Catholics: Does Catholicism teach that the pope is infallible?

Question

If so, please cite your source. Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes, but only at specific times.

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.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 891: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p4.htm#891 and http://www.catholic.com/library/Papal_Infallibility.asp

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The Pope is only consider infallible if a doctrine is issued "ex cathedra" or "from the chair". The First Vatican Council found this was the only time. Last time this occurred was the doctrine on the Assumption of Mary.

Everything else is his opinion

add'l
According to the teaching of the First Vatican Council and Catholic tradition, the conditions required for ex cathedra teaching are as follows:

1. "the Roman Pontiff"
2. "speaks ex cathedra" ("that is, when in the discharge of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, and by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority….")
3. "he defines"
4. "that a doctrine concerning faith or morals"
5. "must be held by the whole Church" (Pastor Aeternus, chap. 4)

Answer 3

Yes. The Pope is infallible when he officially proclaims doctrinal truth binding on the universal Church. Not in any other circumstances. Jesus said the truth would set us free. Therefore it was necessary that He provide an infallible means of knowing the truth. Obviously the Protestant approach isn't it. Thousands of conflicting, contradicting, unauthorized manmade denominations formed in a few hundred years can't possibly represent truth - especially since they exist in open violation of the stated will of God, "that they all may be ONE". Jesus told Simon Peter, "whatsoever you bind upon earth is bound in heaven", providing a means by which His Church could have an infallible means of knowing the truth. This is why the Holy Bible refers to that Church as "the pillar and foundation of truth". No structure can stand without the support of its pillars and foundation. His own Church, the Catholic Church, teaches with full authority, professing absolute and constant truth for 2,000 years. The charism of infallibility is the reason it is able to do so.

Answer 4

ok, right here’s your short and easy answer: no, the Catholics Church does not coach (nor might she bind any guy or woman Catholic to settle for) that Papal Infallibility might, in any way, amplify to a pronouncement by skill of this or the different Pope that the Catholic faith became the incorrect one, or that devil became god, or the different outlandish hypothetical which you’ve stated simply by fact they bypass against in the previous properly-known Catholic doctrine. word: The below poster imacatholic2 is incorrect while he says the pope is infallible in basic terms in union with the bishops. His very own link unearths this from Catechism of the Catholic Church section 891: "The Roman Pontiff, head of the faculty of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in distinctive function of his place of work, while, as superb pastor and instructor of all of the devoted—who confirms his brethren interior the religion—he declares by skill of a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. . . . The infallibility promised to the Church is likewise recent interior the physique of bishops while, alongside with Peter's successor, they exercising the wonderful Magisterium," specially in an Ecumenical Council.” word to the imacatholic2: As a fellow Catholic who has examine a lot of your posts, I have fun with your tireless witness in this internet site, yet i beg you strongly to be greater careful on your solutions while they situation Catholic doctrine. you're in basic terms efficient to the religion once you're truthfully precise!

Answer 5

Okay, here's the deal. It's been a couple of years since my RCIA (Catholicism 101) class, so I can't exactly quote the Catechism here. All I can tell you is that a very smart man, whom I trust implicitly, and who spends a lot of his time studying this stuff, made it pointedly clear that the Pope, a mortal and a sinner, is NOT infallible by any means. Hopefully, a much more seasoned apologist will step up to the plate on this one to fully clarify.

Answer 6

This is what the Church teaches on papal infallability:

"Wherefore, adhering faithfully to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, for the glory of God our Saviour, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion, andthe salvation of Christian peoples, We teach and define, with the approbations of the Sacred Council, that it is a dogma divinely revealed, that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is to say, when discharging the functions of Pastor and Doctor of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding fiath or morals to be held by the universal Church, h efully enjoys by the divine assistance promised him in blessed Peter, the same infallibility which our Divine Redeemer intended His Church should be endowed with for defining doctrine concerning fiath or morals; and consequently such definitions of theRoman Pontiff are of themselves irreformable, and not from the consent of the Church. If any one presume, which God forbid, to contradict this Our definition, let him be anathema." --First Vatican Council, Session IV, Chapter 4

We do not say that the Pope is infallable, we say that he teaches infallably under certain circumstances. Those circumstances are:
1. He can only teach infallably in matters of faith and morals
2. He must make clear that he is using his office as supreme pastor
3. He must bind the consciences of all Catholic faithful
Infallable statements by the Pope are not the only way in which infallible declarations are made within the Church. Infallible statements can also come from all Bishops assembled in union with the Roman Pontiff in matters of faith and morals and binding the consciences of all the faithful, as well as making clear that they are making an infallible statement. The statement which I provided above is one such example of an infallible statement produced in that way.
Infallability works negatively. It means that the Pope, if and when he decides to teach something infallibly, gives an infallible statement, that statement will without any shadow of doubt be truth. The same applies to the bishops assembled.
Infallable statements are not "inventions" of doctrines. They are simply ways of reaffirming and removing any doubt on a doctrine which has come to us from the Apostles. The only times the Church has felt the need to make such statements have been in times when the doctrine in question is being questioned, or if there would be some good come out of the statement (called a definition).
The Pope does not have this power of his own, but it comes from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost guides the Church so that She will not teach erroneous doctrine, and this divine assistance is given in an especial way to the successor of Peter, upon whom Christ built His Church. See Karl Keating's book Catholicism and Fundamentalism, Chapter 18.
Belief in papal infallibility is binding on the conscience of all Catholics. If any one obstinately denies this doctrine, he is a heretic and is automatically excommunicated and, unless he abjure his error before the time of his death, he will most certainly suffer eternal damnation.
The Pope never said that if one is not Catholic he is not a Christian, because in the document in question he called those of other faith communities Christians. He simply said that the other faith commuities cannot properly be called Churches. A reading of the document itself would be quite useful.

Answer 7

The pope is only infallible when speaking "ex cathedra" or "from the chair" (in other words, when he is exercising his official capacity as the leader of the Church). His decrees may be infallible but as a human being he is not.

Answer 8

Does one really need to ask? I mean just look at how catholics conduct themselves. What do they think is going to happen to them at Armageddon? It will be too late to argue then. They are pretty much one of the most blasphemous false religions around and so much promiscuity, pedophelia, drunkeness, shacking up unmarried (fornication), adultery, wide-span drug use, gamblers (greedy persons), and the list goes on and on.

Seriously, God's new kingdom will be pure and clean. Why would he allow these ones in to dirty it up and bring their unclean, non-repentent ways with them? That would be defeating his whole purpose.

I had a friend who was catholic and she was an adulterer, fornicator, heavy marijauna user, did cocain, and her father was a deacon in their church whoring multiple women in their church. Everyone knew but no one was doing anything. How is he seriously going to lead his congregation to God when his pants are hung down around his ankles constantly. He destroyed the marriage then wound up marrying one of the whores. The whole thing is just sick to me and to this day, my now ex-friend is shacking up with yet another man who smokes 3 packs a day, and drinks two cases of beer a day. She has 3 boys.

I know many other catholic men who brag about being catholic and the reason they brag is because they know there is little work required of them to be a part of this false religion. They were always trying to get me in bed just to make a whore of me and them, and all they thought about was Cancun and partying, getting drunk and being filthy.

Most all Catholics I know are not keeping their lives in harmony with Bible and truthful Godly standards. They are just along for the ride and they think they are trendy, in which they are, when they brag about being Catholics.

The world is definitely lying in the power of the wicked one and most all false religions don't see it.

With all the record number tsunamis, earthquakes, and lack of natural love and affection for one's fellow man/woman, we can see that something major is about to happen; those of us with intelligence anyway.

Surely all of the religions in the world cannot be true and righteous.There is one truth. Do you know what it is?

Answer 9

Google

Doctrine of Papal infallibility.

Answer 10

Only when he issues doctrine.. When Benedict 16 released his recent book on Jesus Christ, he encouraged people to read it, challenge what he wrote because it was a personal book.. The answer is: any Pope is not always infallible.

Please read, just found this.. I too will read this..

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07790a.htm