The following is taken from the September 26 Bulletin of St. Peters Church, Geneva. SEE: http://www.stpeterchurch.com/site/010698.092511.pdf, page 13.
What is so disheartening is that this is such an over-simplification of the faith which I personally know and love. I question if this does any justice to the nature of papal infallibility.
Below is quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994), CCC891
“The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful—who confirms his brethren in the the faith—he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals….The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter’s successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium,” above all in an Ecumenical Council. When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine “for belief as being divinely revealed” and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions “must be adhered to with the obedience of faith” This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.
Perhaps the important fact to remember is that last papal proclamation of a new infallible doctrine was in the early 1950’s—The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven. Popes are humans—as teachers they may make human errors. It is only with a “definitive act” and only pertaining to faith or morals that papal infallibility occurs. Much is also made of Papal Encyclicals—in themselves these documents are not infallible and only provide explanations of doctrines defined elsewhere.
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