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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Papal Infallibility(PI) not to be confused with pass interference!	troy	Monday, December 13, 2004
Question: "Since Christ said the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church (Matt. 16:18b), this means that his Church can never pass out of existence. But if the Church ever apostasized by teaching heresy, then it would cease to exist; because it would cease to be Jesus’ Church. Thus the Church cannot teach heresy, meaning that anything it solemnly defines for the faithful to believe is true." This was taken from the Catholic Answers page regarding Papal Infallibility(PI) a question on Sep10/04. My question is that could evil use the power of Papal Infallibility to its own use.? Hear me out, if a "black or Anti Pope" were ever to gain power in the vatican could they not use the power of "PI" to change doctrine concerning faith and morals thus teaching heresy and making the church of Jesus cease to exist? I guess my question also is related to the fact I want to be loyal to the Pope And Magisterium but i put my self as "separated from Rome" because those loyal to the Pope and Magisterium may see my questions as separatist, but i'm just young 20yrs old and learing more of our faith, i just want to know as "Roman Catholics" can we question the authority of Rome at times, or are we to blindly follow the Magisterium? I know we must have faith that the our leaders in Rome are doing the right thing, but if the devil were ever to infiltrate the Papacy could it not spell destruction of our Holy Church? I hope my questions are not stupid and that you may shed some light on this topic, thank you for your time. In Christ, go in peace, Troy
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Troy: Even if Satan himself were to somehow get elected Pope it would be impossible for him to use Papal Infallibility to change dogma. This has actually been tested when Pope Vigilius came to power in the 6th century, after killing the previous Pope, and tried to bring the Church into heresy. Once he sat in the Chair of Peter something came over him and he could not go through with the plan. The dogma of the Church was protected. Dogma cannot be changed by anyone, not even a Pope. Papal Infallibility has never changed dogma -- it clarifies and provides a formal definition for doctrine that already exists and has existed since the beginning. Papal Infallibility (and of the Bishops in Ecumenical Counsel in union with the Pope) is the guarantee that God makes to us that we can always trust what is and what is not the genuine faith. Without this charism of Infallibility we could never know that the truth really is; it would be blown around by every flatulent opinion. The Magisterium is like the Supreme Court -- it settles disagreements about doctrine. But unlike the Supreme Court of a country, the Magisterium is protected by the Holy Spirit from error in its declarations that are infallible. Keep in mind not every teaching of the Church is infallible. There are four levels of Church teaching. Level 1 is infallible dogma. Anyone obstinately doubting or denying Level 1 teaching is a heretic and automatically excommunicated. Level 2 is definitive teaching which is also infallible. Anyone doubting or denying Level 2 teaching will suffer strong penalty -- such as being barred from receiving the Eucharist. Level 3 teaching is authoritative teaching. While we might be able to disagree with some authoritive teaching we are obligated to give the Church the benefit of the doubt and therefore assent to the teaching unless there is compelling evidence to show error (and I might add that none of us are qualified to establish error. This is for experts to prove). Level 4 teaching is disciplinary in nature. We can respectfully disagree, but in all levels of teaching, including Level 4 teaching, we MUST OBEY. God promised that He would protect His Church from error. God is not a liar. He keeps His promises. Thus I can say with total confidence that if somehow Satan himself was elected Pope, he would be prevented from changing doctrine. He might cause other kinds of damage, but he could not change Catholic doctrine. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Papal Infallibility(PI) not to be confused with pass interference!

troy

Monday, December 13, 2004

Question:

"Since Christ said the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church (Matt. 16:18b), this means that his Church can never pass out of existence. But if the Church ever apostasized by teaching heresy, then it would cease to exist; because it would cease to be Jesus’ Church. Thus the Church cannot teach heresy, meaning that anything it solemnly defines for the faithful to believe is true."

This was taken from the Catholic Answers page regarding Papal Infallibility(PI) a question on Sep10/04.

My question is that could evil use the power of Papal Infallibility to its own use.? Hear me out, if a "black or Anti Pope" were ever to gain power in the vatican could they not use the power of "PI" to change doctrine concerning faith and morals thus teaching heresy and making the church of Jesus cease to exist?

I guess my question also is related to the fact I want to be loyal to the Pope And Magisterium but i put my self as "separated from Rome" because those loyal to the Pope and Magisterium may see my questions as separatist, but i'm just young 20yrs old and learing more of our faith, i just want to know as "Roman Catholics" can we question the authority of Rome at times, or are we to blindly follow the Magisterium?

I know we must have faith that the our leaders in Rome are doing the right thing, but if the devil were ever to infiltrate the Papacy could it not spell destruction of our Holy Church? I hope my questions are not stupid and that you may shed some light on this topic, thank you for your time.

In Christ, go in peace, Troy

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Troy:

Even if Satan himself were to somehow get elected Pope it would be impossible for him to use Papal Infallibility to change dogma. This has actually been tested when Pope Vigilius came to power in the 6th century, after killing the previous Pope, and tried to bring the Church into heresy. Once he sat in the Chair of Peter something came over him and he could not go through with the plan. The dogma of the Church was protected.

Dogma cannot be changed by anyone, not even a Pope. Papal Infallibility has never changed dogma -- it clarifies and provides a formal definition for doctrine that already exists and has existed since the beginning.

Papal Infallibility (and of the Bishops in Ecumenical Counsel in union with the Pope) is the guarantee that God makes to us that we can always trust what is and what is not the genuine faith. Without this charism of Infallibility we could never know that the truth really is; it would be blown around by every flatulent opinion.

The Magisterium is like the Supreme Court -- it settles disagreements about doctrine. But unlike the Supreme Court of a country, the Magisterium is protected by the Holy Spirit from error in its declarations that are infallible.

Keep in mind not every teaching of the Church is infallible. There are four levels of Church teaching.

Level 1 is infallible dogma. Anyone obstinately doubting or denying Level 1 teaching is a heretic and automatically excommunicated.

Level 2 is definitive teaching which is also infallible. Anyone doubting or denying Level 2 teaching will suffer strong penalty -- such as being barred from receiving the Eucharist.

Level 3 teaching is authoritative teaching. While we might be able to disagree with some authoritive teaching we are obligated to give the Church the benefit of the doubt and therefore assent to the teaching unless there is compelling evidence to show error (and I might add that none of us are qualified to establish error. This is for experts to prove).

Level 4 teaching is disciplinary in nature. We can respectfully disagree, but in all levels of teaching, including Level 4 teaching, we MUST OBEY.

God promised that He would protect His Church from error. God is not a liar. He keeps His promises. Thus I can say with total confidence that if somehow Satan himself was elected Pope, he would be prevented from changing doctrine. He might cause other kinds of damage, but he could not change Catholic doctrine.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary