The Papacy - Revision history

Mxmsj: /* Recent Popes */

2025-05-28T16:38:28Z

Recent Popes

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	{\|{{Prettytable}}		{\|{{Prettytable}}
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~256~~		\|255
	\|1846-1878		\|1846-1878
	\|Blessed Pius IX		\|Blessed Pius IX
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~257~~		\|256
	\|1878-1903		\|1878-1903
	\|Leo XIII		\|Leo XIII
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~258~~		\|257
	\|1903-1914		\|1903-1914
	\|St. Pius X		\|St. Pius X
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~259~~		\|258
	\|1914-1922		\|1914-1922
	\|Benedict XV		\|Benedict XV
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~260~~		\|259
	\|1922-1939		\|1922-1939
	\|Pius XI		\|Pius XI
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~261~~		\|260
	\|1939-1958		\|1939-1958
	\|Pius XII		\|Pius XII
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~262~~		\|261
	\|1958-1963		\|1958-1963
	\|St. John XXIII		\|St. John XXIII
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~263~~		\|262
	\|1963-1978		\|1963-1978
	\|St. Paul VI		\|St. Paul VI
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~264~~		\|263
	\|align="right"\|1978		\|align="right"\|1978
	\|John Paul I		\|John Paul I
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~265~~		\|264
	\|1978-2005		\|1978-2005
	\|St. John Paul II		\|St. John Paul II
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~266~~		\|265
	\|align="right"\|2005-2013		\|align="right"\|2005-2013
	\|Benedict XVI		\|Benedict XVI
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~267~~		\|266
	\|align="right"\|2013-2025		\|align="right"\|2013-2025
	\|Francis		\|Francis
	\|-		\|-
	\|~~268~~		\|267
	\|align="right"\|2025 ..		\|align="right"\|2025 ..
	\|Leo XIV		\|Leo XIV

Mxmsj: /* Questions from a student's student */

2025-05-28T15:58:37Z

Questions from a student's student

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 Given my lousy track record at predicting the future, I am not going to say that there will never be a man like that in the office of the pope.
-I do believe that God will act to prevent that sin from causing the Church to collapse.
+I am not obliged by the Creed to believe in the goodness of popes, bishops, priests, deacons, men and women in religious life, married couples, or any of the other Christifideles.
 </div>

Mxmsj: /* Questions from a student's student */

2025-05-28T15:48:09Z

Questions from a student's student

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	* If the Pope has the gift of infallibility, and he is still a flawed human being with Original Sin, then couldn't he abuse his free will and declare something untrue as "infallible" ''ex cathedra''?		* If the Pope has the gift of infallibility, and he is still a flawed human being with Original Sin, then couldn't he abuse his free will and declare something untrue as "infallible" ''ex cathedra''?
			<div style="margin-left:4em">
	The Pope ''does'' have the gift of infallibility.		The Pope ''does'' have the gift of infallibility.

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	I do believe that God will act to prevent that sin from causing the Church to collapse.		I do believe that God will act to prevent that sin from causing the Church to collapse.
			</div>

	* Does that question make sense to you?		* Does that question make sense to you?
			<div style="margin-left:4em">
	Yes, it does.		Yes, it does.
			</div>

	* How can the Church be guaranteed of true papal infallibility that rests upon an imperfect human capable of abusing it?		* How can the Church be guaranteed of true papal infallibility that rests upon an imperfect human capable of abusing it?
			<div style="margin-left:4em">
	The doctrine of infallibility does not rest upon the imperfect men who have held the office in the past or will hold it in the future.		The doctrine of infallibility does not rest upon the imperfect men who have held the office in the past or will hold it in the future.

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	:: "Jesus, I believe. Help though my unbelief. Thy will, not mine, be done in me and in Your Body. I surrender myself to You. Take care of everything."		:: "Jesus, I believe. Help though my unbelief. Thy will, not mine, be done in me and in Your Body. I surrender myself to You. Take care of everything."
			</div>

	== Recent Popes ==		== Recent Popes ==

Mxmsj: /* Questions from a student's student */

2025-05-28T15:46:09Z

Questions from a student's student

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:46, 28 May 2025
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	The Pope ''does'' have the gift of infallibility.		The Pope ''does'' have the gift of infallibility.

