Avant-propos - Studia Moralia

188 TODD A. SALZMAN
mological criteria for determining such a consensus? Whose
“universal consensus” is required? Is it a universal consensus of
bishops, theologians, the faithful, or solely a “firm and consistent”
teaching of the papacy? How important is theological consensus
in determining whether or not an infallible statement has
been issued by the ordinary universal magisterium? Given the
importance of such a statement, it would seem that there would
be no doubt, especially among theologians and bishops, regarding
the status of such a teaching. In his final point in one of their
exchanges, GRISEZ asserts,
for theologians, lack of consensus for a position is no argument
against it, and an alleged consensus for a position is a bad argument
in its favor…. Methodologically…this at best provides an
unreliable sign of where the truth might lie. And logically, it provides
no justification for participating in the alleged consensus; invoked
as a response to a reasoned theological argument, it is fallacious.
55
In his reply to GRISEZ on this particular exchange between
the two, SULLIVAN deems it important enough to their overall dialogue
to focus on “the significance of the fact that there is no
evidence of a consensus among Catholic theologians” on the infallibility
of the teaching by the ordinary universal magisterium
prohibiting the use of artificial contraception. 56 Given this lack
of consensus for the FORD-GRISEZ thesis on the infallible teaching
on artificial birth control developed in an earlier article, 57 SULLI-
VAN maintains that “it can hardly be ‘clearly established’ that the
official doctrine on artificial contraception has been infallibly
taught….” Consequently, “it does not qualify as irreformable
teaching.” 58 The “consensus of Catholic theologians” is a basic
consideration of SULLIVAN’S response to GRISEZ for determining
55
GRISEZ, “The Ordinary Magisterium’s Infallibility” 732.
56
SULLIVAN, “Reply to Germain Grisez” 732.
57 “Contraception and the Infallibility of the Ordinary Magisterium”
258-312.
58
SULLIVAN, “Reply to Germain Grisez” 733.