POPE FRANCIS - A HERETIC? REPLY TO ARGUMENTS THAT THE CARDINALS CAN BECOME HERETICS? WILLIAM OF OCKHAM Dial. 5.6-10 CHP. IX

Chapter 9

Student: I have heard how those who hold the second opinion reply to the arguments for the first opinion. Now I want to know how those affirming the first opinion try to refute the arguments brought forward for the second opinion.

Reply to arguments that the Cardinals can become heretics

Master: To the first it is said that just as according to the holy fathers Christ directly gave primacy to the Roman church and yet there is no mention of this found in divine Scripture, so Christ promised that the Roman church would last to the end of the age. However the Roman church is the college of cardinals. But when it is said that the college of cardinals was established by the highest pontiff, it is replied that although it was established in this way by the highest pontiff it nevertheless succeeds an earlier college that could not err, and therefore neither can it err against faith.

To the second it is said that the highest pontiff can not destroy or make null the college of cardinals, just as he can not change the condition of the church (25, q. 1, c. Que ad perpetuam [col.1007]).

To the third it is said that the college of cardinals has succeeded that church which could not err in the time of the apostles, and therefore it can not err.

To the fourth it is said that it is granted that some church inferior to the pope can not err against the faith, just as the Roman church over which the pope presides is inferior to the pope and yet can not err against the faith.

To the fifth it is said that no one who is outside the college of cardinals, in the sense that he is opposed to it in matters that the college of cardinals believes, can be saved although it is possible to be saved even if one is not a cardinal.

To the sixth it is said that the whole college of cardinals, even if there were only two of them, could not err against good morals because it would be kept safe by God.

To the seventh it is said that just as the church is sometimes kept safe in major matters and not in minor ones -- for the congregation of believers is kept safe by God so that it does not sustain damage to catholic faith, although God allows it be afflicted with many bodily pressures and anxieties -- so the college of cardinals is kept safe so that it does not err in faith, yet it is not kept safe so that it does not err in the choice of the highest pontiff.

To the eighth it is said that it is not from the cardinals having greater sanctity or firmness of faith than the apostles had that the college of cardinals can not err, but from Christ's promise. So if that [eighth] argument were valid it would lead to the conclusion that at any time after the apostles the congregation of believers has been able to err against faith, because among the congregation of believers after the time of the apostles there has not been found greater sanctity or greater firmness of faith than the apostles had.

To the ninth it is said that an ecclesiastical dignity does not sanctify any person or make them unable to turn aside from the faith; nevertheless Christ does keep safe from error against faith any college having some spiritual dignity, just as the christian religion does not sanctify any person or make them unable to turn aside, yet Christ keeps safe the college of those receiving the christian religion so that it does not err against faith.

There are two ways of answering the tenth. One way is that the college of archbishops and bishops can not err against faith; and they grant that there are many particular colleges, apart from the congregation of believers, which can not err against faith, for instance the college of cardinals and the college of bishops. In another way it is said that the college of cardinals is more eminent than the college of bishops with respect to some matters, although with respect to others it is inferior to it, and therefore although cardinals can be chosen for the episcopate yet the college of those cardinals can be confirmed in faith.

To the eleventh it is said that of only one general church militant is it affirmed that it can not err against faith. Yet it is not inconsistent with this that there is some particular church which can not err against faith, just as it is granted that the congregation of believers can not err and yet along with this it is also granted that a general council can not err against faith.

It is said to the last that the college of cardinals needs the advice of others in determining questions of faith so that their determination may be more validated by the agreement of many.