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The Office of Pope is
Infallible?
According to Catholic doctrine, the Pope is infallible in matters of
doctrine, faith and morals.
| "In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the
faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is Truth willed
to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a
supernatural sense of faith the People of God, under the
guidance of the Church's living magisterium, unfailingly
adheres to this faith." Pg. 235, #889 |
The Catechism restates the same belief this way:
| "The Roman Pontiff... enjoys this infallibility in
virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of
all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith -
he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to
faith or morals... This infallibility extends as far as the
deposit of divine Revelation itself." Pg. 235, #891 |
Sadly, this doctrine is but another tradition of men that contradicts
Scripture. The Bible declares that all people
are sinners. No one is perfect or infallible in anything:
| "For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23
"As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one:" Romans
3:10 |
Notice, you didn't read, " no one, except the pope." Jesus is the
only infallible person who ever lived:
| "For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us,
who knew no sin..." 2 Corinthians
5:21 |
Are other Catholics infallible too?
The Catechism further alleges that other Catholic leaders have also
somehow achieved this state of infallibility:
| "The pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing
to it that the People of God abides in the truth that
liberates. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the
Church' s shepherds with the charism of infallibility in
matters of faith and morals." Pg. 235, #890
"The infallibility of the Magisterium of the Pastors
extends to all the elements of doctrine, including moral
doctrine, without which the saving truths of the faith
cannot be preserved, expounded, or observed." Pg. 495, #2051
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It is important to understand that God did not declare these people
to be infallible, other sinful men did.
Scriptures overflow with stories of sinful people. Even those whom
God used the most were sinners. God referred to King David as "a man
after mine own heart" (Acts 13:22), yet David was a murderer and an
adulterer, among other things.
The Apostle Paul and all the other apostles were sinners. Paul said
of himself:
| "Unto me, who am less than the least of all
saints, is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ;" Ephesians 3:8 |
Nobody in Scripture, except Jesus, was
infallible.
More questions
Aside from being unscriptural, this far reaching doctrine raises
other important questions which you must answer for yourself:
- When the pope and other Catholic leaders, who claim to be
infallible, disagree with God' s Holy Word, then God must be wrong.
Are you willing to accept this?
- Why does the Catholic church want you to believe that the pope
and other Catholic leaders are infallible in matters of doctrine? Is
it to bring members into further bondage and obedience to the
Catholic church?
- Where do fallible men obtain the authority to declare other men
infallible?
- Why does the Catholic church refuse to honor Jesus Christ by
acknowledging Him as the only infallible One, as the Holy Scriptures
teach?
Conclusion
Here is another tradition of men that raises more questions than it
answers.
Please don't blindly accept this Catholic doctrine as truth. Look to
God's Word for answers to these questions, then settle this issue in
your own heart:
| "And being made perfect, he
(Jesus) became the author of eternal salvation unto all them
that obey him;" Hebrews 5:9 |
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