Infallibility

 BASIC R.C.BELIEF

A special gift whereby the Church is preserved free from teaching error in matters of faith and morals. It is expressed by definitions of popes, decrees of general councils, creeds, and professions of faith. It is also exercised when doctrines are unanimously taught by the bishops of the world.

"Papal infallibility does not imply sinlessness, but means that the Pope, when speaking ex cathedra on a matter of faith and morals, cannot err. This was defined by the Vatican Council (I) as follows: The Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra - that is, when in the discharge of the office of Pastor and Doctor of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding Faith or Morals to be held by the Universal Church - by the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, is possessed with that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that His Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding Faith or Morals; and therefore such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are irreformable of themselves, and not in virtue of the consent of the Church."

"He speaks ex cathedra when, in virtue of his office and apostolic authority, he intentionally defines a doctrine which must then be held by the whole church.

"To speak ex cathedra, he must speak as the head of the Church in certain forms of words by which we know he is speaking ex cathedra, it must be to the whole Church and it must be on matters of faith and morals" (AN EXPLANATION OF THE BALTIMORE CATECHISM, page 136).

Papal encyclicals are not thought to be infallible. Since 1870, only one teaching was given that is universally accepted as infallible: the definition of the Assumption in 1950. The pope is believed to be infallible when he canonizes a saint.

POST VATICAN II

From THE CODE OF CANON LAW, (1983), Canon 749, Section 1: "The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible teaching authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful...he proclaims with a definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held as such."

Canon 333, Section 3: "There is neither appeal nor recourse against a decision or decree of the Roman Pontiff."

From FALSE TRENDS IN MODERN TEACHING, page 20: "In writing encyclicals, it is true, the Popes do not exercise their teaching authority to the full. But such statements come under the day-to-day teaching of the Church, which is covered by the promise, `He who listens to you, listens to me.' Luke 10:16.

Some modern apologists are trying to make a point for conditional or partial infallibility in some papal statements and encyclicals. In order to ascertain if any of these is infallible, private judgment must be used.

From THE DOCUMENTS OF VATICAN II, Abbott, p. 49. "[R]eligious submission of will and of mind must be shown in a special way to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra."

CHRISTIAN COMMENT

The Lord Jesus recognized the need for an Infallible Teacher for His Church, and authorized the Holy Spirit as the One Who would lead into all truth (John 16:13). His ability to convey truth to Christians is taught in I John 2:27.

Some historic notes re Infallibility.

1. In 590, St. Gregory I first used the term "ex cathedra."

2. Liberius, in 385, subscribed to the Arian heresy to gain the bishopric of Rome.

3. Gregory I called anyone who would take the title Universal Bishop an Antichrist.

4. Adrian II declared civil marriages valid; Pius VII condemned them.

5. Vigilinus, Innocent III, Clement IV, Gregory XI, Adrian VI and Paul IV all disclaimed the attribute of infallibility.

6. The Donation of Constantine recorded the conferring of certain privileges and honors to the Bishop of Rome. This became part of official Canon Law and was used by the Popes to bolster their claims (Adrian I to Charlemagne in 778; Leo XI in 1054; Urban II to support his claims to Corsica in 1091; also Innocent III, Gregory IX and Innocent IV). Roman Catholics today admit that it was a forgery.

7. From KEENAN'S CATECHISM, 1869 edition. "Q. Must not Catholics believe the pope in himself to be infallible? A: This is a Protestant invention; it is no article of Catholic faith." After 1870, the question was omitted, but in 1896, the following was added:

"Q: Is the Pope infallible? A: Yes, the Pope is infallible. Q: But some Catholics, before the Vatican Council, denied the infallibility of the Pope, which was impugned by this very Catechism. A: Yes, they did so under the usual reservation, insofar as they then could grasp the mind of the Church, and subject to her future definitions, thus implicitly accepting the dogma."