Papal infallibility does not mean that the Pope cannot make an error when speaking of some non-religious matter

By: Allan Elutin Ecleo

Infallibility does not mean that the Pope cannot make a mistake when he talks about science, mathematics, or some other non-religious subjects.

The Pope can exercise the "power of the keys" in creating an infallible declaration which is binding on the universal (catholic) Church. Infallibility means that the Pope is preserved from error when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful, he pronounces by a definitive act a doctrine concerning faith and morals.

Jesus’ design to conserve Peter and his successors from error has been re-echoed in the Scripture when the Lord says to Saint Peter, " I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.." (Matthew 16:19)

Jesus would hardly give approval in heaven to bad decisions by Popes on earth, so He provided protection against this occurrence, which has been affirmed in:

Matthew 28:20 - "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.""

John 14:16-17 -  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate 8 to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.

This Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, has been with the Catholic Church since Pentecost.

History shows that for more than 2,000 years, Pope has made a truthful declaration on faith or morals. No dogma has ever been altered. Some have been filtered to provide superior meaning, but the core thrust and effect of the dogmatic pronouncement has never been modified.

Infallibility does not mean that the Pope cannot sin. He goes to the Sacrament of Confession regularly and recognizes his sinfulness at Mass when he utters "" I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters..." and another time  when he washes his hands before the Eucharistic prayer while asking God to "Wash away my iniquity, cleanse me from my sins." (Psalm 51:4)

To educate infallibly, the Pope must be teaching on faith or morals, speaks with his full authority as Saint Peter’s successor and head of the universal Church on earth, makes a final declaration on a doctrine at issue, and binds all the faithful to accept his teaching or fall away entirely from the divine and Catholic faith. 

Personal correspondence even that in which a sensitive issue is addressed, is not infallible because it is not aimed to bind all the faithful.