	The Pope, like you and me, ''is'' a flawed human being who suffers from [[concupiscence]] as a consequence of [[Original Sin.]]		The Pope, like you and me, ''is'' a flawed human being who suffers from [[concupiscence]] as a consequence of [[Adam and Eve\|Original Sin.]]

	Baptism does not make us "impeccable," that is to say, incapable of sinning, even though it makes us members of the Body of Christ and divinizes us.		Baptism does not make us "impeccable," that is to say, incapable of sinning, even though it makes us members of the Body of Christ and divinizes us.

Mxmsj: /* Follow Jesus, not Judas */

2025-05-28T15:44:07Z

Follow Jesus, not Judas

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	In every generation, Jesus has been betrayed by men chosen to bring His message to the whole world. It began with Judas and has been a continual scandal ever since. I call this [[The Judas Factor\|"the Judas Factor.]]		In every generation, Jesus has been betrayed by men chosen to bring His message to the whole world. It began with Judas and has been a continual scandal ever since. I call this [[The Judas Factor\|"the Judas Factor.]]

			== Questions from a student's student ==

			* If the Pope has the gift of infallibility, and he is still a flawed human being with Original Sin, then couldn't he abuse his free will and declare something untrue as "infallible" ''ex cathedra''?

			The Pope ''does'' have the gift of infallibility.

			The Pope, like you and me, ''is'' a flawed human being who suffers from [[concupiscence]] as a consequence of [[Original Sin.]]

			Baptism does not make us "impeccable," that is to say, incapable of sinning, even though it makes us members of the Body of Christ and divinizes us.

			Nor do Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Marriage, or Anointing make us incapable of sinning.

			Ordination does not make men incapable of sinning, even though it does equip them to serve as ministers of the sacraments that require an ordained minister (Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing). Any human being can and may baptize another human being in an emergency, and the baptized man and woman who vow themselves to each other in union with the understanding of the church and who consummate those vows are the ministers of the sacrament of marriage.

			Being elected to fill the office of St. Peter does not make a man incapable of sinning.

			The doctrine of infallibility does not imply that there will never be a man so evil elected to the office of Peter that he will not succumb to the temptation to personally oppose what is already known to be part of the Deposit of Faith. I have collected a great deal of evidence that I am no good at predicting future events.

			::- I predicted that the world would begin to end on October 13, 1972. I had the wrong century and millennium. I imagine that the day and month are wrong, too.
			::- I predicted that we would never have a Polish pope.
			::- I predicted that we would never have a Jesuit pope.
			::- I predicted that we would never have an American pope.

			I was wrong.

			I cannot name the theologian who first proposed that ''if'' any man attempted to solemnly define a heresy, at that moment he would cease to be the pope.

			That seems sweetly reasonable to me, although it might take a while to figure out how to unseat him and elect a replacement.

			Given my lousy track record at predicting the future, I am not going to say that there will never be a man like that in the office of the pope.

			I do believe that God will act to prevent that sin from causing the Church to collapse.

			* Does that question make sense to you?

			Yes, it does.

			* How can the Church be guaranteed of true papal infallibility that rests upon an imperfect human capable of abusing it?

			The doctrine of infallibility does not rest upon the imperfect men who have held the office in the past or will hold it in the future.

			My faith is in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Nothing in the Creed obliges me to believe that God will ever mutilate us spiritually so as to deprive us of our own intelligence and free will. So long as God allows us freedom, which is one way in which we resemble God Himself, the children of God can sin against God and against each other. Jesus said, "You are Rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). Jesus did not say that Peter would build the church, nor did He explain how He would prevent evil from overthrowing His work.

			:; A prayer for the Church and for me

			:: "Jesus, I believe. Help though my unbelief. Thy will, not mine, be done in me and in Your Body. I surrender myself to You. Take care of everything."

	== Recent Popes ==		== Recent Popes ==

Mxmsj: /* Reflections on the Doctrine of Infallibility */

2025-05-28T15:05:19Z

Reflections on the Doctrine of Infallibility

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:05, 28 May 2025
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	These two doctrines, papal infallibility and papal primacy, make the Catholic Church unique in the whole world of Christendom. All who have left the Church directly or indirectly contradict these two doctrines.		These two doctrines, papal infallibility and papal primacy, make the Catholic Church unique in the whole world of Christendom. All who have left the Church directly or indirectly contradict these two doctrines.

