8.297. Is there a contradiction between the post-Vatican II “popes” repeatedly teaching error and the traditional Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility?
Yes. The traditional Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility, solemnly defined at the First Vatican Council (1870), teaches that when a true pope speaks ex cathedra—that is, from the Chair of Peter, in his office as Shepherd and Teacher of all Christians, defining a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church—he is preserved from error by the Holy Ghost. This charism ensures that the pope cannot lead the Church into heresy or error in matters of divine revelation. But since Vatican II, the claimants to the “papacy”—John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis—have repeatedly taught doctrines that contradict the Catholic Faith. This cannot happen with a true pope. Therefore, the contradiction is resolved only by understanding that these men are not true popes but heretical usurpers who have founded a counterfeit church.
Traditional Catholics do not reject the dogma of papal infallibility. On the contrary, they affirm it fully—along with the related dogma of the Church’s indefectibility. But precisely because the true Church cannot defect, and the true pope cannot teach error to the universal Church, it follows that any man who persistently teaches heresy—whether on religious liberty, ecumenism, collegiality, the new mass, or moral issues—is not, and cannot be, a valid pope.
1. Vatican I and the True Teaching on Papal Infallibility
The First Vatican Council taught infallibly:
“The Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra... possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed His Church to be endowed in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals.”
The same council also declared:
“So then, should anyone—which God forbid!—have the temerity to reject this definition of ours: let him be anathema.”
Infallibility is a negative charism—it prevents error; it does not guarantee inspiration. It is exercised only under strict conditions. However, the Church has always understood that the pope also has a general assistance of the Holy Ghost in his ordinary magisterium, which must be consistent with Tradition.
As Pope Pius IX taught:
“Hence that which the Apostolic See has once decreed is to be held as fixed and certain in every age, and it is unlawful to call it in question.”
A true pope cannot publicly or habitually teach heresy, even outside ex cathedra statements. To do so would betray the Church’s indefectibility and mislead the faithful.
2. The Post-Vatican II “Popes” and Repeated Error
The men who claim the papal throne after Vatican II have taught blatant and repeated errors. A few examples:
John XXIII opened Vatican II claiming to reject the “prophets of doom” and called for a new approach of mercy over judgment—rejecting centuries of traditional Catholic warnings about error and Hell.
Paul VI, in Dignitatis Humanae (Vatican II, 1965), taught religious liberty as a natural right—contrary to Quanta Cura and the Syllabus of Errors of Pope Pius IX.
John Paul II participated in the scandalous Assisi prayer meetings (1986, 2002), allowing idol worship and pagan rites in Catholic churches, violating the First Commandment.
Benedict XVI praised Protestantism as a “path to salvation” and visited synagogues and mosques, removing his shoes in Islamic temples—sacrilegious acts of false ecumenism.
Francis promoted universalism (Amoris Laetitia, Fratelli Tutti), praised heretics, and signed the 2019 Abu Dhabi Declaration stating that God “wills the diversity of religions,” which is a blasphemy against Christ.
These teachings are not minor ambiguities or isolated slips—they are repeated, public, and doctrinally destructive. No true pope in Church history has ever done such things.
3. Theological Implications: Either Infallibility is False—or These Men Are Not Popes
If Vatican II “popes” are true popes, and yet have taught error, then either:
The Holy Ghost failed to protect the Church, or
The doctrine of infallibility is false, or
The Church can defect
All of these conclusions are heretical.
As St. Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church, taught:
“A manifest heretic cannot be pope, nor a bishop, nor even a Christian.”
And Pope Paul IV taught in 1559:
“If ever a bishop, archbishop, cardinal, or even Roman Pontiff has... deviated from the Catholic Faith or fallen into some heresy, he is automatically deprived of any dignity, office, or authority.”
In other words, the pope cannot become a heretic. If he does, he has lost his office—if he ever validly held it. Thus, the contradiction between papal infallibility and the teachings of the Vatican II “popes” is resolved only by recognizing that these men are not true popes at all.
