From our discussion here, I think I have learned four very important things:
1. Faith is the center of the Christian life, not certainty or knowledge. Faith is certain in itself, because it is guaranteed by God, but faith is an act of trust, not of merely intellectual knowledge. We accept the revelation of God and the doctrines of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, because we trust God. We believe that which we have not seen. And because we trust Him and His Church, we can then try to further understand and apply the teachings of the Faith. While our explanations may not always be accurate, they may indeed be accurate and thus contribute to the continuing, growing tradition of the Church. This can be evidenced by the contributions of such saints as Augustine and Aquinas to the Catechism, thereby incorporating their personal thought into the totality of Catholic tradition as truth.
2. The Church and Her tradition is organic. We do not worship a stagnant, distant God, and neither are we apart of a mechanistic, finite Church. Indeed, I think that if the Church did have all the answers it would no longer be a Faith, and we would no longer be creatures beneath an infinite Creator. We are meant to grow over time, in our understanding, our knowledge, our holiness, just as the Church grows over time similarly. The current totality of the certain doctrines of the Faith are the summation of two thousand years of councils, papal and Magisterial documents, the works of saints, theologians, and other holy men and women, of scholarship, etc. God did not simply hand the apostles a complete Handbook of Catholic Doctrine with all the answers and send them out to teach it (contrary to proponents of sola scriptura). He wants us to have faith, hope and love, to depend on one another and on Him, and to respect His inherent mystery and love by trusting in Him rather than taking Him for granted.
3. The Catechism is a definitive summary of the teachings of the Church, both Her infallible statements throughout history and the wisdom of the ages, including that which is contained in the Scriptures, in the works of saints and scholars, etc., given as explanation of doctrines and as answers to people's questions and issues. It is meant to inform the conscience of the individual and to strengthen faith, not to overwhelm either one. We are still supposed to apply those teachings to our lives through our own reason and conscience, using the Catechism more as a guide than a playbook. Everything it says can and should be accepted as definitive teaching of the Church, but if parts of the Catechism that are not doctrines of the Faith (as listed by Dr. Ott), one can disagree with them if you have very good reason to. But otherwise, it should be trusted and at least used as the standard for one's own beliefs and opinions.
4. The Sacred Liturgy is the surest standard for definitive Church teaching. That which is contained in the prayers, practice, creeds and beliefs attached to the Liturgy are certainly true and right, even if some of the specifics not pertaining to doctrine, such as the language used in Mass or the particular expressions of other parts, are more open.
To answer Master Kenobi, by vague I meant that it is often disputed exactly when and how papal infallibility has been applied. For example, some say that the Catechism possesses papal infallibility and anything else with papal approval, while others say it has only been used a couple times in history (particularly those defining the Assumption and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin). This apparent contradiction makes the application of papal infallibility seem varied and uncertain.
If my four points here are wrong in any way, please correct me, as I (like all of us) am trying to grow in my faith and understanding, particularly as a convert, and I greatly appreciate everyone's help. God bless.
