Changes

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.

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 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 [[Saint|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.htm 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>  

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 [[Saint|holiness]], because we are all sinners,<ref>Romans 3:23-26; 1 Timothy 1:16.</ref> but it has claimed the unmerited [[Charism|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.htm 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 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 [[United States Constitution|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>  

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 [[United States Constitution|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>