Can we ever trust the Teaching Authority again?

“The way you talk, shakes my faith!

If the Teaching Authority has made so many mistakes in the past, how will we ever trust it again!?”

“You are right!

The teaching authority has an important function in the Church. It is like a food and health commission entrusted with the task to watch over public safety.

It is not good for the Church that the teaching authority has lost, and is still losing, so much of its credibility.

The Church should heed Christ’s warning about salt getting corrupted.

“Salt getting corrupted?

What do you mean?”

“To restore its credibility the Vatican should immediately stop unhelpful practices such as these:

• Blocking the free and constructive deliberation of the Synod of Bishops.
  The Synod of Bishops was set up by the Second Vatican Council to counterbalance the influence of the Curia.
  
• Interfering in the legitimate exercise of authority by bishops’ conferences.
  The bishops are not vicars of the pope, but vicars of Christ who rule their dioceses in their own right.
  
• Appointing only like-minded candidates to episcopal sees, central offices, the international theological commission, etc.
  It puts a b-category of submissive yes-men into church leadership.
  
• The suppression of theologians who dare to contradict official views.
  This is bound to impoverish honest and creative thinking in the Church.”