There are some words and phrases that have a very particular, theological meaning but are widely misapprehended or misused with implicit or explicit connotations contrary to the authentic definition. In November 2023, I addressed the example of what it means to “discern the signs of the times.” Now, I would like to discuss another phrase that gets thrown around a lot but is liable to misunderstanding: sensus fidei (the sense of the faith).
A synonym of sensus fidei is sensus fidelium (sense of the faithful). In my experience, this latter term is especially subject to misuse. At the very least, it is sometimes used without any explanation but, in context, at least appears to imply something the term does not technically mean. I will first indicate improper understandings of sensus fidei and then explain what it actually signifies.
The International Theological Commission (ITC), which operates under the (now) Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF; formerly, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith or CDF) issued a document entitled “Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles, and Criteria,” which was approved in 2011 in forma specifica (the highest papal approbation). In §34, it states: “The nature and location of the sensus fidei or sensus fidelium must be properly understood. The sensus fidelium does not simply mean the majority opinion in a given time or culture.”
The same ITC thought a proper understanding of sensus fidei was so important that a few years later (2014), it issued an entire new document dedicated to it: “Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church.” It, too, negates the misunderstanding just cited from the prior document. The Church “is not structured according to the principles of a secular political society. . . . Public opinion cannot, therefore, play in the Church the determinative role” (§114). It reiterates this point later on: “It is clear that there can be no simple identification between the sensus fidei and public or majority opinion. These are by no means the same thing” (§118).
Nothing can be a part of a proper and authentic sensus fidei that is contrary to the deposit of faith.
The negation of this misunderstanding is important, because the term is sometimes used to imply something like this: “In former times, the Church believed X, but now, as enlightened moderns, we think the contrary.” The term can thus be misused to mean that a growing number of Catholics reject perennial teaching on a given issue (often in the realm of morals). The implication is that the Holy Spirit is prompting this change in viewpoint, when in reality, it is the spirit of the age (Zeitgeist) that is manifest in such increasing dissent. As the 2014 ITC document notes: “Faith, not opinion, is the necessary focus of attention. Opinion is often just an expression, frequently changeable and transient, of the mood or desires of a certain group or culture, whereas faith is the echo of the one Gospel which is valid for all places and times” (§118).
To be sure, the 2011 ITC document acknowledges that “theology should strive to discover and articulate accurately what the Catholic faithful actually believe,” but it then adds that “it must speak the truth in love, so that the faithful may mature in faith, and not be ‘tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine’ (Eph 4:14–15)” (§36). Here, we see one way in which a properly implemented synodality can be effective. Listening to the people to know what they are thinking is important. Sometimes, though, this reveals errors in Catholics’ thinking that need correction. Careful listening can help pastors know what needs to be more thoroughly explained so that the faithful are not duped by popular opinions contrary to the faith.
Positively speaking, what is the sensus fidei? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) speaks about “The supernatural sense of faith” in §§91–93. It quotes Lumen Gentium (LG) 12 to provide a definition: “The whole body of the faithful . . . cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, ‘from the bishops to the last of the faithful,’ they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals” (CCC §92; LG 12). Note, here, that the sensus fidei (or fidelium) does not mean the sense of the laity in contrast to the sense of the hierarchy. It is the sense of the whole body of the faithful, including the members of the hierarchy. In fact, the definition of sensus fidei given in the back of the Catechism reads: “A supernatural appreciation of the faith (sensus fidei) shown by the universal consent in matters of faith and morals manifested by the whole body of the faithful under the guidance of the Magisterium” (emphasis added).
Accordingly, Chapter 4 of the 2014 ITC document treats “how to discern authentic manifestations of the sensus fidei” and enumerates “dispositions needed for authentic participation in the sensus fidei.” These include: participation in the life of the Church (§§89–91); listening to the word of God (§§92–94); openness to reason (§§95–96); adherence to the magisterium (§§97–98); holiness–humility, freedom, and joy (§§99–103); and seeking the edification of the Church (§§104–105). It is important to note that the need for discernment of an ‘authentic’ sensus fidei implies that not every thought, feeling, or opinion of someone who is Catholic—nor even a large group of Catholics—automatically qualifies as an authentic sense of faith. Furthermore, the same document states that it is the magisterium’s role to discern and judge the sensus fidelium (see §§76–77). In particular, it states: “The magisterium also judges with authority whether opinions which are present among the people of God, and which may seem to be the sensus fidelium, actually correspond to the truth of the Tradition received from the Apostles” (§77).
At the same time, the document acknowledges that there are historical examples where the sensus fidei—even specifically manifested in the laity—helped the magisterium in the formulation of doctrine (see Chapter One, part 2 and §72). It states: “Sometimes the people of God, and in particular the laity, intuitively felt in which direction the development of doctrine would go, even when theologians and bishops were divided on the issue” (§72). Such historical examples give warrant to the document’s insistence that “the magisterium has to be attentive to the sensus fidelium” (§74), properly understood, of course.
What is important for the purposes of this article is the centrality of the word faith or faithful in the terms sense of the faith or sense of the faithful. Faith is a supernatural virtue by which we believe that which has been revealed by God because it has been revealed by God. Nothing can be a part of a proper and authentic sensus fidei that is contrary to the deposit of faith. Anyone advocating the rejection of dogma or any other infallible teaching on faith and morals is not exhibiting a true sense of the faith. Unfortunately, despite this fact, there are Catholics who appeal to the term sensus fidei or sensus fidelium to do precisely that. They equate their sentiments and desires—which not coincidentally happen to correspond to debased elements of our society—with the working of the Holy Spirit to fundamentally change the Church into their image.
We must avoid the temptation to do likewise. We should take to heart the dispositions outlined in the 2014 ITC document and conduct a thorough examination of conscience before we presume that our opinions are correct, especially if they contradict long-standing magisterial teachings. Now, more than ever—in this age of social media, where people can easily bloviate to thousands or millions of followers—a proper understanding and discernment of authentic sensus fidei is gravely needed.