Baltimore Catechism # 4
*126 Q. What do you mean by the indefectibiliy of the Church?
A. By the indefectibility of the Church I mean that the Church, as Christ founded it, will last till the end of time.
Therefore indefectibility means that the Church can never change any of the doctrines that Our Lord taught, nor ever cease to exist. When we say
it is infallible, we mean that it cannot teach error while it lasts; but when we say it is indefectible, we mean that it will last forever and be infallible forever, and also that it will always remain the same as Our Lord founded it.
There are two things that you must clearly understand and not confound, namely, the two kinds of laws in the Church--those which Our Lord gave it and those which it made itself. The laws that Our
Lord gave it can never change.
For example, the Church could not abolish
one of the Sacraments, leaving only six; neither could it add a new one, making eight. But when, for example, the Church declares that on a certain day we cannot eat flesh meat, it makes the law itself, and can change it when it wishes.
Our Lord left His Church free to make certain
laws, just as they would be needed. It has always exercised this power, and made laws to suit the circumstances of the place or times. Even now
it does away with some of its old laws that are no longer useful, and makes new ones that are more necessary.
But the doctrines, the truths of faith or morals, the things we must believe and do to save our souls, it
never changes and never can change: it may regulate some things in the application of the divine laws, but the laws themselves can never change in substance.
Not a few folks on X boldly claim the recent Popes, an ecumenical council and the Church itself are heretical or an ape of the church etc.
That is, they reject what the Catholic Church has always taught and they say we ought to trust them instead of the Catholic Church Jesus established. and promised to protect for all time.
The trads truly believe that Jesus lied, the Church died.
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