Denial of religious infallibility

1. Therefore it is required, when the Church professes and teaches the faith, that she should adhere strictly to divine truth, and should translate it into living attitudes of "obedience in harmony with reason". Christ himself, concerned for this fidelity to divine truth, promised the Church the special assistance of the Spirit of truth, gave the gift of infallibility to those whom he entrusted with the mandate of transmitting and teaching that truth, as has besides been clearly defined by the First Vatican Council, and has then been repeated by the Second Vatican Council, and he furthermore endowed the whole of the People of God with a special sense of the faith. (Papal Encyclical, Redemptor hominis, 4 March 1979).

2. Nor must it be thought that what is expounded in Encyclical Letters does not of itself demand consent, since in writing such Letters the Popes do not exercise the supreme power of their Teaching Authority. For these matters are taught with the ordinary teaching authority, of which it is true to say: "He who heareth you, heareth me"; and generally what is expounded and inculcated in Encyclical Letters already for other reasons appertains to Catholic doctrine. But if the Supreme Pontiffs in their official documents purposely pass judgment on a matter up to that time under dispute, it is obvious that that matter, according to the mind and will of the same Pontiffs, cannot be any longer considered a question open to discussion among theologians. (Papal Encyclical, Humani Generis, 12 August 1950).

3. An error of modernism identified as the belief that:< Roman pontiffs and ecumenical councils have wandered outside the limits of their powers, have usurped the rights of princes, and have even erred in defining matters of faith and morals. (Papal Encyclical, Damnatio Multiplices Inter, 10 June 1851).