Biblical Support for the Pope – 4

So ‘infallibility’ means the teaching of the Church–in matters vital for salvation– is without error. This doesn’t mean every detail of Catholic history or church discipline is automatically perfect. It also doesn’t mean that the church is without sin. From the beginning the church is made up of sinful people, and when people bowed down to Peter and Paul in the book of Acts they always said, ‘Get up we are just ordinary sinful men.’ But what this does mean is that the church is preserved without error despite being led by sinful men. This seems like a contradiction, but in fact this is something most Christians take for granted. Christians believe the Bible is reliable in matters of salvation. In other words, it is without error even though it was written by sinful men. When we say the creed we believe it is without error even though it was devised and written by sinful men.

The Pope’s role in all this is simply as the spokesman for this truth. As the leader of the apostles, as the head shepherd of the Church on Earth, he speaks the truth which the whole church affirms. But he only does so when he speaks ex cathedra that is–from the chair of Peter. So when we say the Pope is infallible we don’t mean he never does anything wrong. Like Peter, the Pope is an ordinary sinful man. Also when we say he is infallible we don’t believe that whatever he says is always true. He usually speaks as an ordinary man, or as an ordinary Christian teacher. But on the specially designated times when the Pope states that with the support of all the bishops and the whole church he is making an infallible statement, we accept that, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is simply speaking the truth of the gospel, and that he is doing so reliably and without error.

When Jesus asked his apostles who he was, and Peter spoke up. ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God’? There Peter was the spokesman for all the apostles, and for all of us. Jesus recognised that Peter spoke the truth, not of his own sinful nature, but because he had been specially enlightened by God himself. Peter was a sinful man, but what Peter said was without error. Through God’s inspiration he faithfully spoke the truth for all Christians.

Down through the ages many men have stood in the shoes of Peter as Bishop of Rome. Some have been saints, some have been sinners. The vast majority have been hard-working, prayerful and dedicated leaders of Christ’s church. But one of the amazing things which scholars tell us about the Popes is that not once have the bishops of Rome taught heresy. Other bishops have fallen into error, and the Bishops of Rome have brought them back to the truth. The Popes haven’t all been angels; some have been very wicked indeed. Peter himself denied the Lord three times. But despite their human failings they have led the whole Christian church in proclaiming the unfailing gospel of Jesus Christ. They did so in the footsteps of Peter–that amazing man Jesus called to continue his work on earth. The one whose name means ‘rock’. The one who was called to become the father of the people of God. The one whose life and teaching remains the foundation of Christ’s Church.

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