I'm writing this post because there's much confusion on the issue of papal infallibility. Indeed the very idea that the Pope cannot make a mistake seems scandalous enough. But Prostestants have several misconceptions that need to be cleared up.

First let's take a look at what papal infallibility does not mean:

1. It does not mean that the Pope is impeccable. The Bishop of Rome, and all bishops, are just as susceptible to sinful tendencies as anyone else. Peter's innappropriate conduct in Antioch does not subtract from the fact that he infallibly wrote two epistles that are found in today's Bible.

2. It does not apply just to the Pope. The Bishops are the successors of the original apostles, and even as Peter was the leader of the apostles, the Pope is a leader among leaders. Infallibility (or inerrency) is a trait shared by the Church in general, and the bishopric in particular.

3. It does not mean freedom from error in private beliefs. Pope Honorius expressed a belief of Monothelitism (belief that Christ had a single, divine will, not two wills.) This was an obvious error and flew in the face of the counsel of bishops, but Honorius never made an official definition of his belief, in deference to the Church, keeping his private beliefs out of the domain of official Church doctrine.

The Pope is infallible in his official teachings. When administrative or doctrinal issues need to be settled, the Pope makes the final proclamation infallibly.

Why do we believe this? Our belief in papal infallibility is strongly rooted in scripture as I demonstrate with the following:
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"He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent me." Luke10:16 (all quotes from the NKJV)

In that He is speaking to those who would be the foundation of His Church, Jesus is indicating that the apostles (and by implication their successors) would infallibly represent Him in their preaching.

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"However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you the things to come."
John 16:13

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the one who keeps Christ's Church free from error in our teaching. The Pope and Body of Bishops do not speak infallibly on their own merit.

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"..I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth."

The Church is the foundation of truth, again, not by her own virtue, but because the Holy Spirit keeps her free from error.

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"I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

The church cannot teach error, because to do so would mean its destruction, for it would no longer be Christ's church. But Christ provided the means to keep it from error by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Papal infallibility is also rooted in precident. Even Protestants won't deny the Peter spoke infallibly in his address to the apostles (Acts 1:15) and his sermon following Pentecost (Acts 2:14-39). He then went on to write infallibly two epistles.

But are the Popes really the successors of Peter? Yes! The apostolic succession began with the appointment of Mathias in Acts, clearly indicating that the Apostolic age would go on and never die. Also Jesus sets this precident Himself by teaching His disciples that the Pharisees sat in the seat of Moses and therefore had religious authority. In this light, it's not really a stretch of the imagination that there would also be "the seat of Peter."

The belief in papal infalliblility can only stem from a belief that Christ established a church (not a Bible) and endowed her with teaching authority. As I have established in another article, if the Church had the authority to assemble the canon to begin with, making (as even protestants believe) infallible decisions as to which works were authentic Christian writings, then it also has the authority to interpret scripture and teach doctrine. By the ministry of the Holy Spirit, she does this inerrantly.
Because Protestants don't believe in a Church with authority of it's own, the idea of ecclesiastical infallibility is alien to them.

So that's papal infallibility. I hope this clears up any misunderstanding. As for me, my trust in Christ's Church is de facto my trust in the Holy Spirit who guides her, and my trust in Christ who established her and endued her with teaching authority in regards to doctrine and all matters of life.

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

catholicsoldier <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/takethat.gif" alt="" />