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Ping!

nice summary

Sorry, but this article is incorrect. John Paul II spoke infallibly in Evangelium Vitae in three instances. Ordinatio Sacerdotalis in 1994 (on the ordination of women) was intended as an infallible, irreformable pronouncement. This was tested when pro-womens-ordination people sent a formal inquiry to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (a “dubium”) asking whether Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was intended as an infallible papal statement. The CDF replied in the affirmative and with the pope’s agreement.

Infallible statements can be embedded in non-infallible documents. Evangelium Vitae contains three pronouncements that satisfy the “definiteness” criterion cited in the canon quoted in the article.

The first pronouncement was that taking innocent human life deliberately is always wrong, no exceptions. John Paul cited both natural law and unbroken Catholic tradition before invoking his office as successor of Peter to confirm natural law and tradition, confirming DEFINITIVELY. He used language that made it clear that this was intended to be a definitive, final, irreformable, hence infallible statement.

He only did this because, for the first time in human history, some people claim that innocent human life may be taken for some “higher cause.” Formerly people always tried to show that whomever they wished to kill was not innocent, not human etc. Brazenly, today, some say it’s okay to kill innocents. So he had to make this statement, which should never have needed to be made.

The other two pronouncements were variations:

2. deliberate (rather than spontaneous, accidental) abortion is indeed an instance of taking innocent human life (since some have argued that it’s not taking human life or not innocent human life—again, he only had to make this infallible, definitive pronouncement because some people, even Catholics, argue otherwise.

3. euthanasia (which he defined) is also a subset of no. 1: taking of innocent human life.

In the same encyclical he addressed capital punishment. Many Catholics have exalted that section, saying that the Church now opposes capital punishment and so forth. For clarity, one has to realize that that section was clearly set off from the three pronouncements because capital punishment deals with guilty life, not innocent life. So it’s not an exception to the “taking of innocent life is always wrong” infallible pronouncement but is a related issue, taking of human life, but guilty rather than innocent. The development of doctrine statements he makes there (that the only justification for taking guilty human life are as a last resort to defend the innocent, not retribution or punishment) is NOT surrounded by invoking natural law and ancient tradition or his authority as successor of Peter.

So, in the same exact document, one finds 3 infallible statements that confirm long-held teaching and one new statement that marks a development of doctrine. The latter is clearly not infallible but proposed with serious intent (and later put into the Catechism). It cannot simply be sloughed off and ignored but it clearly is not surrounded with the definitive infallible language.

So popes have spoken infallibly on more than 2 occasions since 1870. But no, they haven’t invoked that level of teaching very often.

Because in the first place, Catholics are supposed to give assent not just to infallible teaching but to the ordinary teaching as well. (Lumen Gentium, # 25, as I recall). So there’s a need for highest level infallible teaching relatively rarely, only when people “just don’t get it” (women’s ordination, abortion). But the ordinary teaching, including the new development on capital punishment, is supposed to be assented to by faithful Catholics.

I think we still need more theological discussion of the “CP is only justified to defend the innocent” principle but in the meantime, I give assent to the teaching that it should virtually never be implemented, which carries with it the responsibility to find other ways truly to protect the innocent, which means locking up dangerous criminals and not pardoning or paroling them etc. We aren’t doing that and the bishops should put as much effort into that aspect as into crusading for repeal of CP laws (which repeal I do not support and JPII’s teaching does not require me to support). So I assent to JPII’s teaching on CP but that doesn’t make me a repeal-activist. But I assent not because it’s infallible teaching but because I am required to assent by Lumen Gentium etc.

In a day when legislatures crank out new legislation every ten seconds it is well to remember the old tradition that the law is not made but discovered in customs and practices held since “time immemorial.” The English king, therefore, when he proclaimed the law was not inventing anything but explaining or defining it. So the law is simply a statement of what the tradition is. So a decision of the Supreme Court is closer to this practice than an act of Congress signed by the President. Judicial review is an exercise of what once was royal authority, but not by the sovereign but by his deputy. Thus in the Middle Ages, the pope was something like the Chief Justice of Europe. The court of last appeal under God. One can appeal to God over the heads of this court, but this was the highest visible court.

The author posts no references for his theory that the popes have only made 2 ex-cathedra declarations in the history of the Church. THE PREMISE OF THE ARTICLE! He is totally winging it. Another article for dumbed down Catholics. here's Nine ex-cathedra on one subject: Dogmatic Decrees

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, “Cantate Domino,” 1441, ex cathedra: “The Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that all those who are outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans but also Jews or heretics and schismatics, cannot share in eternal life and will go into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless they are joined to the Church before the end of their lives; that the unity of this ecclesiastical body is of such importance that only those who abide in it do the Church’s sacraments contribute to salvation and do fasts, almsgiving and other works of piety and practices of the Christian militia productive of eternal rewards; and that nobody can be saved, no matter how much he has given away in alms and even if he has shed blood in the name of Christ, unless he has persevered in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.”

Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, Constitution 1, 1215, ex cathedra: “There is indeed one universal Church of the faithful, outside of which [u][b]nobody at all [/b][/u]is saved, in which Jesus Christ is both priest and sacrifice.”

Pope Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctam, Nov. 18, 1302, ex cathedra: “With Faith urging us we are forced to believe and to hold the one, holy, Catholic Church and that, apostolic, and we firmly believe and simply confess this Church outside of which there is no salvation nor remission of sin… Furthermore, we declare, say, define, and proclaim to every human creature that they by absolute necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff.”

Pope Clement V, Council of Vienne, Decree # 30, 1311-1312, ex cathedra: “Since however there is for both regulars and seculars, for superiors and subjects, for exempt and non-exempt, one universal Church, outside of which there is no salvation, for all of whom there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism…”

Pope Eugene IV, Council of Florence, Sess. 8, Nov. 22, 1439, ex cathedra: “Whoever wishes to be saved, needs above all to hold the Catholic faith; unless each one preserves this whole and inviolate, he will without a doubt perish in eternity.”

Pope Leo X, Fifth Lateran Council, Session 11, Dec. 19, 1516, ex cathedra: “For, regulars and seculars, prelates and subjects, exempt and non-exempt, belong to the one universal Church, outside of which [b]no one at all is saved, and they all have one Lord and one faith.”

Pope Pius IV, Council of Trent, Iniunctum nobis, Nov. 13, 1565, ex cathedra: “This true Catholic faith, outside of which no one can be saved… I now profess and truly hold…”

Pope Benedict XIV, Nuper ad nos, March 16, 1743, Profession of Faith: “This faith of the Catholic Church, without which no one can be saved, and which of my own accord I now profess and truly hold…”

Pope Pius IX, Vatican Council I, Session 2, Profession of Faith, 1870, ex cathedra: “This true Catholic faith, outside of which none can be saved, which I now freely profess and truly hold…”