Catholics and what Papal Infallibility is!

Article by Marc Aupiais


Catholics and what Papal Infallibility is!

Non-Catholics may be surprised to hear, but most of what the Pope says, is not infallible. It’s what the church calls pastoral, or even his own views. The classic definition is that sacred dogma on doctrine and morals: in Sacred Ecumenical Councils such as Trent or Vatican II, are infallible, as with the one or two statements made under the procedure of papal infallibility.

So what’s the difference? Thomas Aqauinas puts it best:

‘Sciences are differentiated according to the various means through whichknowledge is obtained. For the astronomer and the physicist both may prove the same conclusion: that the earth, for instance, is round: the astronomer by means of mathematics (i.e. abstracting from matter), but the physicist by means of matter itself. Hence there is no reason why those things which may be learned from philosophical science, so far as they can be known by natural reason, may not also be taught us by another science so far as they fall within revelation. Hence theology included in sacred doctrine differs in kind from that theology which is part of philosophy.’
Summa Theologica (on New Advent) | ‘Article 1. Whether, besides philosophy, any further doctrine is required? Reply to objection 2’ by Saint Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Holy Catholic Church in the 13th century



In essence: that which comes purely of reason, and pragmatic purposes, is but that, but there is a special type of theology, called the Dogma of morals and doctrine: of what actions are deadly to the soul or damaging to it, and which acts and influences, etcetera: empower and feed it, and in the case of doctrine: dogma, is the knowledge, the information, which is the food that guides us to salvation. Dogma is not simply pragmatic advice, or measures, to help us along: which is pastoral and not infallible.