The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPES. 149ning of the Church. The Holy Father has no moreauthority than you or I to break one iota or tittleof the Scripture, and he is equally wi_h us the servant of the divine law.In a word, the Sovereign Pontiff is to the Church,though in a more eminent degree, what the ChiefJustice is to the United States. We have an instrument called the Constitution of the United States,which is the charter of our civil rights and liberties.If a controversy arise between two States regardinga constitutional clause, the question is referred, inthe last resort, to the Supreme Court at Washington.The Chief Justice, with his associate judges, examinesinto the case, and thenpronounces judgment uponit ;and this decision is final, irrevocable, and practically infallible.If there were no such court to settle constitutionalquestions, the Constitution itself would soon becomea dead letter. Every litigant would conscientiouslydecide the dispute in his own favor, and anarchy andseparation and civil war would soon follow. Butby means of this Supreme Court, disputes are ended,and the political union of the States is perpetuated,There would have been no civil war in 1861, hadour domestic quarrel been submitted to the legitimate action of our highest court of judicature,instead of being left to the arbitrament of thesword.The revealed word of God isthe Church. This is the Magna13*the constitution ofCharta of our