Difference between revisions of "Papal Infallibility"

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In spite of these conditions, papal infallibility is often misunderstood by the general public, who think that it means the Pope is ''always'' free of error, or that he is even free of ''sin'', neither of which are actually the case.
 
In spite of these conditions, papal infallibility is often misunderstood by the general public, who think that it means the Pope is ''always'' free of error, or that he is even free of ''sin'', neither of which are actually the case.
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==Opposition==
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The doctrine of papal infallibility faced substantial resistance from within the Catholic church,  and universal opposition by Protestants without, which continues to this day. Various arguments are articulated, with proof texts for papal infallibility being contended against.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=CEMtAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false John Harvey Treat, Johann Augustus Bolles, G. H. Houghton Butler, ''The Catholic faith, or, Doctrines of the Church of Rome contrary to scripture and the primitive church'', pp. 480ff]</ref><ref>[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0185a.html What Think Ye of Rome? Part Four: The Catholic-Protestant Debate on Papal Infallibility], Christian Research Journal, Fall 1994, page 24</ref>  <ref>[http://vintage.aomin.org/Palm%20response.html White, ''A Response to David Palm's Article on Oral Tradition from This Rock Magazine, May, 1995'']</ref><ref>[http://vintage.aomin.org/Porvaz.htmlWhite, ''A Response to an Argument for Infallibility'']</ref><ref>[http://vintage.aomin.org/credenda.html White, ''Of Athanasius and Infallibility'']</ref><ref>[http://vintage.aomin.org/Presbyters.html White, ''Exegetica: Roman Catholic Apologists Practice Eisegesis in Scripture and Patristics'']</ref><ref>E.J.V. Huiginn, ''From Rome to Protestantism", The Forum, Volume 5, p. 111</ref><ref>Peter De Rosa, ''Vicars of Christ: the Dark Side of the Papacy''</ref><ref>Harold O. J. Brown, ''Protest of a Troubled Protestant'', New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1969; p. 122</ref> <ref>Williston Walker, ''A History of the Christian Church'', 3d ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1970; p. 67</ref><ref>E.J.V. Huiginn, ''From Rome to Protestantism", The Forum, Volume 5, pp. 109-110</ref>
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Revision as of 04:21, October 2, 2009

Papal Infallibility is the Roman Catholic dogma that the Pope is unable to err when he teaches on a certain question of faith or morals.

Background

Papal infallibility was established during the First Vatican Council in 1871. At the time, Italy was being formed and the Catholic Church was losing its political status in the world. The Church wanted to clarify its authority with regard to these events.

Conditions for Infallibility

In order for a teaching by the Pope to be infallible, certain conditions must be fulfilled:

"...when the Roman Pontiff speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals, and that therefore such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves and not from the consent of the Church irreformable."[1]

To break down the four different conditions set out here, the Pope must...:

  • ...be teaching "ex cathedra" as the head and shepherd of the Church.
  • ...explicitly make it clear that he "defines" the teaching, such as through a specific phrase or formula. ("...we pronounce, declare, and define...")[2]
  • ...be teaching on a question of "faith and morals", as opposed to e.g. a question of canon law.
  • ...and it must be a teaching "to be held by the whole Church", such as expressed through a declaration of excommunication on those who refuse the teaching. ("Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.")[3]

In the language of the Catholic Church, these conditions are very specific, and only a few papal teachings are actually considered infallible.

Current Infallible Teachings

Since the First Vatican Council, only two infallible teachings have been made:

  • Immaculate Conception (the dogma that Mary was born without original sin) - Declared infallible in 1854 by Pius IX[4]
  • Assumption (the dogma that after Mary's death, her body was physically raised into heaven) - Declared infallible 1950 by Pius XII[5]

In 1994, there were concerns that a letter opposing female ordination may have been an infallible teaching according to this criteria. However, Benedict XVI (then known as Cardinal Ratzinger) has rejected these claims.[6]

Certain other historical teachings by past Popes are similarly considered infallible.

Public misunderstandings

In spite of these conditions, papal infallibility is often misunderstood by the general public, who think that it means the Pope is always free of error, or that he is even free of sin, neither of which are actually the case.

Opposition

The doctrine of papal infallibility faced substantial resistance from within the Catholic church, and universal opposition by Protestants without, which continues to this day. Various arguments are articulated, with proof texts for papal infallibility being contended against.[7][8] [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] [16][17]

References

  1. ↑ First Vatican Council, Session 4: First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ, chapter 4, paragraph 9
  2. ↑ Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus Defining the Dogma of the Assumption, paragraph 44
  3. ↑ Ibid., par. 45
  4. ↑ http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_pi09id.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19930324en.html
  6. ↑ http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=5189&CFID=25384426&CFTOKEN=35942382
  7. ↑ John Harvey Treat, Johann Augustus Bolles, G. H. Houghton Butler, The Catholic faith, or, Doctrines of the Church of Rome contrary to scripture and the primitive church, pp. 480ff
  8. ↑ What Think Ye of Rome? Part Four: The Catholic-Protestant Debate on Papal Infallibility, Christian Research Journal, Fall 1994, page 24
  9. ↑ White, A Response to David Palm's Article on Oral Tradition from This Rock Magazine, May, 1995
  10. ↑ A Response to an Argument for Infallibility
  11. ↑ White, Of Athanasius and Infallibility
  12. ↑ White, Exegetica: Roman Catholic Apologists Practice Eisegesis in Scripture and Patristics
  13. ↑ E.J.V. Huiginn, From Rome to Protestantism", The Forum, Volume 5, p. 111
  14. ↑ Peter De Rosa, Vicars of Christ: the Dark Side of the Papacy
  15. ↑ Harold O. J. Brown, Protest of a Troubled Protestant, New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1969; p. 122
  16. ↑ Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church, 3d ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1970; p. 67
  17. ↑ E.J.V. Huiginn, From Rome to Protestantism", The Forum, Volume 5, pp. 109-110
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