Many people wonder how the Church can remain holy and trustworthy when some Popes throughout history have made serious mistakes. It’s an honest and important question — because it reminds us that the Church is not built on human perfection, but on Christ Himself.
Throughout history, there have been Popes who acted unwisely or sinned personally. Some favored politics too much, others failed to live up to the holiness of their office. The Church does not deny these failures; she remembers them with humility. But what makes the papacy unique is that its authority — the protection of truth in faith and morals — does not depend on the Pope’s personal virtue. Jesus said to Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18). That promise remains, even when Peter himself stumbles.
The Church distinguishes between personal sin and official teaching. A Pope can be mistaken in his personal behavior or opinions, but the Holy Spirit protects him from solemnly teaching false doctrine. This gift of infallibility applies only in very specific moments — when he teaches “ex cathedra,” speaking as the universal shepherd on matters of faith or morals. In every other aspect, the Pope remains a man who needs confession, prayer, and grace like anyone else.
When Popes have erred morally or politically, the Church often responds over time through reform and repentance. Councils, saints, and later Popes have corrected wrong paths. History shows that God always brings renewal from within — sometimes through holy successors, sometimes through the prayer and suffering of the faithful. What matters most is that the truth endures, even when its messengers falter.
In the end, the faith of the Church is not in the Pope as a man, but in Christ who guides the Church through him. The human weakness of Popes only makes clearer that it is truly the Holy Spirit — not human power — that preserves the Church through every age.
May we never lose heart when we see weakness in leaders, but remember that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. The Church’s story is one of grace working through fragile hearts, always leading us back to Christ, the true and unfailing Shepherd.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
