Understanding Infallibility – 3

It does not profess to be the end of all truth. It is a simple definition that what is taught in the area of faith and morals will be without error. Look at it this way. If someone gives you a guaranteed Rolex watch, you can be sure it is a genuine Rolex watch. No one pretends it is the best watch in the world or that it will never break or that it may not need to be maintained or repaired. No one pretends that it is the only watch in the world, or that it will do everything an iPhone can do. Just that it is a genuine Rolex. So it is with infallibility. It doesn’t cover everything, but is a guarantee that what is taught is without error.

Therefore, when we say the Catholic Church has an infallible authority we mean that in matters of faith and morals what she teaches is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit to be without error. It’s reliable. It’s dependable. It’s objectively true. There is much, much more to the Catholic faith and to human life, but these foundational truths in the areas of doctrine and morals are solid.

The next thing to remember is that this infallibility is held by the whole church, voiced by the bishops, but is held in a special way by the Holy Father and is exercised with he (in union with the whole church) defines a particular moral or doctrinal teaching. This is an important distinction: infallibility is not a blanket that covers everything Catholic. It is a limited to a specific action of definition and clarification of the faith in order to deliver the faithful from confusion and then move on with the mission of the church. An example of this teaching was the one on women’s ordination. The definition was simple and straightforward with a simple explanation. A question came up. The controversy was studied. Experts were consulted. Tradition was examined. Scripture was weighed. Consultations took place in the church at every level. Then the top guy made the call.  Rome has spoken. That settles it.

The last thing to remember is that this infallible teaching authority has nothing to do with the sinfulness of the Pope or any other individual Catholic. Popes and Archbishops and ordinary Catholics have sinned. They’ve made disastrous decisions. They’ve been foolish and greedy and vain and stupid. That doesn’t affect the charism of infallibility at all.

Infallibility is about the competence and charism to teach the truth–not the competence and charism to abide by it. Moses was a sinner, but he gave us the Ten Commandments and every preacher worth doing his job has stood up in the pulpit and preached against sins of which he himself is guilty.

A Pope may be a thief, a glutton, and a fornicator–but no pope has taught that stealing, gluttony, and fornication are  virtues.

Further reading: How do We Know it is the True Church? This short article from the archives outlines six criteria for authentic authority. This longer article Biblical Support for the Authority of the Pope is also available. Is the Pope a Dictator? – an archived post comparing popes and dictators. Another archived post discussed the necessity of an infallible interpreter of the Christian faith. Go here.