heretik (lat. haireticus < grč. αıρετıϰός), krivovjerac, odmetnik, čovjek koji je odstupio od institucionalnoga, pravovjernoga naučavanja (vjerskoga, ideološkoga, političkoga i dr.). Izvorno, kršćanin koji uporno izvrće neku od osnovnih vjerskih istina, dogmi, ili u nju sumnja. Općenito, osoba koja ne poštuje ustaljena pravila, norme; nonkonformist.
Teolog Lawrence Feingold herezu definira kao posebnu vrstu „nevjere po kojoj netko tko vjeruje u Krista uporno odbacuje autoritet Crkve da definira nauk te iskrivljuje ili poriče neke istine vjere“ (Feingold 2016, 2. poglavlje). Feingold dodaje da heretici „’izabiru’ i uporno drže svoja načela vjere u skladu sa svojim razumom i voljom, koje stavljaju iznad Crkvenoga autoriteta“ (ibid).
Kanonski pak zakonik herezu definira kao „uporno nijekanje, poslije krštenja, neke istine koja treba da se vjeruje božanskom i katoličkom vjerom ili uporno sumnjanje u nju“ (CIC §751). Iz ovoga nam je jasno da heretik a) slobodno niječe nauk koji treba vjerovati božanskom i katoličkom vjerom, b) niječe ili sumnja u taj nauk i c) to nijekanje ili sumnja jest po svojoj naravi uporno.
Po tome svatko tko naučava nešto što nije u skladu sa naukom KC i njenim dogmama je heretik
Mislim također da nije potrebna i pravomoćna formalna odluka o tome...koja može doći sporo, nekoliko godina ili desetine godina poslije!
Papa također može biti heretik ( druga je stvar što možda neće biti i formalno proglašena odluka o tome, shvaćamo svi zašto)
Papa ne može biti heretik. Papa je vidljivi poglavar Crkve, dok su heretici izvan Crkve. Kada bi papa mogao biti heretikom, to bi značilo da je vidljivi poglavar i vrhovni pastir Crkve ujedno i izvan Crkve. U trenutku kada bi došlo do hereze, ta bi osoba također prestala biti papom. O tome su pisali mnogi sveci (Sv. Franjo Saleški, Sv. Robert Bellarmino).
Papa Pio IV., Cum Ex Apostolatus Officio. 1559.
"6. In addition, [by this Our Constitution, which is to remain valid in perpetuity We enact, determine, decree and define:-] that if ever at any time it shall appear that any Bishop, even if he be acting as an Archbishop, Patriarch or Primate; or any Cardinal of the aforesaid Roman Church, or, as has already been mentioned, any legate, or even the Roman Pontiff, prior to his promotion or his elevation as Cardinal or Roman Pontiff, has deviated from the Catholic Faith or fallen into some heresy:
(i) the promotion or elevation, even if it shall have been uncontested and by the unanimous assent of all the Cardinals, shall be null, void and worthless;
(ii) it shall not be possible for it to acquire validity (nor for it to be said that it has thus acquired validity) through the acceptance of the office, of consecration, of subsequent authority, nor through possession of administration, nor through the putative enthronement of a Roman Pontiff, or Veneration, or obedience accorded to such by all, nor through the lapse of any period of time in the foregoing situation;
(iii) it shall not be held as partially legitimate in any way;
(iv) to any so promoted to be Bishops, or Archbishops, or Patriarchs, or Primates or elevated as Cardinals, or as Roman Pontiff, no authority shall have been granted, nor shall it be considered to have been so granted either in the spiritual or the temporal domain;
(v) each and all of their words, deeds, actions and enactments, howsoever made, and anything whatsoever to which these may give rise, shall be without force and shall grant no stability whatsoever nor any right to anyone;
(vi) those thus promoted or elevated shall be deprived automatically, and without need for any further declaration, of all dignity, position, honour, title, authority, office and power."