Is the Pope Infallible?
What About 3 Popes at One Time?
The above scenario was followed shortly thereafter by the papal schism, when there were two and then three popes at the same time.
In 1305 a Frenchman, Clement V, was elected pope but refused to move his residency to Rome. Instead, he established the papal residence and apparatus in the French city of Avignon. As a result, a total of seven popes reigned in Avignon from 1309-1377.
In 1377 Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome, but died shortly thereafter. His successor, Urban VI, showed such mental disturbance that a group of cardinals elected another pope, Clement VII, who took up residence back in Avignon.
Urban VI, however, refused to give up his papal office and so the Catholic Church had two popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon. Each pope excommunicated the other and each condemned the other to hell. As a result, there were then two colleges of cardinals, two curias and two financial systems that, according to Kung, “duplicated the financial abuses of the papacy.”
In seeking to resolve the matter, the cardinals of both sides met together in Pisa in 1409 and elected a new pope, Alexander V. The former two popes, however, refused to vacate their office and the Catholic Church suddenly had three popes. This, of course, was scandalous and led to loud calls for a reform of the Catholic Church.
The problem was finally dealt with by the Council of Constance (1414-1418), which deposed all three popes and installed a new one, Martin V. In the process of dealing with this papal scandal, this Council subordinated the pope’s authority to its own. It declared, “Everyone of whatever estate or dignity, even if this be papal, is bound to obey it in matters related to the faith.”
So great was the scandal and shame surrounding the papal office at this time that no one would have dared even suggest that the pope was infallible.
Heretical Popes in History
The opponents of papal infallibility at Vatican I martialed impressive arguments against the doctrine, including the fact that at least two popes were declared heretics by later popes and councils.
Pope Vigilius (500-555) adopted conflicting positions about Monophysitism, which was a controversy concerning the nature of Christ. At the beginning of his reign as pope, Vigilius supported the Monophysite position, which purported that Christ had only one divine nature, thereby denying His real humanity. This was heresy.
Many believe that he took this position because it was politically advantageous for him since the Empress Theodora of Constantinople was favorable to the Monophysites. But when the political situation changed, his position on the matter changed and he opposed the Monophysites. Kung says, “He lost all credibility because of his fickleness, so that later he was not even buried at St. Peter’s, and down through the centuries continued to be despised even in the West” (Kung, Christianity: Essence, History, and Future, 318).
Pope Honorius I (d. 638) was condemned by the Sixth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 681 because he promoted the heresy of the Monothelites. The Monothelites taught that there is only one will in Christ, which was opposed by the orthodox who taught that Christ, because He is both God and human, had separate wills in his human and divine natures. The condemnation of Honorius as a heretic was confirmed by the Seventh and Eighth Ecumenical Councils and by subsequent popes.
Against History and Logic
The question presented at Vatican I was: How could they declare papal infallibility when their own popes and councils had declared former popes as heretical? But in spite of such rational barriers to the doctrine, the papal advocates were able to push through their goal of insulating the Roman bishop and the Roman Church from judgment and criticism with their dogma of papal infallibility.
Where do We Go from Here?
The historic attempt to gather all of Christendom under the authority of the bishop of Rome has proved counter-productive. The major divisions that exist in Christendom today—between East and West, Catholic and Protestant—are a result of the authoritative claims of preeminence by the bishop of Rome, or in other words, the pope. This is why Kung says:
“No one can overlook the fact that with time the absolutist papacy has become the ecumenical problem No. 1. Paul VI was the first to concede this himself with ecumenical openness; instead of being a rock of unity, the papacy is a block on the way to ecumenical understanding” (Eddie Hyatt, Pursuing Power, 72).
Love for power, however, is not just a Catholic sin. I will never forget sitting with other leaders on the platform of a well-known Pentecostal/charismatic ministry and hearing in my heart, “It is time to come down off your thrones.” To see a dynamic spiritual awakening that will impact both Catholic and Protestant, we must all learn that, in the words of Sir John Acton, “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Hyatt, Pursuing Power, 6).
In the Charismatic Renewal of the 1970s, Catholics and Protestants worshipped together under the banner of “Jesus is Lord” and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Love for Jesus transcended church and denominational loyalties.
We must all lift up Jesus Christ and make Him the basis of our unity, rather than a particular doctrine, church or denomination. We must all realize that we have a perfect Savior, but we are all, including the pope, frail and fallible human beings in need of God’s mercy and grace. With that understanding, we can then pray, “Come Holy Spirit and renew Your church again!”
Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian and ordained minister. This article was derived primarily from his book, Pursuing Power: How the Historic Quest for Apostolic Authority and Control Has Divided and Damaged the Church, available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle. He has produced a small book in Kindle for this occasion entitled Is the Pope Infallible? Check out his website at eddiehyatt.com.
