Infallibility, Inerrancy, Indefectibility, and Impeccability

Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters are confused about what papal infallibility means. This is often thought to mean that the pope and the bishops in union with the pope have been gifted with the charism of impeccability. Related to this confusion is the relationship between infallibility, inerrancy, and indefectibility. These are related concepts, but they remain distinct.

The authentic Magisterium is the teaching authority of Jesus Christ. Authority means the capacity to bind our intellect and will to teachings regarding faith and morals. This is true in the ordinary and extraordinary Magisterium. Infallibility doesn’t simply mean without error, but rather the impossibility of teaching error. Vatican I defined papal infallibility, but that is not the only way the Church utilizes the charism of infallibility. It should be clear that the First Vatican Council did not declare the pope to be infallible simpliciter, but provided specific qualifications. According to the First Vatican Council,

…the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when in discharge of the office of pastor and teacher of all Christians, by virtue of his Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the Universal Church is, by the divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, possessed of that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed that his Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or morals; and that , therefore, such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are of themselves, and not from the consent of the Church, irreformable.

Papal infallibility does not include the private opinions of the pontiff or his ordinary Magisterium. The majority of papal teachings—encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, declarations, etc.—are not infallible, however unlike private opinions they do require our religious submission of intellect and will as they are part of the authentic Magisterium:

This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking.¹

Dei Verbum explains that divine assistance is not limited to infallible teachings, but includes the entirety of the Church:

Now what was handed on by the Apostles includes everything which contributes toward the holiness of life and increase in faith of the peoples of God; and so the Church, in her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes.

This tradition which comes from the Apostles develops in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit. For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down.

[…]

…the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.

The extent to this divine assistance is an open question with some arguing for a charism of safety. This charism differs from infallibility in the sense that the ordinary Magisterium is not protected from all error, but it is protected from grave error damaging to souls. In other words, it is impossible for the Magisterium to bind our intellect and will to heresy. A charism of safety is further supported in Lumen Gentium:

Even if the assistance of the Holy Spirit is not guaranteed in the same way [as infallibility], the Magisterium still enjoys divine assistance.

There are two other means in which the Church can utilize the gift of infallibility. The first one is in an ecumenical council. These councils along with ex cathedra decrees belong to the extraordinary Magisterium. The third and final way is part of the ordinary and universal Magisterium. This is when the bishops in union with the pope consistently and definitely teach a doctrine on faith or morals without a formal definition. This includes long-standing teachings that have been universally held by the Church. This formal and informal charism of infallibility is emphasized in Lumen Gentium:

Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative of infallibility, they nevertheless proclaim Christ's doctrine infallibly whenever, even though dispersed through the world, but still maintaining the bond of communion among themselves and with the successor of Peter, and authentically teaching matters of faith and morals, they are in agreement on one position as definitively to be held. This is even more clearly verified when, gathered together in an ecumenical council, they are teachers and judges of faith and morals for the universal Church, whose definitions must be adhered to with the submission of faith.

The pope and the bishops in union with him are granted the charism of infallibility in a specific and limited capacity relating to faith and morals. This does not include private opinions outside their teaching authority, such as interviews, autobiographies, published books, or matters relating to mathematics and science. It is also important to understand that although in specific circumstances the pope and the bishops in union with him are protected from the possibility of teaching error, they are not protected from the possibility of committing sin.

This confusion between infallibility—the inability to teach error—and impeccability—the inability to commit sin—is exemplified in a mistaken reading of Galatians 2:11-14 when Paul rebukes Peter for refusing to eat with the Gentiles. Peter withdraws from table fellowship with the Gentiles and Paul rebukes him for his hypocrisy. Peter had already declared that Gentiles were welcome into the covenantal family and yet his behavior was contrary to his own teaching. Paul is not rebuking Peter’s authority, but his behavior. Those who argue this falsifies papal infallibility are confusing infallibility with impeccability. The Holy Spirit did not protect Peter from all hypocrisy and sin.

