The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-29
Continued from last week
THE PoPE'S lNFALLi5lLiTY.
BY the Rt. Rev. Timothy Corbett, D. o.,
Bishop of crookston, MINI.


Bishop of crookston, MINI.
Reason Demands an lnfaIlible Teacher
Should the Pope, whom in the per.
son of Peter, Christ made the head
of the Church, teach error in his Of
fee as Vicar of Christ, Christ Himself
would teach falsely through His Vicar
and thus deceive the human race in
the most important thing of life, the
salvation OF souls. Pure human rea-
son demands teacher protected from
falling into error. The fallibility OF
mems Judgment appears evident in
the manifold religious disputes and
contradicting sects. Down the ages
infallibility has played a beneficent
and all-important part in settling re-
ligious questions. BY his supreme
authority the Pope of Rome has de-
tected untruth and condemned ancient
and modern errors. In exercising his
prerogative of infallibility, the SUI
preme Pontiff is not inspired, nor
gifted with sensible supernatural
light, nor guided by voice from Hea-
ven, nor is there any miraculous in
tervention. Infallibility simply means
that when the Pope speaks as verita-
BILE head Of the universal Church the
Holy Ghost protects him from error,
that is when he speaks as head of the
universal Church on q point of faith
and morals with the purpose of bind
ing every member of the Church for
acceptance and belief
Objects of InfaIIibiIity.
The object of .infallibility consists
in the teaching of dogmas of faith or
truths to be believed and moral
teaching or truths to be practised. In
falliDiNty extends only to the truths Of
Divine revelation contained in the
Holy Bible and sacred tradition. The
Pope has the Divine right to define
what God has taught in the Bible,
what Christ left to the Apostles and
what may be found in the tradition of
the Church.
Personal opinions expressed by the
Pope as an ordinary teacher, theo-
Logan, or an author, do not come with
in the sphere of infallibility, which is
an official prerogative attached to pub
lie and official Papal declarations.
Personal sayings, writings, private
letters and conversations, moreover,
have nothing to do with the infalli-
bility, which was granted to the Pope,
not for his own personal advantage,
but for that of the Church at large.
Neither do infallible Pontifical decla-
rations depend on the learning Of the
Pope, but on special Divine assist
ance and guidance. The Pope does
not claim infallibility regarding pol.
Itics, historical facts, natural sciences
or truths, unless they are so closely
connected with faith and. morals that
the truths of the latter might be i'm
periled The Church was established
by Christ to teach to the world the
truths of Divine revelation, and not
the natural sciences. Neither is there
question of infallibility in the appoint
ment of Bishops, or in forming regu
lations for particular churches, or iT
teaching a part of the Church. Nc
well-informed person will hold thai
infallibility is the enslavement of hu
man reason, for it simply means ex
emption from liability to error in doc
trine Mans intellect, created fol
truth, should submit to the truth
Nothing, indeed, is more degrading tt
mans liberty and dishonorable to self
respect than to be slave to the
doubtful teaching of fallible men. In
fallibiIity neither hampers the mint
nor interferes with human liberty, MOI
prevents the researches of science.
Infallibility does not depend on the
sanctity of the Pope. The persona
sinless0ess of the Pope has positivel.
nothing to do with infallibility. Al
though the lives of the Popes have
been distinguished, through the cen
turtles, for personal holiness, Pope!
may be peccable in their lives, blu
their official acts are totally independ
ent of their private acts. Papal in
fallibility does not signify that tn,
Pope cannot do wrong, but that h
cannot teach falsehood in his publ
and official capacity as head of tn
Universal Church. In a word, infa
1ibility does not depend on the sanct
ty of the Pope. No Pope nevertheless
ever promulgated decree against tn
purity of faith and morals, nor doe
history mention any example of an
fope ever falling away from the tru
Faith. Despite all the researche
through the ages, no Pope has eve
been found who taught error, nor hav
any Popes ever contradicted one al
ether in their teaching.
InfalIibIe Decisions Are Not New
Ideas.
The Pope is not the creator or oris
inator, but truly the sentinel, the il
terpreter and protector of Divine re'
elation. Neither does the Pope max
new doctrines, but only proclaims an
confirms old ones held from the four
dation of the Christian religion. Hi
Office is to pronounce explicitly on tn
existence CT revealed truths, believe
Implicitly from the beginning, and tn;
such a doctrine was revealed
Christ, but to add or subtract nothin
from the substance thereof. Tt
Church, indeed, has progress and d
yelopment, but suffers no essenti
phanpn She auJv usns her authOrit