Quote:
Originally Posted by DubaiSis
The reason they've always had to elect someone so old is because he is infallible.
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I know you may be joking, but just to be clear since it's a common misconception/allegation: It is not Catholic teaching that the pope is infallible. Catholic teaching is that when the pope, acting
ex cathedra ("from his chair" -- that is, in his capacity as as shepherd and supreme teacher of the Church), defines that a doctrine of faith or morals must be held by the whole Church, the Church may rely on that teaching as being free from error. While there is no definitive list of such
ex cathedra declarations, they have been pretty rare.
I agree that the announcement shows a great deal of courage and humility. It will be interesting to see the role of a bishop
emeritus of Rome. (Not buying in to any conspiracy theories.)