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To: SeekAndFind
That may come as a surprise to those who think the church considers the Pope infallible, but that’s correct. Papal infallibility relies on a pope being in full solidarity with the bishops of the church, and this week solidarity is not easy to find. A synod such as this would be a poor vehicle for such an effort anyway. Plus, the last undisputed infallible declaration took place 64 years and six Popes ago, on the declaration of the Assumption of Mary as an article of faith for all Catholics.

That's a new spin on things!

3 posted on 10/19/2014 4:27:22 PM PDT by Alex Murphy ("the defacto Leader of the FR Calvinist Protestant Brigades")
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To: Alex Murphy

“Undisputed” is the key word. As has been explained to you countless times, a pope may certainly have an incorrect opinion. True infallible pronouncements are very rare. However, Pope John Paul II’s prohibition against supporting abortion rights was certainly intended to be infallible: he invoked a historical and global consensus among the faithful bishops. But that’s probably the only one I can think of SINCE the assumption of Mary.


4 posted on 10/19/2014 4:56:11 PM PDT by dangus
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To: Alex Murphy
That's a new spin on things! Curious statement, that. But the entire article of Papal infallibility has long been misinterpreted and misrepresented in the secular press. The article properly conveys the overarching process for a Pope to speak infallibly.
7 posted on 10/19/2014 7:04:27 PM PDT by Montana_Sam (Truth lives.)
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To: Alex Murphy

Not if you look at what Vatican I said about the subject. The ultramontane position may be the usual understanding, but the fact is that no pope can act on his own without a “party” behind him. John Paul and Benedict did somethings that greatly dismayed the “liberal” party in the Church, but they knew they had wide support in what they said. Pope Paul was called Hamlet because in the end, although he had upset the applecart, he found the results of his own actions quite disturbing, especially the tendency of many churchmen to carry things far beyond what he hoped would happen. That’s the problem with revolutions. Francis is seeking the same kind of popularity that made John Paul so “hard to handle.” So far he has got it; his arbitrary actions during the synod were his first stumble , and John Paul, who had had to deal with the Communists, was much more adroit.


8 posted on 10/19/2014 11:12:13 PM PDT by RobbyS (quotes)
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