The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-12-12
THE INFALLlsILlTY OF THE Pope


Father Devery of Lexington, KY. a
priest of the Catholic Church, is in
Orlando, and is delivering a series of
lectures there which the Orlando pa
pers say have been very instructive
and enjoyable. One of the lectures
was on the ''Infallibility of the Pope"
AS there is a great deal of miscon-
ception as to the meaning of his infal-
libility on the part of many Protest
ants, we take pleasure in giving the
meaning of it from a Catholic stand
point. The Orlando Reporter-Star
contains the following account of
Father Devery's lecture on this head:
Nearly all the prevailing objections
to this doctrine would perish of them.
selves, if people only knew what the
doctrine means. The common idea OF
it is that Catholics make the pope
semi-divine being; that they consider
him removed from our mortal condi-
tons; that they regard him as nlirac-
ulously delivered from the .vicissi-
tudes of humanity, and that they re-
gard him as inspired, so that accord
ing to his fancy he can proclaim new
doctrines and manufacture a new Cos
pei. Now, the infallibility of the
pope means none of these monstrous
things. The pope is not demigod;
he is not inspired; he is absolutely
powerless to change or to add to a
single line of Christ's revelation. The
doctrine means simply this. that when
the church's chief bishop, speaking in
his official capacity as head of the
church. speaking secondly to- the
whole church, and speaking thirdly
on some point of faith or morals, de-
clares such or such doctrine to be
part of Christian revelation, he Is di-
vinely preserved from teaching error.
In one word. God will not permit his
church to be led into error by its
chief teacher. Hence, no inspiration
is given to the pope, no new doctrine
is revealed to him. but simply when
he solemnly teaches the faithful com
mitted to his care, or when he solemn
ly decides disputes in morals or doc
trine, he is safeguarded from error by
God.
''This doctrine is eminently just and
reasonable if Gods church is to teach
truth and not falsehood. And it is a
doctrine abundantly proved in scrip
ture. In the sixteenth chapter of St
Matthew our Lord says to Simon Pc
ter: 81 say to thee, thou art rock,
and upon this rock | will build my
church. and the gates of hell will not
prevail against it. And / will give to
thee the keys of the kingdom of fieav-
en-, aud whatsoever thou shalt bind
upon earth shall be bound also in
heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt
loose upon earth shall be loosed also
in heaven"
these words explicitly declare that
Christ made ST. Peter the foundation
of his church; that the church built
thereon should never be overcome by
hell; that st. Peter could rule Christ's
Kingdom, by possessing the very keys
which give entrance unto it, and that
st. Peters governing acts should be
ratified In heaven above. But IL the
chief teacher thus appointed could
lead the church into error and away
from Christ, he could not be the
church's foundation; he could not be
a protection against the gates of hell;
he could not bear the keys of Christ's
kingdom.
an st. Luke's gospel our Lord says
TO st. Peter again: Satan hath de-
sired to have you fplural) that he
may sift you as wheat But ] have
prayed for thee (singular) that my
faith fail not; and thou being con
vertetd confirm thy brethren"
"Christ's special prayer for Peter
here has utterly failed to be answer
ed. II. despite it. Peters faith has
been corrupted, and ifthe one meant
to be confirmer of the brethren has