Sorry to add, but I see why some people might be confused. It’s the slipshod way this pope has, making everything a “mess” or conundrum. This change should have come out in a nice explanatory motu proprio or a document from Ladaria (CDF) with details of the reasoning behind the change. Also, capital punishment is not a doctrine... the doctrines involved would be related to justice, power of state, social security, etc.
From a Catholic perspective, is it even possible for a Pope to be a heretic?
Protestants generally consider a lot of Catholic views and customs (whether called doctrines or some other label) as heretical when measured by the views that the Protestants hold. Of course the Protestant doctrines vary from one Church to another, which is one the main arguments Catholics use to say that there is error in Protestant beliefs because they do not agree together.
I think this is a reasonable point to bring up. But I also think, in order for it to be a valid point, traditional Catholic teachings can not change.
For Protestants, if the preacher of a Church teaches heresies, such as Jesus not being fully God or fully man (for example, calling Him a demigod or merely a prophet but not God) then this would require either removing such a preacher or leaving that particular Church. To me I would not be able to continue being part of such a group.
But for Catholics, other than driving to another Parish, if false doctrine is being promulgated, what is the choice? It’s not like it is considered acceptable to leave and go to a Protestant Church. And if the visible head of the Catholic Church does so, what is the remedy?
To me, having a Pope become heretical would be like a Protestant discovering some irrefutable evidence that some of the books in his Bible were complete forgeries. I can’t quite imagine how that conclusion could be reached, but if it was then it would shatter the foundation of his beliefs.
So, without rehashing the endless Protestant / Catholic debates I am trying to make sense of the Catholic perspective on this subject. I may not agree but I would at least like to understand the logical premise.