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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 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>  

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]].

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]].