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Catholic EpistemologyLike our fellow Christians, we hold that the Bible is infallible on all issue of Faith and Morals Like our Orthodox Brothers and Sisters, we hold that the Ecumenical Councils of: Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople (553), Constantinople (680-681), and Nicaea (787) to be infallible on all issues of Faith and Morals. We also hold infallible the: Fourth Council of Constantinople (869), First Lateran Council (1123), Second Lateran Council (1139), Third Lateran Council (1179), Fourth Lateran Council (1215), First Council of Lyons (1245), Council of Lyons (1274), Council of Vienne in France (1311-1313), Council of Constance (1414-1418), Council of Basle (1431), Fifth Lateran Council (1512 to 1517), Council of Trent (1545-1563), the First Vatican Council (1869 to 1870), and the Second Vatican Council to be infallible on issues of faith and morals. As taught in the First Vatican Council, we believe, "we teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that when the Roman pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the church, irreformable." |
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