The theological notes designate a classification of certainty of beliefs in Catholic theology. While theological notes qualify positively beliefs and doctrines, said beliefs and doctrines are qualified negatively by theological censures. The theological notes' "enumeration, division and evaluation" vary between authors.
"[T]he supreme organs for [theological] notes and censures (and exclusively so for infallible matters) are the Pope and the Ecumenical Councils. Limited competences attaches to the Roman Congregations, Provincial Synods (episcopal conferences) and the individual bishops and major superiors of religious orders. The whole people of God is charged with the safeguarding of the true faith. Theologians have a special responsibility and thus are especially qualified to give theological notes [and censures] [...] though their authority is not one of jurisdiction. Their notes [and censures] have the weight of 'professional' opinions and have often influenced the magisterium".
Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott considers that immediately revealed truths hold the "highest degree of certainty". "The belief due to them is based on the authority of God Revealing (fides divina), and if the Church, through its teaching, vouches for the fact that a truth is contained in Revelation, one's certainty is then also based on the authority of the Infallible Teaching Authority of the Church (fides catholica). If Truths are defined by a solemn judgment of faith (definition) of the Pope or of a General Council, they are 'de fide definita.
Ludwig Ott says that there are Catholic beliefs which are church teachings, definitively decided on by the Magisterium, but not (yet) as being divine revelations properly speaking. Ludwig Ott calls the beliefs of this level Catholic truths, and states that beliefs of this level "are as infallibly certain as dogmas proper."
Catholic truths are "doctrines and truths defined by the Church not as immediately revealed but as intrinsically connected with the truths of Revelation so that their denial would undermine the revealed truths [...]. These are proposed for belief in virtue of the infallibility of the Church in teaching doctrines of faith or morals (fides ecclesiastica)." They are called "Catholic Truths (veritates catholicae) or Ecclesiastical Teachings (doctrinae ecclesiasticae) to distinguish them from the Divine Truths or Divine Doctrines of Revelation (veritates vel doctrinae divinae)." Ott continues:
Ludwig Ott also adds the note sententia fidei proxima ("teaching proximate to faith") which refers to teachings, which are generally accepted as divine revelation by Catholic theologians but not defined as such by the Magisterium.
Ludwig Ott further states that teaching pertaining to the faith (sententia ad fidem pertinens), or theologically certain (theologice certa), refers to theological conclusions; those are teachings without definitive approval by the Catholic Church, but "[whose] truth is guaranteed by [their] intrinsic connection with the doctrine of revelation."
As per Ludwig Ott, sententia communis ("common teaching") refers to beliefs which are generally accepted by theologians, but not dogmatically asserted.
Examples of sententia communis beliefs which are cited by Ott include the power of saints in heaven to help the souls in purgatory by intercession and the conviction that dead people cannot receive sacraments.
Ott states:
The Sommaire de théologie dogmatique proposes the following theological notes:
Catholic theologian John Hardon states:
Edward N. Peters states that "many of the assertions hitherto listed by theologians with a surfeit of restraint as merely, say, 'sententia communis' might, upon closer investigation in light of the criteria set out in Ad tuendam and its progeny, be found to enjoy infallible certitude, after all, as either primary or, as I think the liceity of the capital punishment qualifies, as secondary objects of infallibility."