Where is infallibility in the bible?

[Charbel Raish]

Hi I was just looking in the bible for the word infallibility does it exist or did the Church introduce this name and what does it actually mean?

[Matthew]

It is helpful to distinguish between terminology and concepts. The terminology may not be present in the Bible whilst the concept might (other examples would be purgatory, the Trinity).

Infallibility refers to a property of the Church as a whole in regards to teaching doctrine: that it cannot solemnly proclaim error. The concept is found when Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to lead the Church into the fullness of the truth and also invests his teaching authority in the apostles.

What isn't always grasped these days as well as it should be is that if there is a true religion then logic requires that it must needs be infallible in the means by which it makes its teachings known in irrevocable form.

It is also important to note that infallibility is not revelation nor inspiration. It is simply protection from error. The individuals persons whose office invests them with a partaking in this charism still need to learn and study like anyone else. If they are in error it simply means they will be prevented from making that error binding on everyone else. In that sense the gift of infallibility is primarily negative but has a positive result: the teaching of only the truth and nothing but the truth.

[DavidObeid]

What Matthew said.

[Anthony Succar]

What David? Surely you have something to add:-) How about telling us 'who' or to which office this charism of infallibility is extended to? Is it just the Pope? Or can I be guaranteed that my local parish priest will also 'never' teach error?

[Stephen Spiteri]

Charbel,

A friend of mine asked me the exact same question a few days ago and the answer I gave him became the topic of a recent blog entry of mine:

http://thespiritmagnus.blogspot.com/2010/06/infallibility-what-it-is-and-what-its.html

I hope you may find some of the answers you're looking for in there.

God bless.

[Anthony Succar]

Do you mind pasting the answer in this forum or our blog section?

[Matthew]

"How about telling us 'who' or to which office this charism of infallibility is extended to? Is it just the Pope? Or can I be guaranteed that my local parish priest will also 'never' teach error?"

It belongs to only to the office of the Pope in so far as it is can be exercised individually. It also belongs to the college of bishops together with the Pope when they teach in either an ecumenical council or in union with the Pope in their day to day teaching throughout the universal church.

It is also worth mentioning the infallibility of the whole church referred to in Lumen Gentium paragraph 12:

"The entire body of the faithful, anointed as they are by the Holy One,(111) cannot err in matters of belief. They manifest this special property by means of the whole peoples' supernatural discernment in matters of faith when "from the Bishops down to the last of the lay faithful" (8*) they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals."