Can a pope lead people to sin?

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Can an abuse of position by a pope, or error in personal opinion by a pope, cause laymen to sin?
Let’s pretend Benedict XVI believes gay marriage is okay, and he writes letters to that effect to members of the church. Homosexual men and women hear of this and act on their pre-dispositions believing it might well be in the realm of morally acceptable.
Has Benedict led them into sin? He has made no official pronouncement as the universal teacher of Christians, so infallibility is intact. But, how would the laity be expected to respond.
Perhaps one might ask the same questions of ABC back when the questions was being considered by Paul VI. (is that who it was?) What of those married couples who may have used ABC?
Again, indulgences of centuries ago. If the pope abused indulgences, and bishops or priests followed suit, and men and women “bought” time out of purgatory through this erroneous practice, believing they were free because the pope said so, what do we Catholics think of this?
Let me say I am firmly Roman Catholic, and I love all of the teachings of my faith. My faith is not in doubt.
I’m just trying to ascertain what the position of sincere or insincere Christians who may have been “led into” sin by a pope.
Thanks,
 
Anyone can lead anyone into sin. This is called Scandal.

The Church cannot officially teach anything that can lead to sin. This is called Infallibility.

God Bless.
 
To be quite clear, the Church cannot teach anything that being followed and believed would lead others to sin.

As a matter of simple fact, Church teachings are always the occasions of the sins of her opponents. “stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles” and all that.
 
Exiled,

I daresay that Alexander VI, through his personal depravity, led a lot of people into sin.
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If a person is a poorly educated Catholic and does not understand the limitations to the Pope’s charism - YES the Pope could lead them astray.

If you understand where the Pope’s authority lies, and when he is not protected by that charism, NO you would not be lead into sin.

For example: Popes have been unchaste in the past. Obviously, some of their mistresses were “lead into sin”. But not through any official pronouncement.
 
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