The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-11
TINE POPE'SINFALLTBTITTI.
In Replying t. Mr.. Victor Catholic
Reader Makes "a Full Explanation OF II.


Reader" Makesa Full Explanation OF II.
To the Editor OF The Times:
Sir,--Mr. Vietors reply 10 my criticism
came 10 my notice only Saturday night.
but I trust you will allow me to answer
his letter. even at this time.
NJ Victor expresses his surprise that
he should have insuited millions Of peo-
pie by saying that the Pope claims 10 be
oiics believe no such silly things. and
10 say that they 90 il not only an UNI
mitigated falsehOod, but also an insult
10 their intelligence tir Victor tries 10
greatest sang frOid he says. If he pre-
iers the expression, | Will gladly sub
stitute the word infallibie' for perfect.
80 that we agree on that point Agree
on that point! That "infalhblo' means
the same as 'perfect'f IL what CictiOn-
AIRY has he found that? Surely we ought
TO know what the Pope claims and what
We believe, and in my reply ! was very
emphatic in saying that 'infallible'
meant something very different from
perfect" and that while we had good
reason 10 believe that the Popes were
men OF more than Ordinary goodness,
We do not by any means believe that
they are sinlcss or perfect Your cor
respondent adds that he has not copied
anything, not even SECONDHAND trash.
] can only conceive OF two other ways in
which he came to c0nfound 'infaliibie
with perfect" He may have evolved
this curious notion from his own head.
In that case there Is q slisht confusion
Of IDEAS somewhere. II this is not the
case. he must have gotten his notion
from some Catholic or Catholic books,
for he tells us expressly that II Is not
answer that | will pay Mr. Victor S5oJ
for a copy Of any approved Catholic
book in which it il said that 'infalli-
BILE means the same as perfect or
NN..n. 10
no wrong Even Or. Dodge Oiaptisp
might have taught Mr.. Victor better. In
his Lectures OF Christian Theology
page A., he may read The following: The
Catholics have the vicar OF Christ in the
Pope. who. speaking OK cathedra on mat
ters of faith OF morals, IS intalible.' In
fallibiity, then. only means freedom from
error in teaching sucn doctrines, not
freedom from personal imDerIecNons. II
IS very trying that we should ne con-
stantiy accused of believing this and other
silly things, when we protest that We
do not, and when II is so easy 10 IND out
asking some instructed Catholic or by
reading our books. | venture 10 say that
Mr.. Victor never read as much as a
hVe-cent catcchism. II he had ne would
hardly make the assertion which he did
On page - I'm that little book he might
read the following; When does The
Church teach infallihility? Answer-Ihe
Church teaches infdllibilty when II
speaks through the Pope and bishops
united III general council. or through tie
Pope alone when he Droclams 10 all the
faithful a doctrine Of faith OF morals.
In Hunters Textbook OF Doematic
Theology" Volume l., page 1906 he viii
find the following: "lnfalibility Is rs
serted for the Roman Pontin-that Is;
freedom from error, not from SIN ana
this dnfalibility} not in every case. but
only when he speaks * catheura, ane
for this four conditions are necessary
Let me also quote. for the ediucaton
s.sl4. 81 ltlf
In plain Facts for Fair Minds, page
80. After explaining IN what matters
only and when the Pope speaks inialli-
bly he SAYS. And yet, though all THIS
Catholics. how many Prote5tsnts there
are who imagine tnat we believe the
Pope incapable Of error, no matter what
he * speaking about, or in what way
and under what circumstances he eX-
presses his thoughts. or, perhaps that
we even regard him as iniallible In the
very thoughts themselves
Great as this error Is, many ran lnto
an error much greater II Is often sup
posed-ndeed. We sometimes see Il stated
or. what Is more calmly assumed, IN
the literature OF the day' that '-'hoi.cp
believe the Pope 10 be incapable Of doing
ANYTHING morally wrong. lnfalhblhty Is
COMPOUNDED with impeccabihty one
would suppose that the English language
would be better understood, indeed. on
other subjects he writers OF this non
sense seem to be men Of fair accuracy.
u is only in speaking Of Us that they
make these absurd blunders.
'rhe Pope. too. makes his confession,
and more frequently than most OF the
faithful. He would hardly do so II he
claimed 10 he perfect
/ quote with great pleasure the passage
referred 10, AID 60 so from the Protestant
version before me. The Scribes and the
Pharisees sit in Moses seat. All, there
fore whatsoever they biz you observe,
that observe and do. Matt. NXiii.. %
Mr.. Victor saws ~ conclusion that he
will not reply. OF course, when nan
has such utter disregard FOR words and
their meaning it Will be only wasting time
to do so
A CATHOLIC READER.
Richmond, Va. Dec 9. 1895.