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The [[First Vatican Council]], of 1870, anathematized all who dispute the Pope's primacy of honor and of jurisdiction (it is lawful to discuss the precise nature of that primacy, provided that such discussion does not violate the terms of the Council's Dogmatic Constitution). The [[Second Vatican Council]] of 1965 '''modified''' many of the dictates of 1870.

The [[First Vatican Council]], of 1870, anathematized all who dispute the Pope's primacy of honor and of jurisdiction (it is lawful to discuss the precise nature of that primacy, provided that such discussion does not violate the terms of the Council's Dogmatic Constitution). The [[Second Vatican Council]] of 1965 '''modified''' many of the dictates of 1870.

== The scandal of the Bad Popes ==

== The [[Scandal]] of the Bad Popes ==

Critics of the papacy claim that past Popes who claimed successorship to St. Peter, such as [[Pope Callixtus III]] and [[Pope Alexander VI]] from the Borgia family, were so corrupt as to be unfit to wield power. A just and loving [[God]], they claim, would not have given those people the powers claimed for them by the Catholic Church. Opponents of these critics reply that even the worst Popes failed to wreck the apostolic traditions of the Church. Jesus even knowingly chose [[Judas Iscariot]] (one of the [[Twelve Apostles|Twelve]] whom Jesus said was "a devil" John 6:7-71), and not even the sin and betrayal of this validly appointed apostle could invalidate his work and teaching.

Critics of the papacy claim that past popes who claimed successorship to St. Peter, such as [[Pope Callixtus III]] and [[Pope Alexander VI]] from the Borgia family, were so corrupt as to be unfit to wield power. A just and loving [[God]], they claim, would not have given such people the powers claimed for them by the Catholic Church, if the Holy Spirit were truly in the Catholic Church and infallibly guiding it by His divine power: such men would never have been elected. Opponents of these critics reply that even the worst popes failed to wreck the apostolic traditions of the Church, which have been faithfully handed down and preserved intact and defended and rightly interpreted by the Church's Living [[Magisterium]]. They point out that Jesus even knowingly chose [[Judas Iscariot]] (one of the [[Twelve Apostles|Twelve]] whom Jesus said was "a devil", John 6:70-71), and not even the [[sin]] and betrayal of this validly appointed apostle could invalidate his work and teaching.

Professional historians are generally agreed that at least four or five Popes were guilty of serious moral lapses, perhaps more. Some critics of the Church have tried to use this information to undermine the Catholic teaching on infallibility by confusing ''infallibility'' (the inability of the Holy Father to teach error when he speaks [ex cathedra] on a matter of faith and morals) with ''impeccability'' (a divinely imposed inability of the Holy Father to commit any sin). The Church has never claimed impeccability for any Pope, although many of them have lived lives of extraordinary holiness, because we are all sinners, but it has claimed the charism of ''infallibility of teaching'' for every Pope, because of Christ's promises to be with His Church all days, and that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it, even if "''fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.''"<ref>Acts 20:29-30</ref>.  

Professional historians are generally agreed that at least four or five Popes were guilty of serious moral lapses, perhaps more. Some critics of the Church have tried to use this documented factual information to undermine the Catholic teaching on infallibility by confusing ''infallibility'' with ''impeccability''. Infallibility is the divinely imposed inability of the Holy Father to teach error when he speaks [[ex cathedra]] on a matter of faith and morals which must be finally clearly defined and settled, but impeccability would be a divinely imposed inability of the Holy Father to commit any sin. The Church has never claimed impeccability for any Pope, although many of them have lived lives of extraordinary [[holiness]], because we are all sinners<ref>Romans 3:23-26; 1 Timothy 1:16.</ref>, but it has claimed the unmerited charism of ''infallibility of teaching'' for every Pope, because of Christ's promises of the abiding presence and guidance of the [[Holy Spirit]] to lead us into all truth forever, the commandment to "''obey your leaders and submit to them''"<ref>[http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/13-17 Hebrews 13:17]</ref>, and his promises to be with His Church all days, and that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it, even if "''fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.''"<ref>Acts 20:29-30</ref>.  