On the other hand, through the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she was conceived without the stain of original sin. In other words, she was conceived in a state of sanctifying grace. The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, corrupting human nature and resulting in concupiscence and sin. God’s superabundant grace and her cooperation with that grace granted her the gift of impeccability.² Although Mary did not sin, she was not infallible. In other words her thoughts and words were not free from all deficiency and error nor was she given any special authority to teach on faith and morals.

Infallibility does not imply impeccability, and neither does impeccability imply infallibility. To be sinless means a constant properly ordered will towards God and to cooperate with His grace in all things at all times. It does not imply that finite minds are omniscient having complete historical, philosophical, scientific, and theological knowledge. It does not imply that the intellect is free from all mistakes in reasoning. These limitations are not moral faults, but result from being finite creatures.

Another important distinction is between the Magisterium’s infallibility in its limited capacity and the Catholic Church’s overall indefectibility. The charism of indefectibility is a promise Christ made to His Church:

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.³

‭‭Indefectibility means that the Church will remain visible, and preserve its essential characteristics, structure, ecclesiology, and purpose until the end of time. This does not mean that particular bishops at particular times will not fail or become despondent. It does not mean there will not be schism, individual heretics in the Church, or apostasy. It simply means that the Catholic Church will continue to remain a visible and functional institution.

There is a fundamental relationship between the Magisterium’s infallibility and the Church’s overall indefectibility. The primary purpose of the Church is to propagate Christ’s saving work of reconciliation:

[The] Church comes from God who sent Jesus Christ his Son in the power of the Spirit to accomplish the mystery of salvation and redemption. Christ announced the Kingdom and proclaimed the Good News. The Church is that community of persons called by the Holy Spirit to continue Christ's saving work of reconciliation. As Christ proclaimed the Kingdom, so the Church serves the Kingdom, so that "the entire world may become the people of God, the Body of the Lord, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit, that in, by, and through Christ there may be rendered to God the Creator and Father of the universe all honor and glory. "

The Magisterium’s gift of infallibility is to help guide the Church in her overall purpose and mission. A fallible Magisterium constantly teaching error would not be a reliable teaching authority. This gives further evidence for a general charism of safety for if it is possible for the ordinary Magisterium to bind our intellect and will to error damaging to souls then the ordinary Magisterium would not be reliable and the gates of hell would prevail.

Finally, there is a clear distinction between infallible and inerrant and it would be a mistake to use them interchangeably. Fallible and infallible relate to agents. Agents deliberate evidence and arguments and make decisions. In the overwhelming majority of cases human beings are fallible decision makers, and yet in specific situations the Holy Spirit has granted the Church the gift of infallible teachings. This differs from inerrancy which has to do with something containing no error. For instance, a perfect circle is inerrant as it contains no error within itself, but it is not infallible because a circle cannot make decisions. Likewise, sacred Scripture is inerrant because it is without error, but it is not infallible because the Bible is not an agent capable of making decisions and communicating itself outside of the written text. Similarly, it would be incorrect to refer to the pope as inerrant as that would mean the pope contains no error within himself. In general, persons are either fallible or infallible whereas objects are errant or inerrant.

Whereas Sacred Scripture is inerrant we know with certainty that individuals are not infallible interpreters of Scripture. This is the reason we have numerous differing interpretations and countless Christian denominations. Fortunately, God gave us a Magisterium to properly and accurately deliberate, interpret, and make formal decisions. The living Magisterium is here to help clarify our understanding of inerrant Scripture.

Infallibility, indefectibility, inerrancy, and impeccability are related concepts that overlap in particular circumstances, and yet they remain distinct concepts. Understanding these distinctions can help clarify some misconceptions about the Catholic Church.

1. Lumen Gentium

2. There is an open question as to whether she was simply without sin or incapable of sinning.

3. Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭NABRE‬‬