[lbo-talk] POPE'S STAND ON CUBA EMBARGO ANGERS EXILES

J Cullen jcullen at austin.rr.com
Wed Jan 19 10:01:22 PST 2005


There is a difference of opinion within the Church over whether Humanae Vitae, the encyclical forbidding contraceptive use as well as abortion, is considered to be an infallible statement. The ambiguity apparently is intentional, since the Pope has not explicitly pronounced it "ex cathedra," or invoking infallibility -- probably because to do so would invite a schism.

The last undisputed (among Catholics) infallible statement was Pope Pius XII's 1950 definition of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. (See http://www.thenazareneway.com/papal_infallibility.htm.) For a discussion of the ex cathedra status of Humanae Vitae that contains more background than you'll ever want on infallibility, see http://www.rtforum.org/lt/lt43.html.

-- Jim Cullen


>
>The last "ex cathedra" pronouncement from the Vatican that I know of
>was in the sixties. It was an encyclical teaching against
>contraceptive use. There is some argument within the church about
>this because it is a stupid teaching and eventually they will find a
>way to finesse their way around it. Nothing the current pontiff said
>in his speech concerning Cuba would qualify as infallible.
>An interesting aspect about infallibility is that the "list" of
>qualifications for infallibility was not issued either "ex cathedra"
>or even as an Authentic Magesterium (this is disputed by some) so in
>essence the list is non-infallible and subject to revision.
>The comment was also posted that catholics would be uncomfortable
>with the characterization of the pope as "gods representative on
>earth". When issuing "ex cathedra" pronouncements via encyclical
>letter or some such other contrivance the pope is referred to as the
>"vicar of christ" but some popes used "vicar of god" which is
>basically the same as saying "substitute for christ". More than a
>mere representative they believe themselves an actual substitute!
>



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