4. Apostolic and Patristic Witness
From the beginning, the Church Fathers affirmed the preservation of the Apostolic See from error:
“With this Church, by reason of its superior origin, all churches must agree.”
“The Church rests upon the bishop, and the bishop upon the Church.”
“The faith shall never fail in Peter’s See.”
Such statements cannot be squared with a line of “popes” who deny dogmas, praise false religions, and lead souls into error. A Church led by heretics is not the Church of Christ.
5. The True Pope and the True Church Cannot Teach Error
Infallibility is not merely about avoiding ex cathedra errors. It is about protecting the faithful from doctrinal corruption. If the hierarchy—including the “pope”—could fall into heresy and still govern the Church, then the sheep would have no assurance of truth. But Our Lord promised:
“Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
He also said:
“I have prayed for thee [Peter], that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.”
That promise was not made to apostates. It applies only to true successors of Peter—those who remain in the Catholic Faith. The Vatican II “popes,” by embracing modernism, have forfeited their right to govern and must be rejected by faithful Catholics.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Teaching | Post-Vatican II Claims | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papal Infallibility | When speaking ex cathedra on faith and morals, the pope cannot err | “Popes” have taught error in encyclicals and official acts | Contradicts Vatican I and indefectibility of the Church |
| Church’s Indefectibility | The Church cannot defect from truth in doctrine, worship, or morals | Modern “popes” promote heresies, false religions, and moral errors | Such defection proves they are not true popes |
| Examples of Error | Pius IX, Leo XIII, Pius X taught clear Catholic doctrine without heresy | John Paul II promoted universalism; Francis denied Hell implicitly | False doctrine disqualifies them from the papacy |
| Recognition of Heresy | Public heretics lose office automatically (Paul IV, St. Bellarmine) | Post-Vatican II “popes” are open modernists | No Catholic can submit to heretical authority |
| Faithful’s Response | Reject false shepherds, hold fast to Tradition | Obedience demanded to destroy faith and morals | True Catholics must resist the counterfeit religion |
Summary:
The Catholic Church teaches that the pope, when speaking ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals, is infallible. This doctrine, solemnly defined at the First Vatican Council in 1870, is part of the Church’s divine constitution. It ensures that the Roman Pontiff, as successor of St. Peter, cannot lead the universal Church into error. This gift of infallibility is a safeguard for the faithful, guaranteeing that what the Church teaches as divinely revealed is indeed true.
However, since Vatican II, the men claiming to be popes have taught and done things that openly contradict Catholic doctrine. They have promoted religious liberty, false ecumenism, indifferentism, and moral laxity. Anti-pope John Paul II, for instance, kissed the Koran and presided over the Assisi interreligious prayer meetings. Anti-pope Francis praised atheists, denied the reality of eternal punishment, and signed documents stating that God wills a plurality of religions. These statements are not obscure footnotes—they are central themes of their supposed “magisterium.”
If these men were true popes, then the doctrine of papal infallibility would be disproven. But that is impossible. The Church cannot teach error. Therefore, the conclusion must be that these men are not true popes. They are usurpers of the papal office who have founded a counterfeit church—the Vatican II sect—which masquerades as the Catholic Church but teaches a new religion.
This is not merely a matter of personal sin or error. A true pope cannot publicly promote heresy without ceasing to be pope. This is affirmed by theologians such as St. Robert Bellarmine and Pope Paul IV. Public heresy causes an automatic loss of office. Just as one cannot be a heretic and a Catholic at the same time, one cannot be a heretical pope and a true pope at the same time.
The contradiction between papal infallibility and the repeated doctrinal errors of post-Vatican II “popes” can only be resolved by rejecting their claim to the papacy. This does not contradict Church teaching—it upholds it. To accept these men as popes would mean accepting that the Church can defect, that infallibility has failed, and that Christ’s promises are void. But the promises of Our Lord are certain: the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church.
Therefore, traditional Catholics must hold fast to the true doctrine of papal infallibility and reject the counterfeit popes of the Vatican II sect. They have abandoned the Catholic Faith, and no Catholic owes them obedience. We must instead remain faithful to the perennial Magisterium and await a true restoration of the papacy and hierarchy.