He is infallible

Many people -- Catholics and non -- object to the fact that the Pope is infallible.  But the fact is, while holding the office, he is........in matters of The Faith.  The Herald has been full of letters saying that, "truth is relavtive", "the Pope cannot be right about all things Catholic"......and on and on.   

I have news for them.  He is.  Why?  Because there is no higher authority on faith issues, therefore, he has to be infallible.  B. explained all this to me the other day because as a convert, I don't really get the Pope.  The College of Cardinals that elects him are akin to the Supreme Court, but the Pope has the final word on all doctrine.  If citizens don't like a Supreme Court ruling, they have to pass new legislation to change it.  Not so in the Catholic Church.  The Pope is the "legislative body" for the Church.  And those who haven't warmed to papal infallibility over the centuries?  Hello Martin Luther and Henry VIII.  Their only option was to break away, but it didn't change the Pope's infallibility one iota.   

That's not to say that the Pope is infallible on anything else, such as social justice issues or politics, for example.  Everything there's up for grabs.  Altough he may exert influence in certain sectors, he has no authority.  Pope Emeritus Benedict now has no authority; that passed to his successor.  Hope he remembers that. 

As I have blogged, I really don't pay much attention to Rome, but I find it strange that so many Catholic organizations lobby to change the way the Church operates.  Women priests?  Married priests?  Forget about it. 

Wrote a shorter letter to the editor about all this this morning.  I'll let you know if it's published.