There seems to be a lot of interest lately in both the Church and in the secular media on this topic. The recent dubia (a formal request for clarification regarding a point of doubt) of Cardinals Raymond Burke, Joachim Meisner, Walter Brandmüller and Carlo Caffarra sent to Pope Francis, asking him to clarify whether certain portions of his exhortation Amoris Laetitia are harmonious with Catholic moral teaching - and the Holy Father's current lack of reply - have created a media firestorm.
What exactly is papal infallibility? Does it mean that the Pope, as the successor to St. Peter, is incapable of error?
The Church’s teaching on papal infallibility is often misunderstood by those outside (and many inside) the Church. "Bible Christians" often confuse the charism ("gift") of papal infallibility with impeccability: they imagine Catholics believe the pope cannot sin. This is simply incorrect.
First, it is necessary to explain exactly what infallibility is not. Infallibility is not the absence of sin. Nor is it something that belongs only to the pope. In fact, infallibility also belongs to the body of bishops as a whole, when, in unity with the pope, they solemnly teach a doctrine as true. We have this from Jesus himself, who promised the apostles and their successors the bishops, the magisterium of the Church: "He who hears you hears me" (Luke 10:16), and "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matt. 18:18).
Clarifying this doctrine was a major reason for the formation of the First Vatican Council (1869-1870). The formal declaration from this Council on the doctrine, Pastor Aeternus, stated that when the Roman Pontiff speaks ex cathedra (Latin for "from the chair"), that is, when he, in the exercise of his office of his supreme apostolic authority, decides that a doctrine concerning faith or morals is to be held by the entire Church, he possesses, in consequence of the divine aid promised him in St. Peter, that infallibility which the Divine Savior wished to have His Church furnished for the definition of doctrines concerning faith or morals; and that definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and not in consequence of the Church's consent, irreformable. Unfortunately, during the Council Italy captured the city Rome and annexed it. In October of 1870, Pope Pius IX was forced to suspend the Council indefinitely and it was never reconvened.
Almost 100 years later, the Second Vatican Council again took up the question as one of many facing the Church during the uncertain times of the 1960s. In one of its apostolic Constitutions Lumen Gentium (LG), the Council a more detailed understanding of the doctrine:
"Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative of infallibility, they can nevertheless proclaim Christ’s doctrine infallibly. This is so, even when they are dispersed around the world, provided that while maintaining the bond of unity among themselves and with Peter’s successor, and while teaching authentically on a matter of faith or morals, they concur in a single viewpoint as the one which must be held conclusively. This authority is even more clearly verified when, gathered together in an ecumenical council, they are teachers and judges of faith and morals for the universal Church. Their definitions must then be adhered to with the submission of faith" (LG 25).
So, infallibility belongs in a special way to the pope as head of the bishops. It is a charism the pope enjoys in virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, he confirms his brothers in their faith (Luke 22:32), proclaiming by a definitive act some doctrine of faith or morals. They are pronounced with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, an assistance promised to him in blessed Peter."
Another false understanding is that the infallibility of the pope is a doctrine that "suddenly appeared" in Church teaching. In fact, it is one that was implied in the early Church and over the centuries our understanding of infallibility has developed and been more clearly understood. Scripturally, the doctrine of infallibility is found in these Scripture verses: John 21:15–17 ("Feed my sheep . . . "), Luke 22:32 ("I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail"), and Matthew 16:18 ("You are Peter. . . ").
Some people ask how popes can be infallible if some of them lived so scandalously. This of course shows the common confusion between infallibility and impeccability; there simply is no guarantee that popes won’t sin or give bad example.
Even Peter, the first Pope, provided an example of this. In Galatians 2, Peter refused to eat with Gentile Christians in order not to offend certain Jews from Palestine and Paul rebuked him. Peter’s actions had to do with matters of discipline, not with issues of faith or morals. Furthermore, the problem was Peter’s actions, not his teaching. Paul acknowledged that Peter very well knew the correct teaching. The problem was that he wasn’t living up to his own teaching. In this example, Peter was not doing any teaching; much less was he solemnly defining a matter of faith or morals.
Given a moment's thought, the truly amazing thing is how much holy living, given the temptation that temporal power offers, has been shown by the vast majority of popes throughout history; the "bad popes" stand out precisely because they are so rare! It also bears mentioning that, no matter how scandalous a pope's life was, they have never formally declared a doctrine that was in contradiction with Scriptural or Church Magisterial teaching.
Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit who prevents the pope from officially teaching error, and it is vital to the existence of the Church that this be so. If, as Christ promised, the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church then it must be protected from falling into error and away from Christ. It must prove itself to be a consistent and truthful guide in matters pertaining to salvation. Of course, this doesn't guarantee that any particular pope won’t "neglect" to teach the truth, or that he will be sinless, or that decisions in matters besides faith and morals will be intelligently made. It would be nice if he were incapable of error, but his not being so won't bring about the destruction of the Church. In fact, if he were impeccable, it would very likely be impossible for him to truly "connect" with the very people that he is called to lead, to have the "smell of the sheep" as Pope Francis has famously said.
