The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-22


Could Peter. whom Christ appointed
head Of the Church, because He was
to return to the Father, have led the
Church astray in his teaching, error,
Notwithstanding the explicit promises
of Christ, would have assuredly pre-
vailed in the Church. No sensible per-
son will presume to deny that the
Church of Christ should preserve the
truths of its Divine Founder and there.
fore must have an infallible chief
shepherd; otherwise Divine revelation
would be imperiled. The thoughtless
assumption that Christ Jesus, who al
lowed Himself to be crucified for the
salvation Of mankind and who said
before PLATE. Il should give testimony
to the truth" lJohn 14:6), would per-.
NIT His doctrine to be nlinimized,
mutilated or destroyed, is a downright
mockery of Almighty God, the Creator.
and Master of all things 1.-THE truth
of the Lord remaineth forever" FPS.
116:2)
s'Simon, Simon" again affirms
Christ, Satan hath desired to have
you that he may sift you as wheat, but
I have prayed that thy faith shall not
fail, and thou being once converted,
lconfirm thy brethren" Luke 22:31-32.)
Through this prayer Christ plainly
lpromises that the faith Of Peter will
iremain invulnerable. This, indeed,
would be impossible should Peter be
fallible in teaching faith and morals.
| To deny, therefore, that st. Peter and
Legitimate successors in Office are in
tfallible in teaching the whole Church
lis practically to declare that Christ's
prayer was null and void, which is an
open and atrecious blasphemy. Peter,
tcertainly, could not perform the Office
lof confirming the brethren and
Strengthening the faith of all the dis
icip1es, if he himself were capable of
ierring The faith of the confirmer of
iall the brethren cannot fail because
Christ's prayer to that effect cannot
jremain unheard And knew. that
lthon nearest me always" John 1:42.)
Feed My lambs, Feed My
sheep, John 21:15), utters Christ.
Peter, thus constituted the supreme
shepherd Of the Church of God, the
Church taught and the, Church teach
| ing, surely cannot be teacher of
error AS the food of Immortal souls
is truth, Peter would not be infallible
should he be liable to corrupt by false
doctrine the flock, which Christ
| deigned to confide to his pastoral care.
To reconcile Peters fallibility with
the charge to feed the flock with sound
and sane doctrine would be impos-
sible. The pastor of the lambs and
sheep of Christ must of necessity be
an infallible guide. The infallibility of
st. Peter flows naturally from his
primacy and supremacy, for as SUI
preme shepherd and supreme ruler
and teacher Of the fold, Peter cannot
err in doctrine. How otherwise could
he protect the Church against the
gates of hell? Almighty God can COM
municate the prerogative Of infalli-
bility and such He has actually done
according to the Bible, the inspired
! Word of God, of which God is the real
Author Christ Jesus Himself is the
real source of infallibility and He dele
Igatsd that power to Peter. who as ssu-
preme Pastor must be incapable of
erring since on earth there is no
other superior as teacher and guide
to appeal to in matters of faith and
morals.
i The lnfaIiibility OF the Pope.
1 The Pope as successor OF st. Peter
| is preserved from error of Judgment
by virtue of the promise of Christ
when he speaks ex cathedra as pastor
land doctor of the universal Church
with the intention of defining a doc
!, trine of faith and morals and Of
tobliging the entire Church to believe
and profess the same. The Vatican
!, Council formally defined the Ropes
infallibility as Divinely revealed
dogma in the year 1870, though it hat
already been an ancient and firm be
!, lief in the Church. Papal infallibilit,
, is therefore a revealed truth to he be
ieved with Divine faith, because Coo
has spoken
! AS Christ, the God Incarnate, prom
. Used special assistance to Peter il
! teaching, and that to the end of time
!. He assured similar assistance to Pc
, ter's legitimate successors in thei
ipronouncements to humanity on ispir
litual and moral questions. st. Pete
was for the Church the constituted
, lfoundation-rock which must not b,
!, unstable or tottering, and consequent
! lly his successors must be infallible il
! teaching the whole Church Shout,
|, the foundation fail, the entire hous,
!. would crumble. Impossible would j
: be for Peters successors ITO confirm
! 1.-The brethren" should they lack infal
llibility, and otherwise how could TIL
brethren know that they were not lie,
: astray? When controversies sprinl
up concerning faith and morals, tn
/ supreme Pontiff is ultimately to de
l eide, that is, condemn, if necessary
: any. theory contrary to Divine reveal
ton No certainty would be there a
? to the objects of faith without an in
., tfallible guide to define with unerrin
truth what is and what is not reveal
!. ed. Does the Pope speak in his o.
fetal capacity upon subject pertain
ing to the deposit of faith or the cod
of morality, his decision is final an
irreVersible, against which there
mo appeal, not even to a general Conr