The Pope’s extraordinary Magisterium is exercised when he passes solemn judgment on points of doctrine belonging to the deposit of faith

The assistance that God gives the papal Magisterium was the topic of the Holy Father's catechesis during the General Audience of Wednesday, 17 March. The following is a translation of the Pope's Italian-language address, the 53rd in his series on the mystery of the Church. 

1. The Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, which we explained in the preceding catechesis, belongs to and marks the high point of the mission to preach the Gospel that Jesus entrusted to the Apostles and their successors. We read in Vatican II's Constitution Lumen gentium: "Among the more important duties of Bishops that of preaching the Gospel has pride of place. For the Bishops are heralds of the faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people assigned to them, the faith which is destined to inform their thinking and direct their conduct.... Bishops who teach in communion with the Roman Pontiff are to be revered by all as witnesses of divine and Catholic truth; the faithful, for their part, are obliged to submit to their Bishops' decision, made in the name of Christ, in matters of faith and morals, and to adhere to it with a ready and respectful allegiance of mind" (n. 25). 

Successor of Peter enjoys special assistance

The magisterial function of Bishops, then, is strictly tied to that of the Roman Pontiff. Therefore, the conciliar text goes on aptly to say: "This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak 'ex cathedra' in such wise, indeed, that his supreme Magisterium be acknowledged with respect, that one sincerely adhere to decisions made by him, conformably with his manifest mind and intention, which is made known principally either by the character of the documents in question, or by the frequency with which a certain doctrine is proposed, or by the manner in which the doctrine is formulated" (ibid.). 

2. This supreme authority of the papal Magisterium, to which the term apostolic has been traditionally reserved, even in its ordinary exercise derives from the institutional fact that the Roman Pontiff is the Successor of Peter in the mission of teaching, of strengthening his brothers, of guaranteeing that the Church's preaching conforms to the "deposit of faith" of the Apostles and to Christ's teaching. However, it also stems from the conviction, developed in Christian tradition, that the Bishop of Rome is also the heir to Peter in the charism of special assistance that Jesus promised him when he said: "I have prayed for you" (Lk 22:32). This signifies the Holy Spirit's continual help in the whole exercise of the teaching mission, meant to explain revealed truth and its consequences in human life. 

For this reason the Second Vatican Council states that all the Pope's teaching should be listened to and accepted, even when it is not given ex cathedra but is proposed in the ordinary exercise of his Magisterium with the manifest intention of declaring, recalling, confirming the doctrine of faith. It is a consequence of the institutional fact and spiritual inheritance that completes the dimensions of the succession to Peter. 

3. As you know there are cases in which the papal Magisterium is exercised solemnly regarding particular points of doctrine belonging to the deposit of Revelation or closely connected with it. This is the case with 'ex cathedra' definitions, such as those of Mary's immaculate conception, made by Pius IX in 1854, and that of her assumption into heaven, made by Pius XII in 1950. As we know, these definitions have provided all Catholics with certainty in affirming these truths and in excluding all doubt in the matter. 

The reason for ex cathedra definitions is almost always to give this certification to the truths that are to be believed as belonging to the "deposit of faith" and to exclude all doubt, or even to condemn an error about their authenticity and meaning. This, then, is the greatest, and also formal, concentration of the doctrinal mission conferred by Jesus on the Apostles and, in their person, on their successors. 

4. Given the extraordinary greatness and importance that this Magisterium has for the faith, Christian tradition has recognized in the Successor of Peter, who exercises it personally or in communion with the Bishops gathered in council, a charism of assistance from the Holy Spirit that is customarily called "infallibility". 

Vatican I and II both teach papal infallibility

Here is what Vatican I said on the matter: "When the Roman Pontiff speaks ex cathedra, that is, when in exercising his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians he defines with his supreme apostolic authority that a doctrine on faith and morals is to be held by the whole Church, through the divine assistance promised him in the person of St Peter, he enjoys that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer wished to endow his Church in defining a doctrine on faith and morals: therefore, these definitions of the Roman Pontiff are unreformable per se, and not because of the Church's consent" (DS 3074). 

This doctrine was taken up again, confirmed and further explained by Vatican II, which states: "The Roman Pontiff, head of the College of Bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful — who confirms his brethren in the faith (cf. Lk 22:32)—he proclaims in an absolute decision a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. For that reason his definitions are rightly said to be unreformable by their very nature and not by reason of the assent of the Church, inasmuch as they were made with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, ... and as a consequence they are in no way in need of the approval of others, and do not admit of appeal to any other tribunal. For in such a case the Roman Pontiff does not utter a pronouncement as a private person, but rather does he expound and defend the teaching of the Catholic faith as the supreme teacher of the universal Church, in whom the Church's charism of infallibility is present in a singular way" (Lumen gentium, n. 25). 

5. It should be noted that the Second Vatican Council also calls attention to the Magisterium of the Bishops in union with the Roman Pontiff, stressing that they too enjoy the Holy Spirit's assistance when they define a point of faith in conjunction with the Successor of Peter: "The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of Bishops when, together with Peter's Successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium.... When the Roman Pontiff, or the body of Bishops together with him, define a doctrine, they make the definition in conformity with Revelation itself ...; and this revelation is transmitted integrally either in written form or in oral tradition through the legitimate succession of Bishops ...; and through the light of the Spirit of truth it is scrupulously preserved in the Church and unerringly explained" (Lumen gentium, n. 25). 

Bishops teach infallibly in union with the Pope

The Council also says: "Although the Bishops, taken individually, do not enjoy the privilege of infallibility, they do, however, proclaim infallibly the doctrine of Christ on the following conditions: namely, when, even though dispersed throughout the world but preserving for all that amongst themselves and with Peter's Successor the bond of communion, in their authoritative teaching concerning matters of faith and morals, they are in agreement that a particular teaching is to be held definitively and absolutely. This is still more clearly the case when, assembled in an ecumenical council, they are, for the universal Church, teachers and judges in matters of faith and morals, whose decisions must be adhered to with the loyal and obedient assent of faith. This infallibility, however, with which the divine Redeemer wished to endow his Church in defining doctrine pertaining to faith and morals, is coextensive with the deposit of Revelation" (Lumen gentium, n. 25). 

6. In these conciliar texts there is a codification as it were of the awareness the Apostles already had when they assembled in Jerusalem: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit, and ours too ..." (Acts 15:28). This awareness confirmed Jesus' promise to send the Spirit of truth to the Apostles and the Church once he had returned to the Father after offering the sacrifice of the cross: "He will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you" (Jn 14:26). That promise was fulfilled at Pentecost and the Apostles continued to feel its life. The Church inherited that awareness and memory from them.