Tag: Infallibility

The Inflation of Infallibility

My recent essay on the doctrine of Papal Infallibility showed that many popes were mistaken about matters of faith and morals, proving that elevation to the papacy does not exempt one from human imperfection.This fact, I argued, raises...

The Befuddling Concept of Infallibility

Catholicism is the only religion that formally claims infallibility for its leaders. Infallibility is defined as being “exempt from error in judgment, knowledge, or opinion.” The term derives from Medieval Latin, dates from the early fifteenth...

The Catholic Church and Women

For Catholics, as well as Jews and other Christians, the story of man’s relationship with woman begins in the Book of Genesis with God making Adam from the dust and Eve from Adam’s rib, and the two subsequently eating the forbidden fruit—Eve after...

Understanding Infallibility, Part 4

Part 1 discussed the origin of the doctrine of Papal Infallibility in the first Vatican Council (1869-1870). Part 2 examined the intellectual climate at that time, the theological differences, and their impact. Part 3 considered the confusion that...

Understanding Infallibility, Part 3

Part 1 discussed the origin of the doctrine of Papal Infallibility in the first Vatican Council (1869-1870), as well as relevant documents produced more recently. Part 2 examined the intellectual and spiritual climate at the time of Vatican I, the...

Understanding Infallibility, Part 2

Part 1 discussed the origin of the doctrine of Papal Infallibility in the first Vatican Council (1869-1870), as well as relevant documents produced more recently. That discussion closed with an expression of wonder about the intellectual and...

Understanding Infallibility

The woman was confused about the Catholic doctrine of infallibility, so she wrote to a Catholic website for clarification. The answer she received may be summarized as follows: Doctrines are beliefs that Catholics must accept, and they include...

Two Claims Of Infallibility

Two Claims Of Infallibility

This essay continues the discussion begun in “Theological Confusion” and published in this journal December 13, 2012 In 1870 Vatican One proclaimed papal infallibility an official dogma of the Catholic Church. Almost a century later, humanistic...