This will be the first of what is planned to be many posts excerpted from my forthcoming book on the Roman Pontiffs and the errors of those who accuse them of grave errors in teachings and of grave failures of faith (the papal accusers). Note that this material will be part of a future book and is copyrighted. When you see references to “this book” and the like, it is because these are book excerpts. Let’s begin:
This section of the book reviews the teaching of the Roman Catholic Magisterium that the Church is indefectible, and that each Roman Pontiff has the charism of truth and of never-failing faith. Therefore, every single valid Roman Pontiff is innocent of every accusation of a certain type. A Pope can commit personal sins. A Pope's non-infallible teaching can err to a limited extent. But every single valid Pope is certainly innocent of any accusation that is either contrary to the indefectibility of the Church (e.g. that a Pope or series of Popes has led the whole Church astray), or contrary to the charism of truth and of never failing faith. The Roman Pontiff is prevented by the prevenient grace of God from leading the Church or the faithful astray, from teaching grave error (even when teaching non-infallibly), and from any grave failure of faith. Trust in the Church, in the Popes, and in the body of Bishops led by the Pope. If any Bishop refuses to be led by any Pope, reject him.
If someone were to accuse Jesus Himself of sinning (for example, the claim that Jesus lied), such an accusation need not be evaluated by the facts of the case. We know as a matter of faith that Jesus cannot sin, as He is God. Popes can sin, but they are prevented by God from certain sins and certain errors. For the Lord Jesus has promised that each Pope will have a never-failing faith (Lk 22:32), and this interpretation of the promise of our Lord has been confirmed by the First Vatican Council. Therefore, an accusation that any Pope has taught grave error, or has failed in faith by apostasy, or heresy, or idolatry (etc.), or that any Pope or Council has led the Church astray, is necessarily a false accusation as a matter of faith. We can, but we need not, examine the facts of the case.
Now, on a different subject, Popes can sin personally. Even so, it is not our place to judge the alleged personal sins of a Roman Pontiff (with some limited exceptions for matters of public grave scandal to the faithful). There are over a billion Catholic Christians, in addition to the many other persons who might wish to comment on the sins of a Pope. Modern society has taught us the grave error of being judgmental of other persons, even of persons we do not know and have never met. An allegation goes out over the internet, and soon ten thousand persons are denouncing that person and their alleged error (which might be a false or distorted claim). It is obviously wrong for every Catholic to constantly evaluate every word and deed of each Pope, and to publicly decry anything contrary to the individual's judgment. With a billion persons playing judge over every Pope, the accusations would be numerous and endless, and therefore the Faith would be harmed continuously. One part of the solution is for the faithful to refrain from making such judgments.
As for the teaching of the Roman Pontiffs, we are required to believe that every teaching of every Pope is free from every grave error. This refers, of course, to acts of the papal Magisterium on faith and morals. Passing remarks to the media are not acts of the Magisterium. Even so, every Roman Pontiff is also free from grave failures of the virtue of faith at all times. So anyone who accuses a Pope of such a failure makes a false accusation against the Vicar of Christ.
This section of the book will explain the teachings of the Magisterium on the indefectibility of the Church and the Roman Pontiff. It will also consider the claims being made against many different Popes, prior to Vatican II. Each accused Roman Pontiff will be defended and exonerated. Then, in the second part of this book, the accusations against Pope Francis, and his innocence of these claims, will be considered. The second part will also consider similar accusations made against the Second Vatican Council, and against other recent Popes.
Chapter 1: The Church is Indefectible
Overview
The indefectibility of the Church, implies the indefectibility of the Roman Pontiff, and of the body of Bishops (only as a body). Then the indefectibility of the Church also implies that each and every Ecumenical Council is free from every grave error, in teachings on faith and morals, and in decisions on discipline. No decision on discipline by the Roman Pontiff, or by the body of Bishops led by the Pope, or by an Ecumenical Council can ever harm the Church gravely or lead the faithful astray.
