- NEW!
by Mr. Meaulnes on January 31st, 2009
As other answers here have said, no.
The official Church doctrine only assumes the Pope to be infallible when he's passing along some message of [to them] divine origin.
And I'm sure most Catholics with a good head on their shoulders don't even believe that, when push comes to shove.
by hedge-rider on January 31st, 2009
According to Catholic doctrine and teaching, the Pope is only infallible when he issues a Papal Doctrine - which only deals with matters of faith and dogma (and this is an extremely rare occurrence).
Otherwise, he's just as human as anybody else.
by Rude Bear Ready for Winter on January 30th, 2009
No. The pope can make mistakes on the mundane stuff. It is only when dealing with the BIG stuff that he speaks with infallibility. There is a word for it in Latin, but I don't recall it at this moment.
What does the pope wear to sleep?
by Answerbag Staff on July 20th, 2010
| 2 people like this
How would you act/or say if you met the pope?
by Bornabrit on July 13th, 2011
| 7 people like this
Why doesn't the Pope run for president?
by aiar on October 11th, 2011
| 3 people like this
Is the Pope related to Popeye?
by Weylon on June 30th, 2011
| 3 people like this
Why doesn't the President run for Pope?
by Andy B has left AB on October 11th, 2011
| 6 people like this
You're reading Does the Roman Catholic Church believe that popes, in conducting the ordinary affairs of the church, can never make mistakes?
Your favorite Q&A site is on Facebook! Become a fan to connect with the ever-growing community of Answerbaggers, share your thoughts and find out what Answerbag's up to next!
Comments
I believe, then, that those "most Catholics" are called Episcopalians.
by hedge-rider on January 31st, 2009
Nope, last I checked they still called themselves Catholics.
It's just that there are different degrees of Catholocism, all going under one name, a lot like there are plenty of people who call themselves Christian, but do very little besides go to Church on Sunday.
by Mr. Meaulnes on January 31st, 2009
"Catholic" from the greek "katholikos", meaning "universal".
Most misuse the term "catholic" when they actually mean "Roman Catholic".
Reciting the Apostles' Creed, Roman Catholics say, "I believe in the Holy Roman Catholic Church", while many Protestants will say, "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church", deleting "Roman". Certain other Protestants can't bring themselves to even say that dirty word "catholic" :-) and say "I believe in the Holy Christian Church" or "I believe in the Holy Universal Church".
Just thought I'd stick my nose into this one! :-) Points for Mr. M. and the hedge-rider, the latter being "payback" due and owing. :-)
by ChuckExAnon on January 31st, 2009
I grew up going to "Roman" Catholic masses and never once did I hear or say "the Roman Catholic Church" when reciting the Nicene Creed (which is what Catholics typically say in place of the Apostles' Creed). In fact, the Catholic Church has never, in any official doctrine or statement, referred to itself as the "Roman Catholic Church". This is because most Catholics that research into their religion know that it is actually a derogatory term given to them by the Protestants in the late Middle Ages to denote that it was not, in fact, the "universal" church as its followers believed, but the "universal" church according to those in Rome.
by hedge-rider on January 31st, 2009
Anon: I thik you're mistaking a common useage for a misuseage.
I rather assumed that we all knew who I was talking about when I brought up Catholics.
by Mr. Meaulnes on January 31st, 2009