The First Vatican Council Declares Papal Infallibility (1870)

In Roman Catholicism, papal infallibility is the doctrine that, under certain conditions, the pope cannot err when teaching in matters of faith or morals. It is a centuries-old idea based on the belief that the church, entrusted with the mission of Jesus, will be guided by the Holy Spirit. It has been a matter of controversy, even among Catholic theologians, ever since 1870, when the First Vatican Council first listed the conditions under which popes are infallible. What are they?   More…