Sola Ex Cathedra is every bit as much a heresy as Sola Scriptura
1.) Sola Ex Cathedra (Popes are only infallible when making
an ex cathedra definition) is a heresy of semi-Trads.
2.) Sola Scriptura (only the Bible is infallible) is a heresy of Protestants.
If the Popes could at times teach heresy, how would we know when they are teaching truth or error? We would have to be the superior of the Pope to decide when he is teaching the truth and when he is teaching falsehood…that is a complete prideful delusion!
OBJECTION # 1: Vatican I said the Pope is only infallible when speaking Ex Cathedra ANSWER # 1: While it is true that Ex Cathedra statements are infallible; it is absolutely NOT true that Ex Cathedra statements are the ONLY times Popes are infallible. Vatican I infallibly declares: The First Vatican Council
Dogmatic Constitution of Vatican I,Pastor Aeternus
Pope Pius IX, July 18, 1870 A.D.
“Indeed, their apostolic teaching was embraced by all the venerable fathers and reverenced and followed by all the holy orthodox doctors, for they knew very well that this see of St. Peter always remains unblemished by any error, in accordance with the divine promise of our Lord and Savior to the prince of his disciples: I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. “This gift of truth and never-failing faith was therefore divinely conferred on Peter and his successors in this see so that they might discharge their exalted office for the salvation of all, and so that the whole flock of Christ might be kept away by them from the poisonous food of error and be nourished with the sustenance of heavenly doctrine.” The First Vatican Council
Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Dei Filius
Pope Pius IX, 24 April 1870 A.D.
“Wherefore, by divine and Catholic faith all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in Scripture and tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed, whether by her solemn judgment or in her ordinary and universal magisterium.” Humani Generis
On Modern Errors
Pope Pius XII – August 12, 1950
Paragraph 20: “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 (magisterio ordinario), of which it is true to say: “He who heareth you, heareth me…” (Lk. 10:16) Notice above in Humani Generis, Pope Pius XII infallibly teaches that - Encyclical Letters are the Ordinary Magisterium, "of which it is true to say: “He who heareth you, heareth me…” (Lk. 10:16)
- So if we admit that Christ is infallible,
- Then we must admit that Encyclicals and the Ordinary Magisterium are infallible.
OBJECTION # 2: The Vatican II Popes must be true Popes because otherwise Christ’s promise of always being with us would be false.ANSWER # 2: Actually, the exact opposite is true, the Vatican II Popes must be anti-popes because Christ promised to ALWAYS be with His Church and that His Church would never teach any error or heresy.How could you square: "I will be with you all days." with the supposed fact that Roncalli thru Bergoglio ARE true popes...then Christ's promised would have failed, then He would have allowed His Church to fail, He would have allowed His Church to be a vehicle of error and damnation. But on the other hand, if Roncalli thru Bergoglio are antipopes, then the Church is still indefectible, it simply hasn't had a valid pope since 1958...but at least the Church and a true Pope wouldn't be propagators of error and heresy! To put it another way, it is possible to have antipopes and interregnums (https://cmri.org/articles-on-the-traditional-catholic-faith/fr-edmund-james-oreilly-s-j-on-the-idea-of-a-long-term-vacancy-of-the-holy-see/), but it is not possible to have valid popes who teach heresy in Ecuмenical Councils and Encyclicals. Here is another article that answers this objection: OBJECTION: Vatican Council I taught that St. Peter has perpetual successors; therefore, long vacancies in the See of Peter are not possible. ANSWER: Nowhere does the Church determine how long a vacancy may exist in the See of Peter. Between the death of Pope Clement IV (November 29, 1268) and the election of Pope Gregory X (September 1, 1271), there was an interregnum of nearly three years. During the Western Schism, there were three claimants to the See of Peter; theologians teach that even if none of them were pope, that would not be against the promise of Christ or the teaching of perpetual successors. Proof:A. Institutiones Theologiae Fundamentalis [1929], Rev. A. Dorsch— “The Church therefore is a society that is essentially monarchical. But this does not prevent the Church, for a short time after the death of a pope, or even for many years, from remaining deprived of her head [vel etiam per plures annos capite suo destituta manet].”B. The Relations of the Church to Society [1882], Fr. Edward J. O’Reilly, S.J.— “In the first place, there was all throughout from the death of Gregory XI in 1378, a Pope—with the exception, of course, of the intervals between deaths and elections to fill up the vacancies thereby created. There was, I say, at every given time a Pope, really invested with the dignity of Vicar of Christ and Head of the Church, whatever opinions might exist among many as to his genuineness; not that an interregnum covering the whole period would have been impossible or inconsistent with the promises of Christ, for this is by no means manifest, but that, as a matter of fact, there was not such an interregnum.”C. The Catholic’s Ready Answer [1915], Rev. M. P. Hill, S.J.