<html> <body> <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">In the official EXPOSITION, Bishop Gasser explained that infallibility has a direct and an indirect object: "As I said before, since other truths, which in themselves may not be revealed, are more or less intimately bound up with revealed dogmas, they are necessary to protect, to expound correctly and to define efficaciously in all its integrity the deposit of faith. Truths of this nature belong to dogmatic facts insofar as without these it is not possible to protect and expound the deposit of faith, truths, I repeat, that do not belong directly to the deposit of faith but are necessary for its protection." John Thornton</blockquote> Interesting.  By this logic, then, a call to lift the Cuba embargo-- insofar as it benefits the Catholic Church and helps the Church expound Catholic faith in Cuba--would fall in the realm of infallibility. Am I missing something here?  (As I said, I don't know much about Catholicism.) Miles</blockquote> 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! <pre>Vicar \Vic"ar\ (v[i^]k"[~e]r), n. [OE. vicar, viker, vicair, F.      vicaire, fr. L. vicarius.]      1. One deputed or authorized to perform the functions of         another; a substitute in office; a deputy. [R.]         [1913 Webster] <TABLE width=400><HR> <a href="http://www.avast.com">avast! Antivirus</a>: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 0502-4, 01/16/2005 Tested on: 1/16/2005 8:25:07 PM avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2004 ALWIL Software. <TBODY></TBODY></TABLE> </body> </html>