the infallible

Peter, Prince or Head of the Concerning Apostles, whose successor the teaching of Roman Pontiff is; and as the the Roman Apostolic See is bound be- Pontiff. fore all others to defend the truth of faith, so also, if any questions regarding faith shall arise, they must be defined by its judgment. Finally, the Council of Florence defined :" That the Roman Pontiff is the true Vicar of Christ, and the Head of the whole Church, and the Father and Teacher of all Christians; and that to him in Blessed Peter was delivered by our Lord Jesus Christ the full power of feeding, ruling, and governing the whole Church (John, xxi. 15-17).

To satisfy this pastoral duty, our predecessors ever made unwearied efforts that the salutary doctrine of Christ might be propagated among all the nations of the earth, and with equal care watched that it might be preserved genuine and pure where it had been received. Therefore the Bishops of the whole world, now singly, now assembled in synod, following the long-established custom of Churches and the form of the

From the Acts of the Fourteenth General Council (Second of Lyons), A.D. 1274. Labbé, vol. xiv. p. 512.

2 From the Acts of the Seventeenth General Council of Florence, A.D. 1438. Labbé, vol. xviii. p. 526.

3 From a Letter of St. Cyril of St. Cyril of Alexandria to Pope St. Celestine I., A.D. 422, vol. vi. part ii. p. 36, Paris edition of 1638.

quæ

Concerning negotiis fidei emergebant, ad the infallible hanc Sedem Apostolicam retuteaching of the Roman lerunt, ut ibi potissimum resarPontiff. cirentur damna fidei, ubi fides non potest sentire defectum '. Romani autem Pontifices, prout temporum et rerum conditio suadebat, nunc convocatis œcumenicis Conciliis aut explorata Ecclesiæ per orbem dispersæ sententia, nunc per Synodos particulares, nunc aliis, divina suppeditabat providentia, adhibitis auxiliis, ea tenenda definiverunt, quæ sacris Scripturis et apostolicis Traditionibus consentanea Deo adjutore cognoverant. Neque enim Petri successoribus Spiritus Sanctus promissus est, ut eo revelante novam doctrinam patefacerent, sed ut eo assistente traditam per Apostolos revelationem seu fidei depositum sancte custodirent et fideliter exponerent. Quorum quidem apostolicam doctrinam omnes venerabiles Patres amplexi et sancti Doctores orthodoxi venerati atque secuti sunt; plenissime scientes, hanc sancti Petri Sedem ab omni semper errore illibatam permanere, secundum Domini Salvatoris nostri divinam pollicitationem discipulorum suorum principi factam; Ego rogavi pro te, ut non deficiat fides tua, et tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos."

ancient rule,' sent word to this Apostolic See of those dangers especially which sprang up in matters of faith, that the losses of faith might be most effectually repaired where the faith cannot fail. And the Roman Pontiffs according to the exigencies of times and circumstances, sometimes assembling Ecumenical Councils, or asking for the mind of the Church scattered throughout the world, sometimes by particular Synods, sometimes using other helps which Divine Providence supplied, defined as to be held those things which with the help of God they had recognised as conformable with the Sacred Scriptures and Apostolic Traditions. For the Holy Spirit was not promised to the successors of Peter, that by His revelation they might make known new doctrine, but that by His assistance they might inviolably keep and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith delivered through the Apostles. And, indeed, all the venerable Fathers have embraced and the holy orthodox Doctors have venerated and followed their Apostolic doctrine; knowing most fully that this See of Saint Peter remains ever free from all blemish

1 Cf. S. Bern. Epist. 190.

2 Cf. S. Agathon, epist. ad Imp. a Conc. Ecum. VI. appro

bata.

From a Rescript of St. Innocent I. to the Council of Milevis, A.D. 402. Labbé, vol. iii. p. 47.

* From a Letter of St. Bernard to Pope Innocent II, A.D. 1130. Epist. 191, vol. iv. p. 433, Paris edition of 1472.

Hoc igitur veritatis et fidei numquam deficientis charisma Petro ejusque in hac Cathedra successoribus divinitus collatum est, ut excelso suo munere in omnium salutem fungerentur, ut universus Christi grex per eos ab erroris venenosa esca aversus, cœlestis doctrinæ pabulo nutriretur, ut sublata schismatis occasione Ecclesia tota una conservaretur atque suo fundamento innixa firma adversus inferi portas consisteret.

Atvero cum hac ipsa ætate, qua salutifera Apostolici muneris efficacia vel maxime requiritur, non pauci inveniantur, qui illius auctoritati obtrectant; necessarium omnino esse censemus, prærogativam, quam unigenitus Dei Filius cum summo pastorali officio conjungere dignatus est, solemniter asserere.

Itaque Nos traditioni a fidei Christianæ exordio perceptæ fideliter inhærendo, ad Dei Salvatoris nostri gloriam religionis Catholicæ exaltationem et Christianorum populorum salutem, sacro approbante Concilio, docemus et divinitus revelatum dogma esse definimus :

of error, according to the divine Concerning promise of the Lord our Saviour the infallible teaching of made to the Prince of His dis- the Roman ciples: 'I have prayed for thee Pontiff. that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, confirm thy brethren' (St. Luke, xxii. 32).1

This gift, then, of truth and never-failing faith was conferred by Heaven upon Peter and his successors in this Chair, that they might perform their high office for the salvation of all; that the whole flock of Christ, kept away by them from the poisonous food of error, might be nourished with the pasture of heavenly doctrine; that the occasion of schism being removed, the whole Church might be kept one, and, resting on its foundation, might stand firm against the gates of hell.

But since in this very age, in which the salutary efficacy of the Apostolic office is most of all required, not a few are found who take away from its authority, we judge it altogether necessary solemnly to assert the prerogative which the onlybegotten Son of God vouchsafed to join with the supreme pastoral office.

Therefore, faithfully adhering to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith, for the glory of God our Saviour, the exaltation of the Catholic Religion, and the salvation of Christian people, with the approval of the Sacred Council, We teach and define

See also the Acts of the Sixth General Council, A.D. 680. Labbé, vol. vii. p. 659.

Concerning Romanum Pontificem, cum ex the infallible Cathedra loquitur, id est, cum teaching of omnium Christianorum Pastoris the Roman Pontiff. et Doctoris munere fungens, pro suprema sua Apostolica auctoritate doctrinam de fide vel moribus ad universa Ecclesia tenendam definit, per assistentiam divinam, ipsi in beato Petro promissam, ea infallibilitate pollere, qua divinus Redemptor Ecclesiam suam in definienda doctrina de fide vel moribus instructam esse voluit; ideoque ejusmodi Romani Pontificis definitiones ex sese, non autem ex consensu Ecclesiæ, irreformabiles esse.

Si quis autem huic Nostræ definitioni contradicere, quod Deus avertat, præsumpserit ; anathema sit.

Datum Romæ in publica Sessione in Vaticani Basilica solemniter celebrata, anno Incarnationis Dominicæ millesimo octingentesimo septuagesimo die decima octava Julii. Pontificatus Nostri anno vigesimo quinto.

Ita est, Josephus Episcopus S. Hippolyti secretarius Concilii Vaticani.

that it is a dogma divinely revealed That the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when in discharge of the office of Pastor and Teacher of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, is, by the divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, possessed of that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed that His Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or morals; and that therefore such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are of themselves, and not from the consent of the Church irreformable.1

But if any one, which may God avert! presume to contradict this our Definition; let him be anathema.

Given at Rome in Public Session, solemnly held in the Vatican Basilica in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, on the eighteenth day of July, in the twentyfifth year of our Pontificate.

In conformity with the original.

JOSEPH, Bishop of St. Pölten, Secretary to the Vatican Council.

1 i.e. in the words used by Pope Nicholas I., note 13, and in the Synod of Quedlinburgh, A.D. 1085, 'it is allowed to none to revise its judgment, and to sit in judgment upon what it has judged.' Labbé, vol. xii. p. 679.