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Infallable? The Pope does not sin?

Many Protestants do not understand Catholic terminology (many Catholics don't either!) Suffice to say, some of them believe that Catholics profess the Pope to be without sin. ImageThis idea is of course inconsistent with Scripture (Romans 3:23). As such, this is certainly not the position of the Catholic Church. Infallibility refers to his teaching, not his conduct. Infallibility does not mean impecability.

Simply put, the Catholic term "infallability" refers only to the official teachings of the Pope when the following conditions are met:

* he is teaching to the universal Church
* it is an issue regarding faith and morals (not merely customs and discipline)
* he specifically intends to profess such a teaching

The personal opinion of the Pope about the Middle Eastern conflict, while perhaps valuable for all mankind to consider, would not fall under the doctrine of infallability. Nor would his hope for a certain soccer team to win the World Cup. Finally, it should be noted that the use of this ultimate authority is very rare, having taken place only a few times in history.
Where is it in the Bible?

Simply communicating, with charity, to Protestants what Catholics actually believe about the Pope and his authority, is the first step in discussing this topic. The next step is to demonstrate from Scripture that the Catholic position is in fact the position taught within its pages.

* First, Christ appointed the first Pope, Peter. (Matthew 16:18)
* Christ gave specific authority to Peter, alone. (Matthew 16:19)
* Peter confirms the Catholic interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 when he exercised authority during one of the earliest disputes mentioned in Scripture. (Acts 15)
* Peter was often mentioned first when the other Apostles were named. In other cases, Scripture just names Peter, and then mentions the others who "were with him". (Matt. 10:1-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16, Acts 1:13 Luke 9:32)
* Peter was so important to the early believers that even Peter's shadow brought about miraculous healings. (Acts 5:15)
* As the leader of the Church founded by Christ (Matthew 16:18-19), Christ promised the assistance of the Holy Spirit to his Church, and promised he would be with it forever. (John 14:8-17)
* Paul wanted complete unity among all believers regarding their doctrines and belief (1 Corinthians 1:10)

The above passages demonstate that the Holy Spirit never lies, and as such, the Catholic Church, when invoking the assistance of the Holy Spirit, speaks without error. This is the ultimate meaning of infalliblity.

Sometimes Scripture is not Enough for Protestants.

Non-Catholics may debate the interpretations of the above verses. You may be prepared to answer their objects verse by verse, or you may not. The following is a line of logic for the absolute "need" for Papal authority:

In the United States we have a master document that guides much of our lives: the Constitution. For Christians, they have a master document as well: the Bible.

The Founding Fathers of the United States realized that if everyone were able to interpret the Constitution as they saw fit, that there would complete chaos and anarchy. As a result, they instituted an ultimate authority, the Supreme Court, to interpret the Constitution for us.

In a similar way, the Founding Father of Christianity realized that if people were able to interpret the Scriptures on their own, that complete anarchy and division would persist within Christianity. As such, he instituted an ultimate authority, the Catholic Church, to interpret the Bible for us.

Protestantism has demonstrated Scripture to be true. This is why they have over 30,000 denominations and divisons. This division is counter biblical. According to Scripture, unity and truth are lost when individuals take it upon themselves to privately interpret Scripture. They do this, according to the Bible, "to their own destruction." (2nd. Peter 3:15-18) Fortunately for the majority of Christians in the world --- who happen to be Catholic --- they have the successor of Peter, to whom the assistance of the Holy Spirit was guaranteed, to guide them on issues of Scripture interpretation, faith and morals. And following his guidance is something in keeping with the Bible, which they do to their own benefit. Indeed, the infallibility of the Pope does make the Catholic Church a Church with a lifetime guarantee.

Lee Anderson is the developer of http://CatholicLibrary.com, a Catholic website featuring more than 11, 000 articles in the Catholic Encyclopedia LIVE!