The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPES. 157reference to the divinity of Jesus Christ. OurSaviour was acknowledged to be God from thebeginning of the Church. Yet His divinity was notformally defined till the Council of Nicrea in thefourth century and it would not have been defined;even then, if it had not been denied by Arius. Andwho will have the presumption to say that thebelief in the divinity of our Lord had its origin inthe fourth century ?The following has always been the practice prevailing in the Church of God from the beginning ofher history. Whenever Bishops or National Councilspromulgated doctrines or condemned errors,they alwaystransmitted their decrees to Rome forconfirmation or rejection. What Rome approved,the universal Church approved ;what Rome condemned, the Church condemned.Thus, in the third century, Pope St. Stephenreverses the decision of St. Cyprian of Carthage, andofa Council of African Bishops, regarding a questionof baptism.Pope St. Innocent I., in the fifth century, condemns the Pelagian heresy, in reference to which St.Augustine wrote this memorable sentence: "Theacts of two Councils were sent to the ApostolicSee, whence aii answer was returned; the question isended. Would to God that the error had alsoceased."In the fourteenth century, Gregory XI. condemnsthe heresy of Wycliffe.14