As Vatican I taught, the charism of truth and of never failing faith is divinely-conferred on each and every Roman Pontiff. This charism guarantees that no Pope can teach grave error, even when teaching non-infallibly, and that no Pope can commit any grave failure of faith. No Pope can ever teach or commit heresy; no Pope can ever be guilty of apostasy, heresy, schism, idolatry, blasphemy, or sacrilege. For the grace of God absolutely prevents grave failures of faith and grave errors of doctrine or discipline by every Pope. Therefore, all accusations to the contrary, against any Roman Pontiff of the past or present or future is false, heretical, schismatic, and in effect is a grave false accusation against Christ, against His body, the Church, and against the Holy Spirit.
The Indefectibility of the Church
[Matthew]
{16:18} And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
The Church is indefectible. She can never go astray, nor lead astray. The Church can never pass away. She was established forever by Jesus Christ. The Church is the body of Christ, with Christ as Her Head. She is the Bride of Christ, the eternal groom. And the Holy Spirit is the figurative soul of the Church. The Spirit protects and guides the Church, and He teaches the faithful through the Church.
Therefore, certain claims made by the papal accusers cannot be true. Any accusation which proposes, explicitly or implicitly, that the Church has gone astray, or is leading the faithful astray, is certainly false as an article of faith. I repeat, the falsity of such accusations is a matter of faith. It is not a matter of the evaluation and judgment of the details of the accusation. If someone accused Jesus of sin, would the Apostles gather in a Council and judge whether the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, had sinned? Would they hear witnesses and judge the matter? No. It is contrary to the most fundamental teachings of the Catholic Christian Faith to say that Jesus has sinned. And it is no less grave to accuse the Church, the body of Christ, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, of having gone astray or of having led astray.
* But here is a petition with lots of signatures on it!
* Faith, is the reply.
* But look at how many eminent, holy, wise scholars and clerics oppose the Pope!
* It is a matter of faith that they are all wrong.
* Consider the holiness of some Cardinals and Bishops who accuse the Church!
* Judas Iscariot was one of the Twelve, and he went astray. We must put our Faith in the Church and the successors of Peter. Individual Bishops can go astray.
* But the Church has gone astray from Tradition!
* No, the Church has only "gone astray" from your disordered ideas about Tradition. The Magisterium is the sole authoritative interpreter of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. And so the opinion of any group of scholars or clerics cannot stand when they accuse the Pope, or the body of Bishops, or an Ecumenical Council of grave error on doctrine or discipline, even if the scholars and clerics appeal to their own understanding of Tradition.
* Liberalism and modernism are heresies!
* Jesus never taught conservatism. Some of His teachings would be considered liberal, some moderate, some conservative. There can be no heresy in any teaching of a Pope or Council.
* Paul corrected Peter!
* Paul never accused Peter of teaching or committing heresy. Paul never rejected Peter as his Teacher and Shepherd. Paul never told the faithful to listen to him, instead of Peter. Paul never gathered a group or passed around a petition to oppose Peter. Paul never accused Peter of anything even remotely like what the papal accusers say about Pope Francis and other Popes.
* I am absolutely certain that Francis is teaching heresy!
* Then you have no faith in the Church, or in the Magisterium, or in Christ. You have become an idol unto yourself. Inwardly, you worship yourself, setting up your own understanding as if it were divine revelation.
As for me, my faith is in the Church, the Roman Pontiffs, the Councils, and the body of Bishops.
… to be continued…
by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
The Innocence of the Popes
Ok, fair enough - I bent a little on my boycott and ordered 4 of your books; very excited about reading them. And I learned a lot from the first excerpt of Innocence of the Popes. Thanks.
I want to order ‘real’ copies of your books, but I have been boycotting Amazon - I know, a very token gesture - and I would like to have my local bookstore order straight from the publisher. Is that possible? I have ordered your Bible translation from Lulu.com, but that is the only one I see that does not involve Amazon.