How Many Times Has Papal Infallibility Been Used

Almost Catholics accept a pet listing of teachings that they wish would exist alleged infallibly, or ex cathedra (from the Chair of Peter). Odds are that these frequently revolve around hot-button issues like women's ordination, gay marriage, or the reform of the liturgy.

Personally, I'd like there to exist an infallible teaching declaring a universal procedure for lining upward for communion. I've had egg on my face many times afterward unwittingly cut off a few overnice, elderly church building ladies in the communion line while visiting parishes where I didn't know the local procedure. But that's my own ax to grind.

There is no set list of ex cathedra teachings, simply that's considering in that location are but two, and both are about Mary: her Immaculate Formulation (declared by Pope Pius IX in 1854 and grandfathered in after the First Vatican Quango's declaration of papal infallibility in 1870) and her actual Supposition into heaven (declared by Pope Pius XII in 1950).

Merely neither of these was earth-shattering to Roman Catholics, because these behavior had been nurtured through devotion, prayer, and local didactics for centuries earlier becoming official papal teaching.

Ex cathedra is the theological term for a pedagogy that has been declared infallibly by the Roman Pontiff. In brusque, ex cathedra means that the pope can explicate an article of divine revelation nether the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in total possession of his office as Peter'southward successor. When he does then he is protected from error. This ex cathedra possibility was supported by the Second Vatican Council. All the same, this does not hateful that every fourth dimension the pope speaks he is speaking infallibly.

Fifty-fifty though only 2 doctrines have been declared ex cathedra, there are many others that the church professes must be believed. Some of these are laid out in the 1998 "Commentary on the Concluding Formula of the Professio fidei" issued by and so-Primal Joseph Ratzinger of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Co-ordinate to this document, many teachings are "irreformable" and "definitive" and as such can be seen as possessing the binding quality of an infallible doctrine, although non necessarily proclaimed ex cathedra. That is, they aren't promulgated past the pope himself but by the larger magisterium of the church. The lineup of "irreformable" teachings—ones divinely revealed—include those regarding Jesus, Mary, sin and grace, the sacraments, the primacy of the pope, and the doctrinal formulations of the ancient creeds.

The lineup of "definitive" teachings on faith and morals—ones the church building holds to be logically derived from divine revelation—include teachings such as the doctrine of papal infallibility, the immorality of ballgame and euthanasia, the communion of saints, and others. Assent of "intellect and will" to both categories of teachings are required for full communion with the Catholic Church building.

Be that as it may, I'll continue to wait for the ex cathedra proclamation about the communion line. The patience of those church ladies is wearing sparse.

This article appeared in the June 2011 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 76, No. 6, pages 44-46).

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