   

   

The fact that some Popes were wicked in their private lives is no argument against the truth of the doctrine and dogma of the Catholic Church, anymore than immoral conduct by an American President is an argument against the goodness of the United States and the validity of the [[Constitution]]. This historically documented fact is presented as an argument for the reliability of the Church, since it continued during the reign of those unworthy Popes to teach faithfully the truths handed down by Christ and the Apostles and while wounded by their evident wickedness suffered no lasting harm from the immoral conduct of a tiny percentage of its more than 260 leaders.  

The established fact that some popes were wicked in their private lives is no argument against the truth of the doctrine and dogma of the Catholic Church, no more than proven immoral conduct by an American president is an argument against the goodness of the United States and the validity of the [[Constitution]]. This historically documented fact is actually presented as an argument for the reliability of the Church, since it continued during the reign of those unworthy Popes to teach faithfully the truths handed down by Christ and the Apostles and, while wounded by their evident wickedness, suffered no lasting harm from the immoral conduct of a tiny percentage of its more than 265 leaders.<ref>"tiny percentage". Less than 3 percent = at most 10 popes. See [[Pope#External links|External links, below]. Estimates range from 5 to 10 truly corrupt popes in the entire history of the Church.</ref>

According to Catholic teaching, a man who professes the Catholic Faith whole and entire, no matter how wicked he may be, remains a member of the Catholic Church and Body of Christ, even if he hates God, even if he commits murder, even if he commits sodomy—but such a man will be condemned to an eternity of suffering in [[hell]] if he does not repent before death. Being a baptized member of Christ's Church will not profit him, because a correct faith without charity (goodness and compassion) will not save him. His knowledge of the True Faith will only increase his misery because he will have sinned freely, without any internal or external coercion which violates his will, with full knowledge of the sinfulness of his deeds against man and God. Such a vile man can still be a valid pope and proclaimer of the Catholic Faith because it is not the commission of sins against morals (and we are all sinners) that invalidates his papacy, but commission of sins against the Faith, the holding and teaching of [[heresy]], or the ultimate commission of formal [[apostasy]], which is the utter renunciation of the entire Christian religion and total rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and God (for example the emperor [[Julian the Apostate]].

One of the prayer-petitions of the Catholic [[Mass]] says, "Look not on our sins, but on the Faith of Your Church..." According to Catholic teaching, a man who professes the Catholic Faith whole and entire, no matter how wicked he may be, remains a member of the Catholic Church and Body of Christ, even if he hates God, even if he commits murder, even if he commits [[sodom]]y—but such a man will be condemned to an eternity of suffering in [[hell]] if he does not repent before death. Being a baptized member of Christ's Church will not profit such a man, because professing a correct faith alone, without charity (the exercise of goodness and compassion), will not save him<ref>James 2:14-26</ref>. His knowledge of the True Faith will only increase his misery because he will have sinned ''freely'', without any internal or external coercion against his will, with ''full knowledge'' of the ''sinfulness'' of his deeds against man and God<ref>Catholic doctrine distinguishes between mortal and venial sins according to [http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/1_john/5-16.htm 1 John 5:16-17] and [http://www.biblehub.com/commentaries/john/19-11.htm John 19:11]. Three elements must be present for a sin to be deadly: Serious Matter, Full Knowledge of its evil, and Complete Consent (freely acting without any compulsion).</ref> Such a vile man can still be a valid pope and proclaimer of the Catholic Faith, because it is not the commission of sins against morals that invalidates his papacy (and we are all sinners), but the commission of sins against the Faith (the holding and teaching of [[heresy]]), or the ultimate act of committing formal [[apostasy]], which is not heresy but the utter renunciation of the entire Christian religion and total rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and God and Savior: for example the emperor [[Julian|Julian the Apostate]].

 

==History==

==History==

The '''history of the papacy''' is a major factor in European history, especially the Middle Ages.

The '''history of the papacy''' is a major factor in European history, especially the Middle Ages.