@Matt Gutting I think you're on to something by further describing the infallible statements.

I am not familiar with them

@DanAndrews Sure. Going to Wikipedia, I found that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith has created a non-exhaustive list of statements they consider Infallible: ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFADTU.HTM

The examples they provide are in para. 11 of the document.

So then, the pope could never make a decree that could conflict with government? I am thinking of an example.

Such as?

still thinking :)

... processing ... :-D

I don't want to go back to homosexual marriages... but that would be an example where the government says it's okay and the church wouldn't. But that's not exactly a good example as I'm thinking of a condition where the pope would suggest rising up against a government. Hitler comes to mind.

Historically that's never happened - even with Hitler. And certainly the pope would not make an infallible statement to that effect; that's completely out of the field that infallible statements can apply to.

You can't make an infallible statement about whether people should rise up against a government or not.

Here's a list of what's needed for a teaching to be infallible: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…

Okay, I'll research some more. I'm on a conference call right now so I'm a little disctacted. I'll check back. Would protesting be considered not following the government?

thx, be back soon.

This might interest someone, 3. That the State must be separated from the Church is a thesis absolutely false, a most pernicious error. papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10law.htm

Point - but I don't see that an infallible statement (it doesn't specifically state, for example, that people who don't believe that are not Catholic, nor that Catholics must believe it). And I have a feeling that in fact there are statements of Vatican II that contradict that.

Actually, even more obvious: it's not directed to the Church as a whole, but only to the Church in France.