Clerical abuse!

[T Fearon]

The Pope is infallible and entitled to amend any systems or doctrine he considers fraudulent.

[No wides]

The Pope is infallible and entitled to amend any systems or doctrine he considers fraudulent.

Pity JP the second didn't amend the system of clerical abuse cover up.

[T Fearon]

Yawn

[Arthur_Friend]

The Pope is infallible and entitled to amend any systems or doctrine he considers fraudulent.

Where does this infallibility come from?

[T Fearon]

He is divinely inspired.

[Hardy]

He is divinely inspired.

This fella too?

Pope Sergius III  ordered the murder of another pope and started the "pornocracy".

Sergius III was Pope from 897 to 911, and has been the only pope known to have ordered the murder of another pope and the only one known to have fathered an illegitimate son who later became pope; his pontificate has been described as "dismal and disgraceful."

The pontificate of Sergius III was remarkable for the rise of what papal historians call a "pornocracy," or rule of the harlots, a reversal of the natural order as they saw it, according to Liber pontificalis and a later chronicler who was also biased against Sergius III. This "pornocracy" was an age with women in power: Theodora, whom Liutprand characterized as a "shameless whore... [who] exercised power on the Roman citizenry like a man" and her daughter Marozia, the mother of Pope John XI (931–935) and reputed to be the mistress of Sergius III.

[T Fearon]

No,those Popes who abused their position sinfully cannot be regarded as divinely inspired.The concept of divine inspiration and infallibility only applies when the Pope is acting in accordance with God's will.

[Arthur_Friend]

He is divinely inspired.

How do you know this? Is it in the good book?

[T Fearon]

Faith my friend faith,and his direct lineage to St Peter

[Clov]

Faith Guesswork my friend faith guesswork, and his direct lineage to St Peter

Fixed that for you

[Arthur_Friend]

Faith my friend faith,and his direct lineage to St Peter

In what way does direct lineage from St. Peter bestow infallibility? I'm trying to understand how the church arrived at this conclusion.

[muppet]

The Pope is infallible and entitled to amend any systems or doctrine he considers fraudulent.

If he considers a previously used system or doctrine 'fraudulent, then presumably his predecessors were all frauds. Has he just send them all to hell?

[Hardy]

He is divinely inspired.

This fella too?

Pope Sergius III  ordered the murder of another pope and started the "pornocracy".

Sergius III was Pope from 897 to 911, and has been the only pope known to have ordered the murder of another pope and the only one known to have fathered an illegitimate son who later became pope; his pontificate has been described as "dismal and disgraceful."

The pontificate of Sergius III was remarkable for the rise of what papal historians call a "pornocracy," or rule of the harlots, a reversal of the natural order as they saw it, according to Liber pontificalis and a later chronicler who was also biased against Sergius III. This "pornocracy" was an age with women in power: Theodora, whom Liutprand characterized as a "shameless whore... [who] exercised power on the Roman citizenry like a man" and her daughter Marozia, the mother of Pope John XI (931–935) and reputed to be the mistress of Sergius III.

No,those Popes who abused their position sinfully cannot be regarded as divinely inspired.The concept of divine inspiration and infallibility only applies when the Pope is acting in accordance with God's will.

OK. I'm happy to work on understanding the principle at play. If they were mad, bad or dodgy they were not divinely inspired. Otherwise, they were. But I don't understand God's MO here. Why did he put the mad, bad and dodgy ones in charge? Surely that was going to screw up the whole infallibility thing. If you're God, it can't be that hard to make sure the infallible bloke is not some loopy psychopath with other issues thrown in.

What about this tulip?

John XII was Pope from 955 to 964. In 963, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I summoned a council, levelling charges that John had ordained a deacon in a stable, consecrated a 10-year-old boy as bishop of Todi, converted the Lateran Palace into a brothel, raped female pilgrims in St. Peter's, stolen church offerings, drunk toasts to the devil, and invoked the aid of Jove, Venus, and other pagan gods when playing dice.

He was deposed, but returned as pope when Otto left Rome, maiming and mutilating all who had opposed him. In 964, he was apparently beaten by the husband of a woman with whom he was having an affair, dying three days later without receiving confession or the sacraments.

[T Fearon]

One of the mysteries of creation.You might ask why God the creator of all humanity,creates murderers,rapists paedophiles etc in secular walks of life.

[No wides]

One of the mysteries of creation.You might ask why God the creator of all humanity,creates murderers,rapists paedophiles etc in secular walks of life.

And Popes to cover up pedophilia activity?