INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH Meaning and
Definition
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The "infallibility of the church" refers to a doctrine within the Catholic Church that asserts that, under certain conditions, the church is protected from error in matters of faith and morals. According to this belief, the church enjoys a special charism or divine gift that prevents it from teaching false or erroneous doctrines when it speaks with authority.
Fundamentally, the infallibility of the church means that the Holy Spirit guides and preserves the church from making mistakes in matters of faith and morals. This doctrine is based on the belief that Jesus Christ established the church and entrusted it with the task of proclaiming and preserving His teachings accurately. The doctrine teaches that the pope, as the successor of Saint Peter and head of the church, can exercise this infallibility when speaking ex cathedra (from the chair of Peter), officially defining a doctrine on faith and morals.
However, it is important to note that infallibility does not mean that every word spoken by church leaders is error-free, nor does it guarantee that individual members of the church are incapable of sinning or making mistakes. It is specifically a charism that applies to the church's official teaching authority.
The concept of the infallibility of the church has been a deeply debated topic both within and outside the Catholic Church, with critics arguing against the idea of infallibility and questioning the practical implications of such a claim. Nonetheless, this doctrine remains a significant tenet of Catholic theology.
