Infallibility of the Church

Infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the church to err in its belief or teaching under certain circumstances.

This belief is held in a variety of forms by different Christian groups, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and some Protestant churches.

Different views on infallibility

The following four channels of infallibility are accepted by some Christian groups:

Infallibility of all believers. Roughly, this means that those issues of faith or morals accepted by all Christians (or all members of a specific church) are infallible.

Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and some Protestants accept this doctrine.

Infallibility of the ordinary and universal magisterium. Roughly, this means that those issues of faith or morals which are taught as definitive by all bishops (or all bishops of a specific church) are infallible.

Roman Catholics and possibly the Eastern Orthodox accept this doctrine.

Infallibility of ecumenical councils. Roughly, this means that definitive decrees of ecumenical councils which concern faith or morals are infallible. The criteria for determining which decrees are definitive are complex.

Roman Catholics and the Greek Orthodox Church accept this doctrine. However, the Orthodox churches accept only the first seven general councils as genuinely ecumenical, while Catholics accept twenty-one. Some Protestants believe in the infallibility of ecumenical councils, but they usually restrict this infallibility to the Christological statements of the first seven councils.

This doctrine is not accepted by the Russian Orthodox Church. While the Russian Orthodox Church does recognize the first seven ecumenical councils as valid, most Russian Orthodox theologians believe that the infallibility of these councils' statements derived from their acceptance by the faithful (and thus from the infallibility of all believers), and not from the acts of the councils themselves.

Papal infallibility. Roughly, this means that definitive decrees of popes which concern faith and morals are infallible. The criteria for determining which decrees are definitive are complex; an infallible decree by a pope is often referred to as an ex cathedra statement.

Roman Catholics accept this doctrine, but no other churches do.

Consequences for ecumenism

Christian churches are divided by their different views on infallibility. The ecumenical movement, which hopes to reunify all of Christianity, has found that this is one of the most divisive of issues between churches.