Catholicism - Papal Infallibility

Infallibility of the Pope

On July 18, 1870, as part of the ecumenical council known as Vatican I, the Roman Catholic Church formally defined the doctrine of papal infallibility. It was declared to be de fide ("of the faith"), that is, an official doctrine of the church, the denial of which would constitute heresy.  The idea of papal authority was already tacitly assumed within the church prior to this.

The office of "pope" perhaps began with Clement, bishop of Rome, and his first letter to the Corinthians.  Peter and Paul both preached in Rome and Clement was the fourth such bishop, following Peter, Linus, and Anacletus.  Over the years, Rome became the center of ruling on disagreements within the Church (I'm not referring to the catholic church yet).

As time passed, the popes began to assert a claim of universal jurisdiction over all the churches. This claim was especially resented in the eastern areas of the empire.  Finally, in 1054, a group of papal representatives traveled to Constantinople to insist that Michael Cerularius, the patriarch of Constantinople, recognize the church in Rome as the mother church.  He refused, sparking the Great Schism, the division of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, a breach that has never been healed.

In June 1846, Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti was elected as Pope Pius IX, beginning the longest papacy ever, thirty-two years.  Pius is the one who really first pushed his power to the limit.  He declared the immaculate conception of Mary (the teaching that Mary had no original sin) and declared it a de fide doctrine.

In Vatican I the council asserted that Peter’s primacy has been passed on in a perpetual succession, and this belief is essential:

"If anyone says that it is not by the institution of Christ the lord himself (that is to say, by divine law) that blessed Peter should have perpetual successors in the primacy over the whole church; or that the Roman pontiff is not the successor of blessed Peter in this primacy: let him be anathema".

They claim infallibility because of Peter, yet don't acknowledge Peter's own fallibility!  He made serious errors and was corrected publicly:

[Gal 2:11-14 LSB]  But when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I [Paul] opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. [12]  For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he began to shrink back and separate himself, fearing the party of the circumcision. [13]  And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. [14]  But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before everyone, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

Peter was also corrected by Yeshua:

[Mat 16:22-23 LSB]  And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” [23]  But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Peter was never promised infallibility and was obviously just like us!  All Apostles were fallible... none are infallible but our Heavenly Father and Yeshua.

[1Co 3:21 LSB]  So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you,

[Mat 23:8-10 LSB]  “But do not be called Rabbi [or "pope" or "bishop" or "cardinal"]; for ONE is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. [9]  “And do not call anyone on earth your father; for ONE is your Father, He who is in heaven. [10]  “Do not be called instructors; for ONE is your Instructor, THAT IS, Christ.

This papal authority is not merely teaching authority, it is a governmental authority. Thus, the pope has jurisdiction over the discipline and government of the whole church. This is what Roman Catholics call the primacy of jurisdiction.

Papal infallibility is restricted to those utterances of the pope on faith or morals that are given ex cathedra, that is, when he is giving a decision on behalf of the whole church.  This infallibility comes through the Divine assistance promised to the pope in Peter.  In other words, he can be infallible when speaking on matters of faith and morals through divine assistance.

Vatican II came along and not only reaffirmed papal infallibility but also added the bishops as authoritative as the apostles of Yeshua were.  These bishops receive a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them, and they passed on this spiritual gift to their helpers by the imposition of hands, and it has been transmitted down to us in Episcopal consecration.  The council proclaimed:

"Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative of infallibility, they nevertheless proclaim Christ’s doctrine infallibly whenever, even though dispersed through the world, but still maintaining the bond of communion among themselves and with the successor of Peter, and authentically teaching matters of faith and morals, they are in agreement on one position as definitively to be held."

Vatican I referred to the pope as the head of the body of Christ or the head of the church.  But if Christ is the Head of the church, how can the pope be the head of the church—is not the pope usurping the position that is given to Christ alone? This is why Vatican II spoke of the pope as the shepherd of the flock or the vicar of Christ, or Christ’s head on earth.

The only infallibility to ever exist in the form of Man is - Yeshua.  He alone is the Head of His Church.  We should receive His Word alone - the Holy Scriptures - as the ONLY infallible communication apart from His Holy Spirit - Yeshua is our parakletos.

[1Jn 2:1 LSB]  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [parakletos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;