When Faith is Tested: Papal Infallibility

When Faith Is Tested: Answering 18 Questions That Tried to Shake My Catholic Beliefs

by Keith Abell, RPh MIAd Majorem Dei Gloriam

In 1998, a fundamentalist Christian posed 18 hard-hitting questions to me—questions designed to challenge the very foundations of Catholic faith. Each question was sharp, provocative, and aimed at making me doubt the Church I loved. At the time, I didn’t have all the answers. But over the years, through prayer, study, and wrestling with Scripture and history, I discovered that these questions don’t weaken Catholic faith—they deepen it.

This series is my response to those 18 questions. Not as quick rebuttals, but as thoughtful reflections rooted in Scripture, history, and the lived experience of the Church. If you’ve ever faced similar challenges—or wondered why Catholics believe what they do—I invite you to walk with me through these posts. Together, we’ll explore the beauty and resilience of a faith that has endured every storm for 2,000 years.

Question 6: When the Church tells you that the Pope is infallible, and God tells you that there is none righteous, no, not one; in whom do you put your trust?

This question cuts deep. It forces us to confront the tension between human weakness and divine authority. How can we trust an institution led by men who sin, when Scripture declares that no one is righteous? The answer is not found in ignoring history or pretending scandals never happened. It is found in understanding what infallibility really means, recognizing human frailty, and remembering Christ’s promise: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against” His Church.

Clarifying Infallibility

When Catholics speak of papal infallibility, they do not mean the Pope is sinless or incapable of error in his personal life. Infallibility applies only when the Pope, as successor of Peter, speaks ex cathedra on matters of faith and morals. This distinction matters because it frames infallibility as a safeguard for doctrine, not a claim of human perfection.

Peter himself illustrates this paradox. After Jesus declared, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), Peter denied Christ three times out of fear (Luke 22:54–62). He raised a sword in the garden, acting impulsively (John 18:10). He was rebuked by Jesus for opposing the cross: “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23). Later, Paul confronted him for hypocrisy in Antioch (Galatians 2:11). Peter was far from flawless—yet Christ entrusted him with the keys of the kingdom.

This paradox comes into sharp focus at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. The early Church faced a crisis: must Gentile converts be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law? After much debate, Peter stood and spoke with clarity: “We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will” (Acts 15:11). His declaration settled the principle of salvation by grace, not by the Law. James, as bishop of Jerusalem, issued practical guidelines, but Peter’s voice defined the doctrine. This was the first clear exercise of the power of the keys—guiding the Church in truth under the Spirit’s protection. Peter’s infallibility in teaching stood in stark contrast to his fallibility as a man. The gates of hell did not prevail.

Human Nature vs. Divine Authority

Scripture is blunt: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Popes are no exception. History records saints and sinners among them. Some popes lived lives of heroic virtue; others fell into scandal and corruption. Yet through centuries of human weakness, the Church has never officially taught error in matters of faith and morals. Why? Because Christ promised that His Church would endure.

Where Trust Ultimately Lies

Our trust is not in men but in Christ’s fidelity to His promise: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). This promise has been tested in every age.

Consider the recent sexual abuse scandals. They have shaken confidence and rightly provoked outrage. These were grave sins committed by clergy and failures of leadership. Yet even in this darkness, the Church has never changed or denied the deposit of faith. The Catechism still condemns those very sins. The Creed remains unchanged. This continuity is not human achievement—it is divine protection.

History tells the same story. In the 10th century, Pope John XII was accused of shocking immorality, yet no doctrinal corruption occurred. During the Avignon Papacy in the 14th century, when popes lived in exile and political intrigue plagued the Church, the faith endured. The Renaissance produced scandalous popes who lived lavishly, yet the Gospel remained intact. For 2,000 years, through persecution, corruption, and the collapse of empires, the Church has never reversed its dogmas on the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the Eucharist, or salvation by grace. This is why Catholics trust—not in human virtue, but in Christ who sustains His Church.

Voices from History

The Fathers and saints understood this paradox and spoke with clarity in times of crisis.

St. Augustine lived through the collapse of the Roman Empire, when everything seemed uncertain. In the Pelagian controversy, he wrote, “Rome has spoken; the cause is finished,” recognizing the authority of the See of Peter to safeguard orthodoxy. And in another sermon, he reminded believers: “The Church will totter if its foundation totters; but how can Christ totter?” When the world was falling apart, Augustine’s confidence was not in men but in Christ.

“The Church will totter if its foundation totters; but how can Christ totter?” — St. Augustine

A century earlier, St. Cyprian of Carthage faced fierce persecution under Emperor Decius. Many Christians apostatized, and schisms tore at the Church’s unity. Cyprian wrote,

“He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother.”

— insisting that unity in the Church was essential because Christ sustains her even when her members fail.

In the fourth century, St. Athanasius stood almost alone against Arianism—a heresy denying Christ’s divinity. At one point, most bishops sided with error. Athanasius famously declared,

“They have the churches, but we have the faith.”

His courage illustrates that truth does not depend on numbers or popularity but on fidelity to the apostolic deposit.

Fast forward to the 14th century. The Avignon Papacy was a time of corruption and political intrigue. St. Catherine of Siena, a laywoman and mystic, wrote boldly to popes and princes. Her shocking statement—

“Even if the Pope were Satan incarnate, we ought not to raise our heads against him, but humbly lie down to his feet”

—was not blind obedience. It was a radical affirmation that trust is not in personal virtue but in Christ’s promise to preserve truth through the office.

And in the fifth century, after waves of heresy and doctrinal confusion, St. Vincent of Lerins gave us a rule of faith: “What has been believed everywhere, always, and by all—that is the Catholic faith.” His words emphasize continuity: despite human failings, the Church’s core teaching remains unchanged.

So In Whom Do You Put Your Trust?

Not in men. Not in popes as individuals. Not in bishops or priests. Our trust is in Christ, who promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. Popes may fail morally. Leaders may sin grievously. But the truth of the Gospel endures because Christ Himself is faithful.

That is why, when the Church teaches infallibly, Catholics trust—not in human righteousness, but in divine fidelity. History proves the promise. Scripture guarantees it. And the voices of saints echo it: Christ cannot fail.

If this question has ever troubled you, or if you’ve wrestled with scandals and failures in the Church, I encourage you to keep reading this series. These questions are not threats—they are opportunities to rediscover why Catholic faith is unshakable, not because of men, but because of Christ.

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