But he must be able to teach rightly, since instruction for the sake of salvation and to proclaim God's glory is for us the main reason for the existence of the Church on earth. For us to be saved, we must know what is to be believed. We must have a steady rock to build upon and to trust as the source of solemn Christian teaching. And that’s why papal infallibility exists.
The Church’s teaching on papal infallibility is often misunderstood by those outside (and many inside) the Church. "Bible Christians" often confuse the charism ("gift") of papal infallibility with impeccability: they imagine Catholics believe the pope cannot sin. This is simply incorrect.
First, it is necessary to explain exactly what infallibility is not. Infallibility is not the absence of sin. Nor is it something that belongs only to the pope. In fact, infallibility also belongs to the body of bishops as a whole, when, in unity with the pope, they solemnly teach a doctrine as true. We have this from Jesus himself, who promised the apostles and their successors the bishops, the magisterium of the Church: "He who hears you hears me" (Luke 10:16), and "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matt. 18:18).
Clarifying this doctrine was a major reason for the formation of the First Vatican Council (1869-1870). The formal declaration from this Council on the doctrine, Pastor Aeternus, stated that when the Roman Pontiff speaks ex cathedra (Latin for "from the chair"), that is, when he, in the exercise of his office of his supreme apostolic authority, decides that a doctrine concerning faith or morals is to be held by the entire Church, he possesses, in consequence of the divine aid promised him in St. Peter, that infallibility which the Divine Savior wished to have His Church furnished for the definition of doctrines concerning faith or morals; and that definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and not in consequence of the Church's consent, irreformable. Unfortunately, during the Council Italy captured the city Rome and annexed it. In October of 1870, Pope Pius IX was forced to suspend the Council indefinitely and it was never reconvened.
Almost 100 years later, the Second Vatican Council again took up the question as one of many facing the Church during the uncertain times of the 1960s. In one of its apostolic Constitutions Lumen Gentium (LG), the Council a more detailed understanding of the doctrine:
"Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative of infallibility, they can nevertheless proclaim Christ’s doctrine infallibly. This is so, even when they are dispersed around the world, provided that while maintaining the bond of unity among themselves and with Peter’s successor, and while teaching authentically on a matter of faith or morals, they concur in a single viewpoint as the one which must be held conclusively. This authority is even more clearly verified when, gathered together in an ecumenical council, they are teachers and judges of faith and morals for the universal Church. Their definitions must then be adhered to with the submission of faith" (LG 25).
So, infallibility belongs in a special way to the pope as head of the bishops. It is a charism the pope enjoys in virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, he confirms his brothers in their faith (Luke 22:32), proclaiming by a definitive act some doctrine of faith or morals. They are pronounced with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, an assistance promised to him in blessed Peter."
Another false understanding is that the infallibility of the pope is a doctrine that "suddenly appeared" in Church teaching. In fact, it is one that was implied in the early Church and over the centuries our understanding of infallibility has developed and been more clearly understood. Scripturally, the doctrine of infallibility is found in these Scripture verses: John 21:15–17 ("Feed my sheep . . . "), Luke 22:32 ("I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail"), and Matthew 16:18 ("You are Peter. . . ").
Some people ask how popes can be infallible if some of them lived so scandalously. This of course shows the common confusion between infallibility and impeccability; there simply is no guarantee that popes won’t sin or give bad example.
Even Peter, the first Pope, provided an example of this. In Galatians 2, Peter refused to eat with Gentile Christians in order not to offend certain Jews from Palestine and Paul rebuked him. Peter’s actions had to do with matters of discipline, not with issues of faith or morals. Furthermore, the problem was Peter’s actions, not his teaching. Paul acknowledged that Peter very well knew the correct teaching. The problem was that he wasn’t living up to his own teaching. In this example, Peter was not doing any teaching; much less was he solemnly defining a matter of faith or morals.
Given a moment's thought, the truly amazing thing is how much holy living, given the temptation that temporal power offers, has been shown by the vast majority of popes throughout history; the "bad popes" stand out precisely because they are so rare! It also bears mentioning that, no matter how scandalous a pope's life was, they have never formally declared a doctrine that was in contradiction with Scriptural or Church Magisterial teaching.
Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit who prevents the pope from officially teaching error, and it is vital to the existence of the Church that this be so. If, as Christ promised, the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church then it must be protected from falling into error and away from Christ. It must prove itself to be a consistent and truthful guide in matters pertaining to salvation. Of course, this doesn't guarantee that any particular pope won’t "neglect" to teach the truth, or that he will be sinless, or that decisions in matters besides faith and morals will be intelligently made. It would be nice if he were incapable of error, but his not being so won't bring about the destruction of the Church. In fact, if he were impeccable, it would very likely be impossible for him to truly "connect" with the very people that he is called to lead, to have the "smell of the sheep" as Pope Francis has famously said.
But he must be able to teach rightly, since instruction for the sake of salvation and to proclaim God's glory is for us the main reason for the existence of the Church on earth. For us to be saved, we must know what is to be believed. We must have a steady rock to build upon and to trust as the source of solemn Christian teaching. And that’s why papal infallibility exists.
Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe what the Church teaches.
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