includes feeding the faithful with the true food of divine truth. However,
this charge cannot effectively secure the unity of the Church in truth unless
there is attached to it infallibility.
What has the Protestant denial of the Pope’s infallibility produced except
the creation of many thousands of Protestant “popes” and an anarchy of
private self-interpretation of the Bible?
Infallibility has nothing to do with the personal morality of the Pope. He is
capable of committing sin like any other person. The history of the Church
shows clearly that there were, sadly, a number of Popes who lived
scandalous lives (though a distinct minority in contrast to the vast majority
who led holy and even saintly lives). Nevertheless, no connection exists
between the idea of impeccability, which means immunity from sin, and
infallibility, which is freedom from error in teaching and defining the
doctrines of Christ.
Second objection: “Catholics regard everything that the Pope says to
be infallibly true!”
The First Vatican Council (1870) defined Papal Infallibility as follows:
“the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, in
discharge of the office of pastor and teacher 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, is, by
the divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, possessed of
that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed that His
Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or
morals; and that, therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are
of themselves, and not from the consent of the Church,
irreformable.”¹
Consequently, the Pope is only infallible when:
(i)
He speaks ex Cathedra, i.e., as supreme teacher of the universal
Church. He is not infallible in any other capacity.
1
Pastor Aeternus, Ch. 4, (1870).
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