The Pope is Infallible
Objection: “How can an ordinary man be infallible? This belongs to
God alone. The Pope can commit sin like anyone else!”
Christ instructed the Apostles to “Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (St.
Matt.
28:19-20). Together with this commission, Christ promised the
Apostles the protection of the Holy Spirit: “When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the truth” (St. John 16:13).
For the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ to fulfill its mission as teacher, she
must never teach error with respect to faith or morals, otherwise she would
be failing as a mother of souls and faithful spouse of Christ. Following
from this, it is logical that the supreme head of the Church of Christ be also
a perpetual source of truth. Christ, foreseeing that false teachers would
arise––“false messiahs and false prophets will appear” (St. Mark 13:22)––
endowed the supreme head of the Church with the power and authority to
decide infallibly all controversies concerning written and unwritten
doctrine (St. Matt. 16:18-20). This supreme head of the Church is the Pope
of Rome.
Infallibility is a negative protection, the inability of the Church or Pope to
teach error with respect to faith and morals when a formal teaching is
proclaimed. It is distinct from inspiration, in that it does not help the Pope
to know the truth or inspire him to teach it. The Pope must still work to
know the truth and know it to an extraordinary level, considering his
unique position. Infallible pronouncements are sparingly made, usually
only when a key doctrine is doubted or denied.
Papal infallibility had its prefigurement in the Old Testament. In Exodus
28:30 the High Priest wore a special breastplate called the “Breastplate of
Judgment” which carried two objects known as the Urim and Thummim. In
Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 14:41, Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65 we see the
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