Conditions of Papal Infallibility

Papal infallibility is a vital, if misunderstood, part of Catholic doctrine.

Papal infallibility, a Catholic doctrine, states that the pope, by the way of the Holy Spirit, is infallible when promulgating dogma within the tradition of the church.

Infallibility of the Church

A central tenet of Catholic dogma holds that the Holy Spirit doesn't allow the church to err in its beliefs or teachings, including the Sacred Scripture, or the Bible, and the Sacred Tradition, the accumulated teachings of the church established by ecumenical councils, as well as declarations made by the pope.

Example

Papal infallibility establishes that papal decrees form part of this infallible body of church teachings. Rarely invoked, the clearest example would be Pius XII's 1950 definition of the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary.

Conditions

While papal decrees have become part of church teaching throughout history, the First Vatican Council in 1870 defined the dogma of papal infallibility. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Pope is infallible "when in the exercise of his office as pastor and teacher of all Christians he defines, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the whole church." This doesn't include a pope's unofficial comments, disciplinary decisions or private beliefs.

References

• The Vatican: Defining the Dogma of the Assumption
• The Catholic Encyclopedia: Vatican Council
• The Catholic Encyclopedia: Infallibility