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The Catholic Church also relies on the Bible to be inerrant, but adds and emphasises that when the pope speaks ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals, his teaching is infallible. This is based on the decision of the First Vatican Council in 1870, documented in Pastor Aeternalis, chapter 6:
9. Therefore, faithfully adhering to the tradition received from the beginning of the christian faith, to the glory of God our savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion and for the salvation of the christian people, with the approval of the Sacred Council, we teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that when the Roman Pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the Church, irreformable. [My emphasis in bold]
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson (Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church) asks how a council can infallibly declare the infallibility of the pope unless we assume in advance that the council was itself infallible. In the absence of infallibility on the part of the First Vatican Council, the pronouncement in Pastor Aeternalis is no more than an opinion.
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In the same document, the council appears to have limited that infallibility, by limiting the pope to jealously guarding and explaining what was handed down through the apostles, and not the ability to disclose a new doctrine by revelation (chapter 4):
6. For the Holy Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter not so that they might, by his revelation, make known some new doctrine, but that, by his assistance, they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles.
The council may not have intended to have one clause limit the other in this way. The pope's pronouncement on the Assumption of the virgin Mary was certainly not handed down through the apostles, so even if the pope is indeed infallible on certain matters Robinson believes this clause means that the pope was assuming an infallibility he did not have in this case.
In summary: (i) the Bible is generally regarded as containing infallible teachings (ii) there is reasonable doubt whether Catholics really ought to hold the pope to be infallible; and (iii) there is further doubt as to whether the pope ought to be regarded as infallible when making pronouncements such as on the Assumption of Mary.
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How were heretics viewed by the Roman Catholic Church?
Catholic viewed them as not belong to the group.They sin a sacrilege and they deny the teaching of the church as an infallible teaching.
Is the Catechism of the Council of Trent infallible?
Yes, the Catechism of the Council of Trent, also known as the Roman Catechism, is considered authoritative and reliable teaching by the Catholic Church, but it is not considered infallible in the same way that papal or conciliar pronouncements are. It does provide a comprehensive and orthodox presentation of Catholic doctrine.
What is the connection between magisterium and infallible?
Magisterium is the authority of the Catholic church to teach the faith; it is defined as "The Church's teaching authority, vested in the bishops, as successors of the Apostles, under the Roman Pontiff, as successor of St. Peter. Also, personally, vested in the Pope, as Vicar of Christ and visible head of the Catholic Church. Infallibility means freedom from error in teaching the universal Church in matters of faith or morals. This is a very strict, limited power that is granted to the Pope, and to all those Bishops who are teaching in accord with him. The connection is that the Magisterium is headed by the Pope, and that he is infallible in teaching on matters of faith and morals - which is the proper teaching of the Church - the Magisterium.
Who is infallible when teaching solemnly and officially on faith or morals?
The Pope is said to be infallible in these circumstances.
How is official teaching of the Catholic Church passed on?
.Catholic AnswerWrong question, the question should be how is the official teaching of Our Blessed Lord passed on, and the answer would be the Catholic Church. .The Church accomplishes this in Her preaching and teaching. For instance, examples of Her preaching and teaching include writings: this would include the Bible, which is the earliest, canonized example of Her teaching, Papal Encyclicals, Catechisms, etc. These would all be infallible teachings since any teaching from the Holy Father, or the Bishops in union with the Holy Father are guaranteed infallible, thus the Bible is guaranteed as the actual Word of God because of the Catholic Church's imprimatur on it..Besides official writings, there would be the ordinary teaching office of the Magisterium, in union with the Holy Father. The ordinary Magisterium in union with the Holy Father is THE way in which the official teaching of Our Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has been passed on from day one until today.
Can a women validly be ordained a priest if she is ordained by a bishop?
No. It is literally impossible for a woman to be ordained, these has been the constant teaching of the Church and has been reiterated by the most recent popes. Thus it is an infallible teaching and no future pope could reverse it.
Why do some people think that the church gives infallible guidance when making moral decisions?
A:Infallibility is a claim that only the Catholic Church makes. During the Middle Ages, it decided that it should regard decisions made by Ecumenical Councils as infallible. Then, in 1870, the first Vatican Council decided, at the request of Pope Pius IX, that the pope is infallible when speaking ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals. This, of course, requires that the Council was infallible in making that decision. Some recent quasi-official opinions have told us that when popes constantly repeat the same teaching, there is a point at which this repeated teaching becomes infallible. Bishop Geofrey Robinson (Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church) says that one problem with this is that through its many discontinuities for the sake of a greater continuity with the Great Tradition, the Second Vatican Council set aside many things that had been consistently taught for more than a thousand years and would by this criterion have been infallible. Another opinion holds that when the pope canonises a saint, he does so infallibly, but Robinson says this can never be truly infallible, since the pope is relying on information and advice, both of which are not infallible.Ultimately, people think that the Church gives infallible guidance because the Church itself says that it gives infallible guidance.
According to the Catholic Church what are the four conditions for the pope to speak infallibility?
When the Pope (1) intends to teach (2) by virtue of his supreme authority (3) on a matter of faith and morals (4) to the whole Church, he is preserved by the Holy Spirit from error. His teaching act is therefore called "infallible" and the teaching which he articulates is termed "irreformable".
Teaching authority of the church?
Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church.
What do Roman Catholics mean when they say the pope is infallible?
This means that the Pope, when creating a teaching of the Catholic Church, can never be wrong. This only applys when the pope speaks ex cathedra and only on matters of faith and morals.
What is teaching authority of the Church?
Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church.
What is the Magesterium?
It is the teaching authority of the Catholic Church.
