Unity of Thought and Teaching
Unity of Thought and Teaching
We are one Church, with one faith (Ephesians 4:5). We have one doctrine and one mind—the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We draw our religious knowledge from one source: the Holy Scriptures, together with the traditions, canons, and teachings of the holy Fathers of the Church.
Accordingly, priests are expected to have one teaching and one understanding, for “the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:7).
Everything taught by the clergy should therefore be one and the same, free from contradiction, inconsistency, or division.
Otherwise, confusion arises among the faithful when teachings differ.
By unity of teaching, we mean unity in theology, doctrine, biblical interpretation, liturgy, spirituality, and the canons of the Church.
This applies whether the teaching is delivered from the pulpit, through publications, in private conversations, in spiritual guidance during confession, or in any other setting.
It is not a fault for a priest, when asked about something he does not know or is uncertain about, to postpone his answer until he has learned the correct response.
He may consult others, study trusted ecclesiastical references, or direct the questioner to a recognized teacher of the Church or to reliable books.
What is unacceptable is for a priest to answer impulsively, without certainty, or to present his personal opinion instead of the doctrine of the Church.
Such behavior may indicate that self-image is more important to him than sound teaching. A priest in this situation needs humility and a deeper commitment to authentic Church teaching.
The weakness of an incorrect answer may become evident when the same question is later answered by another priest who possesses stronger knowledge of the Gospel, Church canons, and the teachings of the Fathers.
At that point, personal pride is of no benefit, and the one who erred may face embarrassment.
If, however, he insists on defending his mistaken teaching for the sake of preserving his personal reputation, he may eventually fall into heresy. As Scripture says: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Through pride, a person may appear as though he knows everything, can speak on every subject in the Church, and can answer every question no matter how difficult. Pride also leads him to defend every opinion he expresses as though he were beyond error or discussion.
There is no shame in saying that a topic requires further study. The real fault is in teaching error.
Our advice to every priest is:
- Continue studying throughout life.
- Do not assume that ordination transforms a learner into one who no longer needs to learn.
- Knowledge has no end; we all need continual study, research, and learning.
- Incorrect answers will eventually be exposed, since the Church always has faithful guardians who care about the integrity of its teaching.
- Difficult questions may be answered later after proper study.
- It would be beneficial to have seminars for priests where they can discuss challenging questions, receive lectures, and deepen their understanding.
- Humility is essential in teaching, for pride has been the downfall of heretics.
- A priest should not attempt to introduce innovations that contradict the Church’s established understanding, nor alter the translations of the liturgy or Church prayers according to his personal views.