			=== Two examples of ''ex cathedra'' definitions ===

			There are two and only two examples of popes personally exercising their gift of infallibility.

			:; 1. The Immaculate Conception of Mary (1854):

			:: Mary was conceived in her mother's womb without any stain of Original Sin. This teaching was defined as a dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

			:; 2. Assumption of Mary into Heaven (1950):

			:: At the end of her life, Mary was taken into Heaven in her own body. Her full human life in Heaven now foreshadows the resurrection of all of God's children. This teaching was defined by Pope Pius X in 1950.

			The definition of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and of her Assumption into Heaven were the first and only times in history that a pope exercised the infallibility of the Church without summoning a council of bishops to cooperate in the definition of the dogma. Theologians disagree about whether Pope St. John Paul II exercised the gift of papal infallibility when he said that the doctrine that the Church is incapable of ordaining women to the priesthood is part of the [[Deposit of Faith]]. Every time that the Church has been asked whether women can be placed in the [[Holy Orders]], the Church has said no. The teaching of John Paul II is not just that the Church has no power to ordain women but the doctrine that this teaching is already in the Deposit of Faith and therefore cannot be altered.

			Some theologians argue that John Paul II's teaching on [[Natural Family Planning]] may also be an exercise of papal infallibility, although he did not say that he was speaking '''ex cathedra.''' I do believe that this teaching is part of the Deposit of Faith and cannot be reversed.

	=== Follow Jesus, not Judas ===		=== Follow Jesus, not Judas ===

Mxmsj: /* Reflections on the Doctrine of Infallibility */

2025-05-28T14:52:56Z

Reflections on the Doctrine of Infallibility

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:52, 28 May 2025
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	These two doctrines, papal infallibility and papal primacy, make the Catholic Church unique in the whole world of Christendom. All who have left the Church directly or indirectly contradict these two doctrines.		These two doctrines, papal infallibility and papal primacy, make the Catholic Church unique in the whole world of Christendom. All who have left the Church directly or indirectly contradict these two doctrines.

			=== Follow Jesus, not Judas ===

			In every generation, Jesus has been betrayed by men chosen to bring His message to the whole world. It began with Judas and has been a continual scandal ever since. I call this [[The Judas Factor\|"the Judas Factor.]]

	== Recent Popes ==		== Recent Popes ==

Mxmsj: /* The Doctrine of Papal Infallibility */

2025-05-28T14:48:52Z

The Doctrine of Papal Infallibility

Mxmsj at 14:40, 28 May 2025

2025-05-28T14:40:04Z

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 The '''papacy''' is part of the [[Magisterium]], not the whole of it.
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 These two doctrines, papal infallibility and papal primacy, make the Catholic Church unique in the whole world of Christendom.  All who have left the Church directly or indirectly contradict these two doctrines.
 == Recent Popes ==

Mxmsj at 14:06, 28 May 2025

2025-05-28T14:06:44Z

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	The '''papacy''' is part of the [[Magisterium]], not the whole of it.		The '''papacy''' is part of the [[Magisterium]], not the whole of it.

	The pope (literally, "papa," daddy, abba) may, under certain circumstances, exercise the ''infallibility of the Church,'' teaching infallibly about matters of faith and morals.		The pope (literally, "papa," daddy, abba) may, under certain circumstances, exercise the '''''infallibility of the Church,'''' teaching infallibly about matters of faith and morals.

	The Pope cannot teach infallibly by accident. He must deliberately speak "''ex cathedra,''" that is, "from the chair" of St. Peter. A ''cathedra'' is a judgment seat. Every bishop is the High Priest of his diocese and has a ''cathedra'' in his "cathedral."		The Pope cannot teach infallibly by accident. He must deliberately speak "''ex cathedra,''" that is, "from the chair" of St. Peter.
			:: A ''cathedra'' is a judgment seat. Every bishop is the High Priest of his diocese and has a ''cathedra'' in his "cathedral."

