Catholic question.........?

Question

Do you think infallibility in the church is unconditional ? If it is not where do you think the boundaries are?

In faith and morals in every instance, where are the boundaries within its competence? Already some postings defined this but is there more qualifications from a layman's perspective??

Thanks Matfromasia for the link.

Thanks Matfromasia for the link.

Thanks sweetazhunny for the links too.

Thanks Liet Kynes and iamacatholic2 for your brief and informative explanations.

Answer 1

*Is Catholic*

There are 3 levels of infallibility.

1. Ordinary Infallibility of the Magisterium of the Church. This occurs when a Bishop teaches a truth of the faith in accord with the living tradition of the Church. For example, when a Bishop says "Christ is God" this is an infallible teaching.
2. Extraordinary Infallibility of the Magisterium of the Church. This occurs when Bishops unanimously teach in an Ecumenical Council that a truth is to be regarded as a Divine Truth of the Catholic Faith.
3. Papal Infallibility - This occurs when the Pope, when he specifically acts as the universal patriarch of the Church, teaches that something pertaining to the faith and morals of Catholicism is to be a Divine Truth.


1 and 2 are predicated upon several things (teaching a past truth, universal agreement) but they are also dependent on 3. For 1, Papal infallibility is the rule of faith, it determines if the Bishops are teaching according to the living tradition. For 2 Papal infallibility is required for the ratification of an Ecumenical Council.

Thus we can see that Papal infallibility, though limited in scope, is not conditioned by anything. Papal infallibility rests directly on the promise of Christ that Peter has the keys to the kingdom of heaven and that the gates of hell will not prevail.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE that Papal Infallibility doesn't mean that the Pope teaches everything perfectly or that what he teaches is the best way to go about doing things or is the most complete way of understanding things. It just means that it is not false.

Answer 2

Vatican II stated that Infallibility in the Church has to do with:

1) Bishops, from all over the world, being in agreement
2) It's a matter of faith or morals
3) The docterine must be held definitely
4) This is in agreement with the Pope.

An interesting discussion on church infallibility can be found here: http://moses.creighton.edu/kripke/news/F96-2.html

It even goes into Rahner vs. Kung debate, which is interesting.

Matt

Answer 3

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 is called "ex cathedra", literally meaning in Latin "from the chair".

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 wrong or sinful as you and me and be in need of forgiveness.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

Its clearly confined to teachings on faith and morals and further confined to statements made with the full and formal authority of the holy see. These statements are very rare, the last one was over fifty years ago.

Answer 5

>>Do you think infallibility in the church is unconditional ?<<

No.

>>If it is not where do you think the boundaries are?<<

The Church can only be infallible in matters of faith and morals.

Answer 6

i agree that it is unconditional, boundaries may appear when herasy(sp?) is made clear from the truth. the holy spirit is not the author of confusion this is made evident in 2000 years of guidance from the holy spirit. god bless.

Answer 7

The Catholic Church is far from infalible. The Church contends that its origin is the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately 30 A.D. The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be the Church that Jesus Christ died for, the Church that was established and built by the Apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus, or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship / adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in Heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture.

Answer 8

I personally think that catholics are WAY off...worshipping idols (like statues of mary) and graven images (let's face it, the crucifix is an engraved image...and a depressing one at that). According to prophecy, wasn't jesus supposed to tear down the curtain? Why do we still have to go through the clergy to speak to god in catholicism then? Why do you confess your sins to another man, when jesus taught his followers to pray directly to "our father, who art in heaven"? Let's face it, catholicism is the new-age Golden Calf....

Answer 9

I believe they have an overinflated opinion of their "abilities".

Answer 10

I am not to keen on religion it drives a wedge betwixt people.I love Jesus because Jesus loved me first.