papal infallibility

noun

Roman Catholic Church.

1. the dogma that the pope cannot err in a solemn teaching addressed to the whole church on a matter of faith or morals.

infallibility, papal

1. The belief of the Roman Catholic Church that the pope is kept by God from making a mistake when he speaks on a question of faith or morals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of infallibility, papal¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

The misconception that he would do just that stems from the myth that papal infallibility means Catholics must always obey the pope.

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As for the Eleventh Commandment, it now achieved a status comparable to the doctrine of papal infallibility.

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What's really frightening is that he actually believes that he has this kind of papal infallibility.

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In recent years, papal infallibility, a concept officially codified by Pius IX nearly 150 years ago, seems to have been supplanted by papal apology.

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The Catholic Church believes in papal infallibility on the very few and rare instances in which he speaks ex cathedra.

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