Papal Infallicy

[JoeyJoJo]

Does this mean that everything the pope says is true?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

The word is ‘infallibility.’

In general, exemption or immunity from liability to error or failure; in particular in theological usage, the supernatural prerogative by which the Church of Christ is, by a special Divine assistance, preserved from liability to error in her definitive dogmatic teaching regarding matters of faith and morals.

• that infallibility means more than exemption from actual error; it means exemption from the possibility of error;
• that it does not require holiness of life, much less imply impeccability in its organs; sinful and wicked men may be God’s agents in defining infallibly;
• and finally that the validity of the Divine guarantee is independent of the fallible arguments upon which a definitive decision may be based, and of the possibly unworthy human motives that in cases of strife may appear to have influenced the result. It is the definitive result itself, and it alone, that is guaranteed to be infallible, not the preliminary stages by which it is reached.

The Vatican Council has defined as “a divinely revealed dogma” that “the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra — that is, when in the exercise of his office as pastor and teacher of all Christians he defines, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the whole Church — is, by reason of the Divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, possessed of that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer wished His Church to be endowed in defining doctrines of faith and morals; and consequently that such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are irreformable of their own nature (ex sese) and not by reason of the Church’s consent” (Densinger no. 1839 — old no. 1680). For the correct understanding of this definition it is to be noted that:

• what is claimed for the pope is infallibility merely, not impeccability or inspiration (see above under *(“http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07790a.htm#I”)).
• the infallibility claimed for the pope is the same in its nature, scope, and extent as that which the Church as a whole possesses; his ex cathedra teaching does not have to be ratified by the Church’s in order to be infallible.
• infallibility is not attributed to every doctrinal act of the pope, but only to his ex cathedra teaching; and the conditions required for ex cathedra teaching are mentioned in the Vatican decree.

All set now??

 

[Shiranui117]

This power of the supreme pontiff by no means detracts from that ordinary and immediate power of episcopal jurisdiction, by which bishops, who have succeeded to the place of the apostles by appointment of the holy Spirit, tend and govern individually the particular flocks which have been assigned to them. On the contrary, this power of theirs is asserted, supported and defended by the supreme and universal pastor; for St Gregory the Great says: “My honour is the honour of the whole church. My honour is the steadfast strength of my brethren. Then do I receive true honour, when it is denied to none of those to whom honour is due.”

papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum20.htm <–A link to all the decrees of Vatican 1, including the bits posted by me and Tantum Ergo.

 

[TheDoctor]

Joey - Hi and welcome to the forums. I am not sure how old you are of if you are Catholic, but the two posts above give a very good overview of the teaching.

If you are looking for a more simple answer for yourself or for a non-catholic friend, “Papal Infallibility” means that when the Pope teaches in matters of faith or morals (e.g. abortion is a sin; the Catholic Church is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church, etc.) the Holy Spirit prevents him from teaching error.

If does not mean that everything the Pope says is true or has to be taken as true. In fact, if you search this forum you will see many debates about non-infallible things Pope’s have said that are challenged and debated.

Hope this helps.