On the Pope
Encyclopedia
On the Pope is an 1819 book written by Savoyard philosopher Joseph de Maistre
, which many consider to be his literary masterpiece.
is sovereign
, and that it is an essential characteristic of all sovereign power that its decisions should be subject to no appeal.
in his teaching, since it is by his teaching that he exercises his sovereignty. Maistre's argument in favor of papal infallibility stands out in the history of theology
because he was among the earliest Catholic writers to openly discuss the doctrine, which was not dogmatically defined
until the end of the 19th century.
Maistre mostly writes from the perspective of the ordinary magisterium having an infallible character, whereas the First Vatican Council
defined a dogma on the infallibility of the extraordinary papal magisterium, in the limited circumstances when the Pope decides that it is time to define a dogma. Nevertheless, among modern theologians it is generally agreed that certain forms of the ordinary magisterium can at times be infallible, such as the bull Apostolicae Curae
or the encyclical Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
, as John Paul II explained in Ad Tuendam Fidem
.
Churches. He argues that nations require protection against abuses of power by a sovereignty superior to all others, and that this sovereignty should be the papacy, the saviour and maker of European civilization.
Joseph de Maistre
Joseph-Marie, comte de Maistre was a French-speaking Savoyard philosopher, writer, lawyer, and diplomat. He defended hierarchical societies and a monarchical State in the period immediately following the French Revolution...
, which many consider to be his literary masterpiece.
Sovereignty of papal power
The work is divided into four parts. In the first he argues that, in the Church, the PopePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
is sovereign
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, and that it is an essential characteristic of all sovereign power that its decisions should be subject to no appeal.
Role of papal infallibility
According to Maistre, the Pope is consequently infalliblePapal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
in his teaching, since it is by his teaching that he exercises his sovereignty. Maistre's argument in favor of papal infallibility stands out in the history of theology
History of theology
This is an overview of the history of theology in Greek thought, Christianity, Judaism and Islam from the time of Jesus to the present.-Classical Greek theology :...
because he was among the earliest Catholic writers to openly discuss the doctrine, which was not dogmatically defined
Dogmatic definition
In Catholicism, a dogmatic definition is an extraordinary infallible statement published by a pope or an ecumenical council concerning a matter of faith or morals, the belief in which the Catholic Church requires of all Christians .The term most often refers to the infallible...
until the end of the 19th century.
Maistre mostly writes from the perspective of the ordinary magisterium having an infallible character, whereas the First Vatican Council
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
defined a dogma on the infallibility of the extraordinary papal magisterium, in the limited circumstances when the Pope decides that it is time to define a dogma. Nevertheless, among modern theologians it is generally agreed that certain forms of the ordinary magisterium can at times be infallible, such as the bull Apostolicae Curae
Apostolicae Curae
Apostolicae Curae is the title of a papal bull, issued in 1896 by Pope Leo XIII, declaring all Anglican ordinations to be "absolutely null and utterly void"...
or the encyclical Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis is an Apostolic Letter issued from the Vatican by Pope John Paul II on 22 May 1994, whereby the Pope expounds the teaching of the Catholic Church's position requiring "the reservation of priestly ordination to men alone." In its clear proclamation that "the Church has no...
, as John Paul II explained in Ad Tuendam Fidem
Ad Tuendam Fidem
Ad Tuendam Fidem is an apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II issued motu proprio on May 18, 1998.The apostolic letter made modifications to the Oriental and Latin codes of canon law defining penalties for public dissent by public ministers of the Church....
.
Relations with temporal powers
In the remaining divisions the author examines the relations of the pope and the temporal powers, civilization and the welfare of nations, and the schismaticSchism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
Churches. He argues that nations require protection against abuses of power by a sovereignty superior to all others, and that this sovereignty should be the papacy, the saviour and maker of European civilization.