Not exactly what New Advent says. [/QUOTE] To be infallible the teaching has to be definitive. The Gospel of Life is not. It is a plea to be more forgiving and just. It is John Paul's opinion on how we should treat the death penalty within the context of the already defined church teaching that I cited. Yes and the church has a defined position on it. The one in the Chatechism.
and i say santa's sleigh seats 4 not 5! (religious arguments, yunno, they always go the same way. no answers. no source of reality to research)
I generally agree, but that is not the case here. TRA is saying Catholics believe one thing, but we very clearly believe another. There is also a concrete source of reality in the Cathechism. It very clearly defines what we believe.
I am saying your bridge and your magisterium believe one thing (how clearly can it be stated that the pope believed that the death penalty is an affront to the dignity of man), and you are pulling out the not-so-well-defined doctrines of papal infallibility and the catechism and saying "well, that doesn't matter." When the pope and the magisterium say something different i don't think it's all that clear.
Ok lets assume you are right and this encyclal is definitive in teaching how does its stating that execution is only permissable in any way contradict the church teaching that They read about the same to me. Quit trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. The opionion expressed by JPII in his encyclical is completly in keeping with the established teaching of the church.
