at odds with the Councils, the Councils merely expressing the faith of the Fathers, rather than being at odds with them. Perhaps there are key facts Orthodox have a blindness to. If so, I'd like to be made aware of them.

But back to the original point and frustration, the only way I can know if a particular patristic argument will hold any weight is to know the entire set of "trumpers" and know that it has not yet been trumped, right? There's nothing inherent in the particular patristic argument that would make it untrumpable? And what things are trumpers? Councils, obviously. But all councils, or only certain ones? Ex cathedra pronouncements? Any document published from Rome?

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Patrick' post='1896700' date='Jun 20 2009, 12:38 PM']Yes, but as Orthodox, I'm used to the idea that the witness of the Fathers is not at odds with the Councils, the Councils merely expressing the faith of the Fathers, rather than being at odds with them. Perhaps there are key facts Orthodox have a blindness to. If so, I'd like to be made aware of them.

But back to the original point and frustration, the only way I can know if a particular patristic argument will hold any weight is to know the entire set of "trumpers" and know that it has not yet been trumped, right? There's nothing inherent in the particular patristic argument that would make it untrumpable? And what things are trumpers? Councils, obviously. But all councils, or only certain ones? Ex cathedra pronouncements? Any document published from Rome?[/quote]

As a Catholic, I do not believe that any dogma contradicts a consensus of the Fathers on a matter. I believe that the Ecumenical Councils of the Church do, in fact, express the truths revealed by God to the Apostles.

If you read the [url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFADTU.HTM"]CDF document[/url] on the profession of faith, it clearly lays out what Catholics have to believe.

[Patrick]

[quote name='Resurrexi' post='1896708' date='Jun 20 2009, 10:59 AM']If you read the [url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFADTU.HTM"]CDF document[/url] on the profession of faith, it clearly lays out what Catholics have to believe.[/quote]

I have been, but sometimes matters are not so clear as to be able to rely upon a single document.