	The concept of '''papal infallibility''' does not imply '''papal impeccability.''' Someone who is infallible renders true judgments, without error. Someone who is impeccable commits no sins.		The concept of '''papal infallibility''' does not imply '''papal impeccability.''' Someone who is infallible renders true judgments, without error. Someone who is impeccable commits no sins.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:48, 28 May 2025
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	:: Faithfully adhering to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, to the glory of God our savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion and for the salvation of the Christian people, with the approval of the Sacred Council, we teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that		:: Faithfully adhering to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, to the glory of God our savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion and for the salvation of the Christian people, with the approval of the Sacred Council, we teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that
	::: when the Roman Pontiff speaks ~~EX CATHEDRA~~, that is, when,		::: '''when the Roman Pontiff speaks ''ex cathedra''''', that is, when,
	:::: in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians,		:::: in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians,
	:::: in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority,		:::: in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority,
	::::: he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church,		::::: he defines '''a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church''',
	::: he possesses,		::: he possesses,
	:::: by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter,		:::: by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter,
	::: ''that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals.''		::: '''''that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals'''.''
	:: Therefore, such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the Church, irreformable.		:: Therefore, such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the Church, irreformable.

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	:::: A Pope's opinions about the weather, sports, the rise or fall of the stock market, political and economic issues, the time of day or the day of the year are not protected in any way by the doctrine of papal infallibility. The doctrine of papal infallibility only implies that God will not allow a pope to ''formally and explicitly'' reject the [[Dogma\|dogmas]] found in the [[Deposit of Faith]].		:::: A Pope's opinions about the weather, sports, the rise or fall of the stock market, political and economic issues, the time of day or the day of the year are not protected in any way by the doctrine of papal infallibility. The doctrine of papal infallibility only implies that God will not allow a pope to ''formally and explicitly'' reject the [[Dogma\|dogmas]] found in the [[Deposit of Faith]].
	::- The doctrine of papal infallibility, taught solemnly by an [[Councils of the Church\|ecumenical council]], is an aspect of the infallibility of the Church.		::- The doctrine of papal infallibility, taught solemnly by an [[Councils of the Church\|ecumenical council]], is an aspect of the infallibility of the Church.
			::- The teachings of the councils of the Church must be ratified by a pope. The ''ex cathedra'' teachings of the pope do not need to be ratified by a council.

	=== Reflections on the Doctrine of Infallibility ===		=== Reflections on the Doctrine of Infallibility ===
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	:: A ''cathedra'' is a judgment seat. Every bishop is the High Priest of his diocese and has a ''cathedra'' in his "cathedral."		:: A ''cathedra'' is a judgment seat. Every bishop is the High Priest of his diocese and has a ''cathedra'' in his "cathedral."

	The concept of '''papal infallibility''' does not imply '''papal impeccability.''' Someone who is infallible renders true judgments, without error. Someone who is impeccable commits no sins.		The concept of '''papal infallibility''' does not imply '''papal impeccability.''' Someone who is infallible renders true judgments, without error. Someone who is impeccable commits no sins. There have been many [[Bad Popes\|bad popes]] whose sins are well known and profoundly scandalous. Not one of them changed the teaching of the Church. They just disobeyed the teaching of the Church on faith and morals.

	It is '''''not''''' the teaching of the Church that becoming Pope renders a man incapable of committing sins. The [[Bad Popes\|history of bad popes]] shows this quite clearly.		It is '''''not''''' the teaching of the Church that becoming Pope renders a man incapable of committing sins. The [[Bad Popes\|history of bad popes]] shows this quite clearly. Their sins are monstrously evil, but their sins do not contradict the teaching of the Church that, under certain definite conditions, a pope may exercise the infallible teaching authority of the Church about some aspect of faith and morals.

	Besides having the ability to teach doctrines about faith and morals without error, the Pope also has '''primacy''' over the whole Church. He's the boss. The buck stops there. He is the visible head of the Church, under the sovereign headship of Jesus.		Besides having the ability to teach doctrines about faith and morals without error, the Pope also has '''primacy''' over the whole Church. He is the boss. The buck stops there. He is the visible head of the Church, under the sovereign headship of Jesus.

	These two doctrines, papal infallibility and papal primacy, make the Catholic Church unique in the whole world of Christendom. All who have left the Church directly or indirectly contradict these two doctrines.		These two doctrines, papal infallibility and papal primacy, make the Catholic Church unique in the whole world of Christendom. All who have left the Church directly or indirectly contradict these two doctrines.



	== Recent Popes ==		== Recent Popes ==