Is the Pope infallible?

Question

Is the Pope infallible?
Why do Catholics believe the Pope is infallible in his teachings when he is a human being, with a finite human intellect, like the rest of us? What is the scriptural basis for this belief?

Answer 1

Dude........

The doctrine of Papal Infallibility does not mean the Pope is always right in all his personal teachings. Catholics are quite aware that, despite his great learning, the Pope is very much a human being and therefore liable to commit human error. On some subjects, like sports and manufacturing, his judgment is liable to be very faulty. The doctrine simply means that the Pope is divinely protected from error when, acting in his official capacity as chief shepherd of the Catholic fold, he promulgates a decision which is binding on the conscience of all Catholics throughout the world. In other words, his infallibility is limited to his specialty--the Faith of Jesus Christ.

In order for the Pope to be infallible on a particular statement, however, four conditions must apply:

He must be speaking ex cathedra . . . that is, "from the Chair'' of Peter, or in other words, officially, as head of the entire Church;
the decision must be for the whole Church;
it must be on a matter of faith or morals;
the Pope must have the intention of making a final decision on a teaching of faith or morals, so that it is to be held by all the faithful. It must be interpretive, not originative; the Pope has no authority to originate new doctrine. He is not the author of revelation — only its guardian and expounder. He has no power to distort a single word of Scripture, or change one iota of divine tradition. His infallibility is limited strictly to the province of doctrinal interpretation, and it is used quite rarely. It is used in order to clarify, to "define,'' some point of the ancient Christian tradition. It is the infallibility of which Christ spoke when He said to Peter, the first Pope: "I will give (o thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven.'' (Matt. 16:19). Certainly Christ would not have admonished His followers to "hear the church'' (Matt. 18:17) without somehow making certain that what they heard was the truth — without somehow making the teaching magisterium of His Church infallible.
For a complete understanding of the Pope's infallibility, however, one more thing should be known: His ex cathedra decisions are not the result of his own private deliberations. They are the result of many years — sometimes hundreds of years — of consultation with the other bishops and theologians of the Church. He is, in effect, voicing the belief of the whole Church. His infallibility is not his own private endowment, but rather an endowment of the entire Mystical Body of Christ. Indeed, the Pope's hands are tied with regard to the changing of Christian doctrine. No Pope has ever used his infallibility to change, add, or subtract any Christian teaching; this is because Our Lord promised to be with His Church until the end of the world. (Matt. 28:20). Protestant denominations, on the other hand, feel free to change their doctrines. For example, all Protestant denominations once taught that contraception was gravely sinful; but since 1930, when the Church of England's Lambeth Conference decided contraception was no longer a sin, virtually all Protestant ministers in the world have accepted this human decision and changed their teaching.

Answer 2

The Catholic Church teaches that the Pope is infallible at closely defined times.

The Pope is only infallible when he, in union with the body of bishops, solemnly teaches that a doctrine as true.

This comes from the words of Jesus to Peter (the first Pope) and the Apostles (the first bishops), "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matthew 18:18) and "He who hears you hears me" (Luke 10:16).

At all other times the Pope can be just as sinful as you and me and be in need of forgiveness.

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

There is NO scriptural basis for this belief. The answer you seek you will find in a history book on a holy book. The Pope is a man. I was born and raised catholic and I always thought that was crazy. I am not a Catholic anymore, however. Too many contridictions with the Word of God. I am not into all the Mary worship, saints worship, praying in vain repetition, confession to a priest (at least they no longer charge money for it), and pope worship. Not much of that religion lines up with the bible. And all that vatican 1 and vatican 2???? Don't get it.

Answer 4

at the start, i think of Catholics are incorrect in the region that the Pope is infallible. he's a human, comparable with the aid of fact something human beings. there's no longer something in the Bible that helps the region and in certainty it runs counter to the theory of the closed canon. Secondly, the Muslims do no longer lots hate good judgment as they hate every physique for any reason criticizing their faith or their way of existence. in spite of if what he reported exchange into real, which i think of is is, that's seen as an insult to them and in he Arab way of existence, insults are often spoke back with violence.

Answer 5

That is a good question. People often here that buzzword and make all kinds of assumptions about it. It's actual meaning is stepped in theology, for instance:

"We mean in other words that the Church is infallible in her objective definitive teaching regarding faith and morals, not that believers are infallible in their subjective interpretation of her teaching."

Answer 6

The Pope is a man that puts himself in the place of God - Daniel 7 and 8 as the little horn power.

The pope is the leader of the first beast power spoken of in Revelation 13.

Answer 7

The Pope is not infallible 'cos he is but a man. though he is close to God as a priest to his people.

Answer 8

No he is just a human and has no special place before God all christians can be sanctifide by Jeszus and be saints the Catholic church has no right to declare any one a saint if a saint is not a saint while on earth he should not stand in the church

Answer 9

He is not infallible. He just has opinions about how things should be and thinks everyone else should agree.

Answer 10

No biblical support?

God's prophets were always empowered to speak infallibly on his behalf.

1Sa 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground.
1Sa 3:20 And all Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord.
1Sa 3:21 And the Lord again appeared in Silo, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Silo, according to the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to pass to all Israel.

--------------------------------------------

Jesus tells the Jews to listen to the corrupt Pharisees, but not to do what they do, because they have the God given authority passed down from Moses:

Mat 23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.
Mat 23:3 All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not. For they say, and do not.

-------------------------------

The corrupt Jewish high priest Caiphus, who got his job by being the high bidder, was empowered by God to infallibly prophesy - and he did! Read on ...

Joh 11:47 The chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees gathered a council and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles?
Joh 11:48 If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation.
Joh 11:49 But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing.
Joh 11:50 Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not.
Joh 11:51 And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation.
Joh 11:52 And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God that were dispersed.
Joh 11:53 From that day therefore they devised to put him to death.

-------------------------------------

Furthermore, St. John, St. Paul, St. Peter, St, Matthew, St. Luke, and St. Mark actually wrote all or most new testament scripture.

No one has a problem with them acting infallibly.

--------------------------------------

Finally, Jesus agreed to back up in heaven, anything his pope (and bishops) lawfully decreed for his church on earth:

Mat 18:18 Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.

Anyone who has God backing up his decisions is about as infallible as any human being can be.

-------------------------------------

When the pope declares that he is speaking with authority (from the chair of Peter) on matters of faith and morals, and when he states that he fully intends to make an infallible statement, then that is exactly what occurs.

Looks like someone wasn't listening to the Holy Spirit when studying their Bibles!