Where do Humanae Vitae and Pope John Paul II’s encyclical against women ordination fall? People never count them along with the IC and Assumption declarations. But in practical terms, they are taken by Catholics to have effectively ended any debate whatever with regard to contraception and the possibility of women ordination.
Humanae Vite was not an infallible statement only an infallible teaching. The Press secretary of Paul VI after the publication made that clear, which caused a lot of confusion. The teaching was always held and Pope Paul VI was just saying that this teaching was always held. Being always held as a teaching is the Universal Ordinary Magisterium-- believed always and everywhere. Same goes for JPII, he referenced to the Universal Ordinary Magesterium.
Infallible statements make it clear as such, what MUST be believed, like “We define…”… “We proclaim…”. "We teach absolutely… " “anyone who believes ( such and such error)…let him be anathema”
Unfortunately at times the pope has used the word “declare” for a Church discipline and has caused confusion. So the clear statement must be a categorical statement x=x or x does not equal x.
Pius the XI used first the Universal Ordinary Magesrtium and then gave an infallible statement on birth control.
Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii (#’56), Dec. 31, 1930:
56. Since, therefore, openly departing from the
uninterrupted Christian tradition (eg.Universal Ordinary Magesteriusm) some recently have judged it possible solemnly to declare another doctrine regarding this question, the Catholic Church, to whom God has entrusted the defense of the integrity and purity of morals, standing erect in the midst of the moral ruin which surrounds her, in order that she may preserve the chastity of the nuptial union from being defiled by this foul stain, **raises her voice in token of her divine ambassadorship and through Our mouth proclaims **anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.
What is condemned in Ecumenical council is always considered infallible. So If someone wants a list of infallible teachings go to the Ecumenical councils. Vatican II was different in that Pope John XXIII and Paul VI made it clear it wasn’t using the Ex Cathedra charism only saying that Vat II must be understood as a pastoral council and seen in light of the continuity of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Magesterium.
Another statement that is considered infallible but didn’t make the list above
Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam, Nov. 18, 1302, ex cathedra:
“With Faith urging us we are forced to believe and to hold the one, holy, Catholic Church and that, apostolic, and **we firmly believe and simply confess **this Church outside of which there is no salvation nor remission of sin…
Furthermore, **we declare, say, define, and proclaim **to every human creature that they by absolute necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
This one is tricky because it wasn’t written to the whole Church, which is the norm for a infallible teaching, but subsequent council and popes have said it is infallible:
Pope Leo X, Fifth Lateran Council 1512-17, session # 11:
“Moreover, since subjection to the Roman pontiff is necessary for salvation for all Christ’s faithful, as we are taught by the testimony of both sacred scripture and the holy fathers,(Universal Ordinary Magesterium) and **as is declared **by the constitution of pope Boniface VIII of happy memory, also our predecessor, which begins
Unam sanctam, we therefore, with the approval of the present sacred council, for the salvation of the souls of the same faithful, for the
supreme authority of the Roman pontiff and of this holy see, and for the unity and power of the church, his spouse, renew and give our approval to that constitution,.”( Ex Cathedra, Peter has spoken thru council–infallible).
papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum18.htm
So when there is a doubt about a document being infallible a subsequent statement teaching it clearly as such as to what must be believed can be made.
Pius XII also taught the same that Unam Sanctam was a solemn teaching but used only the Universal Ordinary Magesrtium, by refering to it always being taught:“his successors have never ceased to repeat the same”
**
Pope Pius XII, Encyclical, MYSTICI CORPORIS CHRISTI, June 29, 1943, par #40-41:**
“After His glorious Ascension into heaven this Church rested not on Him alone, but on Peter too, its visible foundation stone. That Christ and His Vicar constitute one only Head is the solemn teaching of Our predecessor of immortal memor
y Boniface VIII in the Apostolic Letter Unam Sanctam; and his successors have never ceased to repeat the same.
They, therefore, walk in the path of dangerous error who believe that they can accept Christ as the Head of the Church, while not adhering loyally to His Vicar on earth. They have taken away the visible head, broken the visible bonds of unity and left the Mystical Body of the Redeemer so obscured and so maimed, that those who are seeking the haven of eternal salvation can neither see it nor find it.”
papalencyclicals.net/Pius12/P12MYSTI.HTM
