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OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Death-Knell of Sedevacantism at long last...

Original Title Page of the Work

THE TRUE AND THE FALSE

INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPES.

A CONTROVERSIAL REPLY TO DR. SCHULTE

BY

Dr. JOSEPH FESSLER,
Late Bishop of St. Polten, in Austria,
and Secretary-General of the Vatican Council.

A Work honoured by a Brief of Approbation from His Holiness
Pope Pius IX.

_____________________________
Translated from the Third Edition
By permission of the Editors of the late Bishop Fessler's Works.
______________________________

LONDON: BURNS AND OATES
Portman Street and Paternoster Row.
1875.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

As promised several weeks ago the ever old and ever new text of Bishop Joseph Fessler on the True and False Notions of Papal Infallibility. At Vatican I there were three broad groups of opinion about the promulgation of the dogma: The first group was bitterly opposed since they questioned the opportuneness of such a definition not the dogma itself. The Middle of the Road group wanted merely to proclaim the infallibility of the Extraordinary Magisterium i.e. solemn ex cathedra statements like the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The third group wanted to proclaim the Pope infallible every time he spoke or wrote on matters of faith and morals (which would include the universal Ordinary Magisterium). Both the "do nothing now" first group and the extremist "the Pope is always infallible" lost out.

Vatican I embraced the position that only solemn ex cathedra definitions are guaranteed by papal infallibility and nothing else. It is the inability of some Catholics to realize this truth that leads to the errors of sedevacantism. Many of the sedevacantist other pet theories (the so-called infallibility of Quanta Cura, the Syllabus of Errors and Cum ex apostolatus officio) are also exploded by this work. As you will read, Blessed Pius IX gave Fessler's work his highest approbation after submitting the work to a committee of Cardinals to examine its orthodoxy. I think we can trust the Pope of Papal Infallibility to know what the doctrine really means....

+Terence Fulham

THE TRUE AND THE FALSE INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPES

(The Prefatory Material)

Unlike the usual prefaces which we all hardly ever read... you will need to read these in order to
understand the great prominence this work enjoyed in theological circles after Vatican I

Biography for Bishop Josef Fessler

Papal Approbation of Blessed Pius IX

Translator's Introduction

Author's Preface

THE TRUE AND THE FALSE INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPES

(The Work Itself)

_____________________

I. Exposition of the subject as introduction.’

II. ‘The contents of the definition of the Vatican Council, “On the Infallible teaching Office of the Roman Pontiff.

III. Part 1.—‘Doctrinal propositions of Popes simply ex cathedrâ, and their acts in relation to states, countries, peoples, and individuals.’

IV. Part 2.—Relations of Popes to the state-law. Treatment of heretics.

V. ‘Pleas devised to quiet the conscience, and their confutation.’

VI. ‘Considerations on the law of the state.’

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