The Conditions for Papal Infallibility and Abstaining from Communion

The pastoral response of faithful Catholics to the present confusion about communion should be to voluntarily desist from frequent communion as acts of reparation to make up for the ubiquitous sacrilegious communions. Part of the reason we are in this mess is the misguided idea that everyone has to receive communion at every Mass! Another measure that might be freely taken is for individuals and religious communities and seminaries and diocese to re-institute the midnight fast, in reparation, yes, but also to give the non-communicants at Mass an alibi for abstaining.

Faithful Catholic priests should begin to preach the virtue of abstaining from worthy communion in reparation for the many unworthy communions in the Church today and the abuse of the ubiquitous pressure for everyone to receive at Mass.

The Conditions for Papal Infallibility

The condition of the Infallibility is that the Pope speaks ex cathedra. For this is required:

a. That he speak as pastor and teacher of all the faithful with the full weight of his supreme apostolic authority; If he speaks as a private theologian or as the bishop of his Diocese, he is not infallible;

b. The he have the intention of deciding finally a teaching of Faith or Morals, so that it is to be held by all the faithful. Without this intention, which must be made clear in the formulation, or by the circumstances, a decision ex cathedra is not complete. Most of the doctrinal expressions made by the Popes in their Encyclicals are not decision ex cathedra.

Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Ludwig Ott, Rockford: Tan, 1974, 287.

Surely the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith must come out with a clarification on this for the good of the faithful!

N.B. The Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage Film