The dogma of papal infallibility was not proclaimed until 1870 by Pope Pius IX. It states that the pope is infallible when he teaches ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals. That is, when it is official papal teaching on these matters. Even at the time of its promulgation, this dogma generated much controversy, which it should have.
Should a person like any other, coming from a normal family like thousands in the world, usurp such a position? The pope, like every priest, was born into a normal family, having a mother, a father, perhaps siblings. This family could be good, dysfunctional, complete, or incomplete. It varied. From the beginning of the papacy, popes had many responsibilities. They were capable of leading a dissolute lifestyle, had mistresses, had children, some had normal families, committed various crimes, covered up more than one thing… the list could go on and on.
Ordinations Okay, they accepted them, but they don’t grant infallibility. These are still ordinary, identical people. Furthermore, there are no additional papal ordinations. The pope is a bishop like any other, except that he believes he has the right to resolve disputes and impose his views on the entire church. Theoretically, he’s supposed to serve it. But what’s the reality?
Christ taught that the worst people are those who bind themselves to chains that are unbearable for others, yet don’t obey them themselves. He stigmatized the Pharisees and scribes. And who is the pope? Wouldn’t he belong to the groups stigmatized by Jesus today? He delights in opulence, flowing robes, surrounds himself with wealth, is detached from reality, wants to impose his views on others, and does so quite effectively. Would most popes approach a poor, sick person in need of help, in a difficult situation, as Christ did? In the opinion of the author of this article, the answer can only be negative. Of course, they sometimes approach such people strangely, always surrounded by cameras, and security guards often don’t react strangely to this… aren’t these just isolated incidents for simple PR, for the public to see that I’m close and don’t despise them? The question is, what is the reality, and whether the lives of even these chosen individuals are changing as Jesus did. Again, the answer would have to be negative (of course, there may be some exception that proves the rule).
What is the Pope doing by announcing such a dogma and feeling this way? He places himself above every other person, ascribing to himself truly divine qualities, because only God is infallible. The Pope is, after all, an ordinary man, flesh and blood, influenced by his family, environment, and millions of other factors. He is the son of ordinary people, not God. How arrogant is it to claim infallibility, even if it only applies to official teaching? The message is: I officially teach, I am God, I live and speak daily, I am a human being, and I don’t have to be a so-called good person. Even Christ didn’t claim to be infallible. Besides, the Pope doesn’t know everything, doesn’t possess all the knowledge in the world, and can’t read people, so how can he be infallible without knowing everything?
Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Self-aggrandizement has also been condemned by God. Here, we have a perfect example of self-aggrandizement and pride, a pride so profoundly felt perhaps nowhere else. In short, this dogma contradicts the teachings of Christ and the Holy Scriptures. Not to mention how long after Christ and the apostles it was invented and proclaimed. One also wonders how an ordinary sinner, as a person who makes mistakes, can be infallible in any matter in the Church’s teachings. There are no infallible people in this world. Of course, they may be right, have good intentions, but that doesn’t mean they are infallible. This is placing themselves on par with God, perhaps even above Christ.
One may also wonder what dogma will be next regarding popes. Immaculately conceived, since he’s infallible. Oh, excuse me, infallibility wasn’t even prescribed for Mary. Perhaps he was assumed into heaven, like Christ, since he ascribes truly divine qualities to himself as a human being. And I know that every human being is a temple of the Holy Spirit, of God, as written in the Bible. Nevertheless, nowhere does it say that he’s infallible, that he doesn’t need to work on himself. Because if he’s infallible, he doesn’t need to work on himself; after all, he knows everything. But doesn’t only God know everything? How much has the papacy ascribed to itself with this dogma, and how many times in history has it erred, how many crimes (in today’s sense) has it committed?