— “If during the entire schism (nearly 40 years) there had been no Pope at all—that would not prove that the office and authority of Peter was not transmitted to the next Pope duly elected.”D. The Defense of the Catholic Church [1927] Fr. Francis X. Doyle, S.J.— “The Church is a visible society with a visible Ruler. If there can be any doubt about who that visible Ruler is, he is not visible, and hence, where there is any doubt about whether a person has been legitimately elected Pope, that doubt must be removed before he can become the visible head of Christ’s Church. Blessed Bellarmine, S.J., says: ‘A doubtful Pope must be considered as not Pope’; and Suarez, S.J., says: ‘At the time of the Council of Constance there were three men claiming to be Pope…. Hence, it could have been that not one of them was the true Pope, and in that case, there was no Pope at all….’”https://cmri.org/articles-on-the-traditional-catholic-faith/answering-the-objections-to-the-sedevacantist-position/TAKE A STEP BACK AND CONSIDER: If the Popes could at times teach heresy, how would we know when they are teaching truth or error? We would have to be the superior of the Pope to decide when he is teaching the truth and when he is teaching falsehood…that is a complete prideful delusion! Just think for a moment and you will realize how absurd it is to maintain that Roncalli thru Bergoglio are true Popes. 1.) If Popes could teach error and heresy in Encyclicals and Ecuмenical Councils then why would we believe in the Trinity, maybe the Council of Nicea got that wrong? 2.) If true Popes could teach error and heresy in "Dogmatic Constitutions" of Ecuмenical Councils, why would we believe in Purgatory or that there are 7 Sacraments, maybe the Council of Trent just got those things wrong? 3.) If true Popes could teach error and heresy in their Ordinary Magisterium as long as it isn't an ex cathedra statement, why would we believe that contraception is evil, that is not an Ex Cathedra statement, that is just taught in simple Encyclicals, maybe the Casti Connubbii 4.) If true Popes could teach error and heresy in their Ordinary Magisterium as long as it isn't an ex cathedra statement, why would we believe that any of the Saints, like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony Padua, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Magaret Mary Alocoque, etc. are real Saints, if the Church could error in Canonizations maybe the above Saints are just as fake as "St. John XXIII," "St. Paul VI" and "St. John Paul?" 5.) If true Popes could promulgate, approve and decree evil liturgies like the Novus Ordo, why would we go to the Traditional Latin Mass...maybe that is an evil liturgy approved and promulgated by Pope Pius V? OBJECTION # 3: We need to be so grateful for ____(fill in the blank: the SSPX, the Resistance, the FSSP, etc.) they give us the Sacraments and preach the Faith in its entirety to us! ANSWER # 3: Do they preach that Ecuмenical Councils are ALWAYS infallible and that Encyclicals are ALWAYS infallible? If not, then that is not the Faith in its entirety, it is a betrayal of some essential dogmas of the faith: What Does the Magisterium Teach?
Humility is the path both to being a Catholic & to saving our soul.
1.) Heretics pick & choose which Magisterial teachings they accept & which they reject.2.) Heretics judge for themselves (aka private judgment), they think they know better than the Magisterium.3.) Heretics make themselves into their own popes, deciding which Magisterial teachings are true and which are false. 1.) Catholics do NOT pick & choose which Magisterial teachings to accept & which to reject, they MUST simply accept them all. 2.) Catholics do NOT judge for themselves (aka private judgment), they do NOT think they know better than the Magisterium.3.) Catholics do NOT make themselves into their own popes, deciding which Magisterial teachings are true and which are false. Can you rebut the following by using infallible quotes from the Magisterium? If not, then shouldn't we believe exactly what Vatican I, Humani Generis and Mortalium Animos teach? 1.) You, nor I, nor the SSPX, nor the Resistance, nor Archbishop Lefebvre are infallible. 2.) The Catholic Church is infallible. 3.) The “…See of St. Peter ALWAYS remains unblemished by any error.” (Vatican I) It was given a “gift of truth and NEVER failing faith.” 4.) The Solemn Magisterium is infallible. (Vatican I)5.) The Ordinary Magisterium is infallible. (Humani Generis)6.) Encyclicals and Ecuмenical Councils are infallible.7.) “…the power to teach, govern and administer the Sacraments, derive their supernatural efficacy and force of the building up of the body of Christ from the fact that Jesus Christ, hanging on the Cross, opened up to His Church the fountain of those divine gifts, which prevent her from ever teaching false doctrine.” (Mystici Corporis Christi) 8.) Vatican II is heretical and countless subsequent Encyclicals of the V2 popes are heretical, (http://www.holyromancatholicchurch.org/heresies.html), therefore it is not possible for Roncalli thru Bergoglio to be Popes, because Vatican I infallibly teaches: The First Vatican Council
Dogmatic Constitution of Vatican I,Pastor Aeternus
Pope Pius IX, July 18, 1870 A.D.
