Dear John:

You are still not very specific. Anyway, the Pope has universal jurisdiction over all the Church. He is the pastor, teacher, and ruler over the universal Church.

The Pope teaches infallibly when he specifically asserts that his teaching is such as the universal pastor sitting on the Chair of Peter, hence the term ex cathedra (from the Chair) on issues of faith and morals that apply to the whole Church. If the teaching only applies to a portion of the Church, such as only to the Latin Rite, then it cannot be held infallible.

Faith and morals refers to the Catholic Faith (the elements of the Nicene Creed and any teaching that Catholics are required to believe). Morals are the way we are to behave based upon the infallible rules for behavior (such as the ten commandments).

Economics, the death penalty, and such are not issues of faith and morals per se. For example, when the Pope says, as he has, that the death penalty in the United States and other first world countries is not required, we must listen and respect that opinion, but are not bound by it. But, we better have a good reason for disagreeing.

The Church does teach on justice to which we are bound. Justice touches upon economic issues (a employer must give a living wage), but does not speak directly to economic systems (capitalism, socialism, communism, etc.). The capitalism and free market system, however, best fits the Christian ethic, though abuses are found in capitalism as in all systems. 

There are four levels of Church teaching, each with their own level of assent required of the faithful.

Level 1 Teaching is that which has be Divine Revealed in the Word of God, written of handed down, and that which has been solemnly judged as divinely revealed truths.
The judgment is made by:

1) ex cathedra proclamations of the Roman Pontiff;
2) College of Bishops gathered in council;
3) infallibly proposed by the ordinary Magisterium.

This level of teaching must be believed by all the Faithful. Anyone who denies thus teachings, OR who obstinately doubts these teachings are in heresy and thereby automatically excommunicated.

Examples of Level 1 teaching required for belief by all the Faithful include: the articles of faith of the Creed, the various Christological dogmas, the various Marian dogmas, the doctrine of the institution of the sacraments by Christ and their efficacy with regard to grace, the doctrine of the real and substantial presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacrificial nature of the Eucharistic celebration, the foundation of the Church by the will of Christ, the doctrine on the primacy and infallibility of the Roman Pontiff, the doctrine on the existence of original sin, the doctrine on the immortality of the spiritual soul, the immediate recompense after death, the absence of error in the inspired sacred texts, the doctrine on the grave immorality of direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption of Mary.

Level 2 teaching is that which has been Definitively Proposed by the Church on faith and morals. These teachings are necessary for living and expounding the deposit of faith.
This level of teaching does NOT need to be formally revealed by the Magisterium but are teachings that could be formally defined if prudence warrants.

This level of teaching REQUIRES a firm and definitive assent of the faithful. Whoever denies Level 2 teachings ceases to be in full communion with the Catholic Church. Denial of Level 2 teaching does not rise to the level of heresy, but could be considered a sort-of "heresy-junior" in that since the person is no longer in communion with the Church, he would be barred from receiving the Sacraments.

Examples of Level 2 teaching include:

a. [from historical necessity] - the legitimacy of the election of the Supreme Pontiff, the celebration of an ecumenical council, the canonizations of saints (dogmatic facts), the declaration of Pope Leo XIII in the Apostolic Letter Apostolicae Curae on the invalidity of Anglican ordinations ...

b. [from logical necessity] - the doctrine on the primacy and infallibility of the Roman Pontiff prior to Vatican I's definition, the doctrine that priestly ordination is reserved only to men, the doctrine on the illicitness of euthanasia (Evangelium Vitae), the teaching on the illicitness of prostitution, the teaching on the illicitness of fornication.

Level 3 Teaching is that teaching from the authentic Ordinary Magisterium presented to the faithful as true, or at least sure, even if not defined by solemn judgment or proposed as definitive.

Level 3 teaching REQUIRES the Religious submission of will and intellect from the Faithful.

Examples of Level 3 Teaching include: teachings set forth by the "authentic ordinary Magisterium in a non-definitive way, which require degrees of adherence differentiated according to the mind and the will manifested; this is shown especially by the nature of the documents, by the frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or by the tenor of the verbal expression" (Vatican II, Lumen gentium 25)

Level 4 Teaching are the disciplinary teachings and instructions of the Church.
Examples of Level 4 teaching include the Liturgy of the Mass, the celibacy of priests, etc.?

Regardless of the level of teaching, even those levels in which we are allowed to disagree, every Catholic must obey all levels of teaching.

On issues to which we may disagree, one may lobby that a stop sign be changed to a yield sign, but as long as the stop sign is there it must be obeyed until it is officially changed to a yield sign.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary