QUOTE(subimpact @ Mar 9 2015, 03:58 PM)
does catholic follows what the pope says ? just curious
Catholics don't believe that the pope is a divine being. However, the teaching of papal infallibility says that the Holy Spirit will protect the Pope from error when defining an article of faith intending to bind all the faithful.
For the Holy Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter not so that they might, by his revelation, make known some new doctrine, but that, by his assistance, they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles. Indeed, their apostolic teaching was embraced by all the venerable fathers and reverenced and followed by all the holy orthodox doctors, for they knew very well that this See of St. Peter always remains unblemished by any error, in accordance with the divine promise of our Lord and Savior to the prince of his disciples: "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren." - Pastor Aeternus.
Of course we believe the Pope is human and can make mistakes, but not when he intends to bind all the faithful to believe in an article of faith. For example, Pope John Paul II teaching that the Church has no power to ordain women. Or Pope Pius XII defining the dogma of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, which is not a new teaching but has always been believed by the Church for ages.
This post has been edited by yeeck: Mar 9 2015, 04:10 PM