“Indeed, their apostolic teaching was embraced by all the venerable fathers and reverenced and followed by all the holy orthodox doctors, for they knew very well that this see of St. Peter always remains unblemished by any error, in accordance with the divine promise of our Lord and Savior to the prince of his disciples: I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. “This gift of truth and never-failing faith was therefore divinely conferred on Peter and his successors in this see so that they might discharge their exalted office for the salvation of all, and so that the whole flock of Christ might be kept away by them from the poisonous food of error and be nourished with the sustenance of heavenly doctrine.” The First Vatican Council
Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Dei Filius
Pope Pius IX, 24 April 1870 A.D.
“Wherefore, by divine and Catholic faith all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in Scripture and tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed, whether by her solemn judgment or in her ordinary and universal magisterium.” Humani Generis
On Modern Errors
Pope Pius XII – August 12, 1950
Paragraph 20: “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 (magisterio ordinario), of which it is true to say: “He who heareth you, heareth me…” (Lk. 10:16) Notice above in Humani Generis, Pope Pius XII infallibly teaches that - Encyclical Letters are the Ordinary Magisterium, "of which it is true to say: “He who heareth you, heareth me…” (Lk. 10:16)
- So if we admit that Christ is infallible,
- Then we must admit that Encyclicals and the Ordinary Magisterium are infallible.
Mortalium Animos, Encyclical by Pope Pius XI, 1928
“The Magisterium of the Church (“Ecclesia Magisterium”) which in the divine wisdom was constituted on earth in order that revealed doctrines might remain intact forever, and that they might be brought with ease and security to the knowledge of men, … is daily exercised [cotidie exercetur] through the Roman Pontiff and the Bishops who are in communion with him.” (Pius XI, Mortalium Animos, 1928) Note Well: The Teaching Authority (Magisterium) of the Church is exercised every day…not just in extraordinary circuмstances, so there is no way to maintain that Vatican II and 62 years worth of Encyclicals and Catechisms from 1958-2020 weren’t the Magisterium of the Church…the Church’s Magisterium is incapable of teaching heresies…thus it is proof positive that John XXIII – Francis are not now/have never been, true Popes. Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis Christi, June 29, 1943:
22. Actually only those are to be included as members of the Church who have been baptized and profess the true faith, and who have not been so unfortunate as to separate themselves from the unity of the Body, or been excluded by legitimate authority for grave faults committed. “For in one spirit” says the Apostle, “were we all baptized into one Body, whether Jєωs or Gentiles, whether bond or free.” 17 As therefore in the true Christian community there is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can be only one faith. 18 And therefore if a man refuse to hear the Church let him be considered — so the Lord commands — as a heathen and a publican. 19 It follows that those are divided in faith or government cannot be living in the unity of such a Body, nor can they be living the life of its one Divine Spirit. 23. Nor must one imagine that the Body of the Church, just because it bears the name of Christ, is made up during the days of its earthly pilgrimage only of members conspicuous for their holiness, or that it consists only of those whom God has predestined to eternal happiness. it is owing to the Savior’s infinite mercy that place is allowed in His Mystical Body here below for those whom, of old, He did not exclude from the banquet. For not every offense, however grave it may be, is such as of its own nature to sever a man from the Body of the Church,as does schism or heresy or apostasy. 31. Just as at the first moment of the Incarnation the Son of the Eternal Father adorned with the fullness of the Holy Spirit the human nature which was substantially united to Him, that it might be a fitting instrument of the Divinity in the sanguinary work of the Redemption, so at the hour of His precious death He willed that His Church should be enriched with the abundant gifts of the Paraclete in order that in dispensing the divine fruits of the Redemption she might be, for the Incarnate Word, a powerful instrument that would never fail. For both the juridical mission of the Church, and the power to teach, govern and administer the Sacraments, derive their supernatural efficacy and force of the building up of the body of Christ from the fact that Jesus Christ, hanging on the Cross, opened up to His Church the fountain of those divine gifts, which prevent her from ever teaching false doctrine and enable her to rule them for the salvation of their souls through divinely enlightened pastors and to bestow on them an abundance of heavenly graces.