Papal Claims
Beyond the Misconceptions
by Thomas A. Baima
The editor of this journal accused me of saying a number of years ago, “Papal infallibility is a highly nuanced reality.” I honestly don’t remember saying that, but it does sound like something I might have said. For papal infallibility and, indeed, the whole Petrine ministry is a highly nuanced reality. It is as nuanced as it is important and controversial. Unfortunately for ecumenical discussion, the nuances often are not appreciated, and misconceptions abound even in learned circles to bedevil a fairer and more accurate consideration. So it is with some caution that I approach this highly nuanced and controversial subject and set myself to get beyond some of the misconceptions.
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Thomas A. Baima is a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and provost of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois. He holds a doctorate from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome/Angelicum.
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