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mas = the Church does not define doctrine explicitly unless it is necessary to counter an heresy. Explicitly defined teachings are always based upon implicit teachings that have existed for many years or since the beginning of the Church. Petrine infallibility has been operational since it was established by Christ and exercised by Peter's early successors.

I asked what heresy the Immaculate conception and assumption addressed

MAS responded=Denial of these things. The Church had always believed that Mary committed no sins and that her body was lifted to heaven upon apparent death or sleep.

So now people NOT believing something is a HERESY ???? The early church Fathers did not teach this.. The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that the first “genuine” written references to the Assumption come from authors who lived in the sixth to the eight centuries: Actually it was the 13th century before it became a common belief in the Roman church .

So the pope could make a doctrine saying Jesus was a space alien because people do not believe it?

Catholic doctrine is only valid for Catholics..the definition given means LOTS of catholics must not have believed it huh??

I think the definition that infallible doctrine is only made to address heresy is a lot of hot air.. it goes well with the lies made out of whole cloth.

So now people NOT believing something is a HERESY ????

This is news to you? Any Catholic who obstinately denies defined doctrine becomes a heretic.

The early church Fathers did not teach this.

St. Irenus--Against Heresies--180 AD: "Where the Church is, there also is the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of God is there is the Church, and every grace: for the Spirit is truth"

What Church Father ever said a Christian could choose which doctrines to believe or reject? That is Protestantism. Church Fathers fought wars over the purity of doctrine.