A corollary of Principle #4 explains what might seem like a strange omission from Principles #7, #8, and #9:
The level of authority a magisterial document has is not determined by how correct its teaching is.
Many Catholics mistakenly judge, for example, that a magisterial document has no authority because it appears to them to contradict some number of earlier documents. The fact is that a religious submission of mind and will is due to this teaching simply in virtue of the authority teaching and not in virtue of the truth of the statement–and yes, Catholics can find themselves bound to hold a position which later turns out to be false. However, theologians and laymen find themselves in different situations in this regard; see Principle #13.
