If the pope is infallible, how do you account for the sins of various popes in history?
Infallibility does not mean impeccability. The pope can commit sins during his life just like any human being walking on earth. He is obliged to go to confession and repent of his sins as we all are required to do. Infallibility simply means that God, the Holy Spirit, prevents the pope, when he is speaking officially (ex cathedra) about faith or morals, from making a mistake. Jesus promised that "the jaws of death" would not prevail against the Catholic Church (Matthew 28:20) , and that the Holy Spirit would always guide and protect the Church (John 16:12). Papal infallibility is part of the gift of infallibility that Christ gave to His Church. It should not be confused with papal primacy nor with inspiration or revelation.
Reprinted from May 9, 1997
Have any of our present Pope's books been best sellers?
Yes. "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" has been and continues to be a best seller. It is published in English by Knopf and can be purchased at your Catholic bookseller. Copies may also be available in lending libraries.
Reprinted from February 7, 1997
How can the pope be infallible when he is capable of sinning?
Infallibility does not involve impeccability. As all people on the face of the earth, the pope is capable of sinning and, with all other Catholics, always must repent of his sins and go to confession. As a matter of fact, the present pope goes regularly to confession. Infallibility does not mean freedom from sinning but is a special gift which Jesus left to the Catholic Church which He founded so that, by the assistance and constant presence of the Holy Spirit, she cannot officially teach error in doctrinal or moral matters. This infallibility resides in various places in the Church (for instance, in an ecumenical council when celebrated with and under the successor of St. Peter). It resides in the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ on earth, when he speaks "ex cathedra" (solemnly and officially) on matters of faith and morals. (see Matthew 16:17-19; 28:20; Mark 3:16; Luke 22:32; John 21:15-17. Consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 552; 765; 816; 862; 1444. Also see the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church of the Second Vatican Council, numbers 18-28.
Reprinted April 23, 1999
How many times has Pope John Paul II visited the United States?
Since he has been pope (1978), he has visited our country six times (in 1979, 1981, 1987, 1993,1995 and 1999). Some of the visits were merely rest or fueling stops in Alaska. Before he was elected pope, as Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Krakow, he visited the United States several times as well.
Reprinted April 2, 1999
Is it true that a pope once condemned all modern civilization?
You may be referring to a document published by Pope Pius IX in 1864, called "The Syllabus of Errors." The various errors listed in the document are phrases or terms that were taken from encyclicals, apostolic letters, and other documents of the Holy See. They have to be understood in the context from which they were taken. For instance, the term "modern civilization" was used in certain liberal Italian publications and by Italian Freemason-Politicians to mean that the State must be hostile to the Church at all times and that the State must control the Church within its territory. It was in the sense of that usage that it was condemned.. Whether the Syllabus falls under the charism of infallibility is disputed by theologians. However, it is beyond dispute that all Catholics are obliged to assent to it and accept what it says. However, the exact wording and the papal document in which the error was originally listed must be carefully studied to understand precisely what is condemned. When the proposition is condemned, for example, that the State has an absolute and exclusive right to control all schools, this does not mean that the civil government does not have a right to some authority in school matters.
Reprinted April 16, 1999
Who
was the pope at the turn of the first into the second millennium?
He was Pope Sylvester I who reigned from the year 999 to 1003. Our present pope has recently written a public letter about this predecessor of his in the See of Peter which is worth reading. extensive
Reprinted May 14, 1999
Is it possible for a pope to resign?
Yes, this is possible and there are some provisions for this in Church Law, although it has only happened rarely in Church history. Pope Celestine V, who was very old when elected and realized his lack of talent and ability, resigned and retired to monastery. Also at the time of the great schism (when there were three claimants for the papacy), the genuine pope (Gregory XII) abdicated so that confusion would end and Pope Martin V could be elected and recognized by all the Church as the legitimate successor of St. Peter.
Reprinted from January 22, 1999