MIGHT RESISTANCE TO AUTHORITY BE NECESSARY?

Saint Paul and Saint Peter

The Pope, generally, must always be obeyed. When he speaks infallibly, defining ex cathedra, his teachings must be believed with divine faith to remain Catholic. However, when speaking as a private, non-infallible doctor, he might hold a doctrinal error, or he might occasionally err by commanding something contrary to Church Tradition. In such cases, obedience ceases to be obligatory, and resistance might even be necessary, since Sacred Scripture establishes that God must be obeyed rather than men.

As we know, one of the most renowned Doctors of the Church is Saint Catherine of Siena, who corrected the Pope, as we will see later.

Saint Bruno, Bishop of Segni, opposed Pope Paschal II, who had yielded to Emperor Henry V on the Investiture Controversy, and wrote to him: "I esteem you as my Father and Lord (...) I must love you; but I must love even more Him who created you and me (...) I do not praise the pact (signed by the Pope), so horrendous, so violent, made with such treachery, and so contrary to all piety and religion."

At the provincial synod of 1112, with the attendance and approval of Saint Hugh of Grenoble and Saint Godfrey of Amiens, a letter was sent to Paschal II, which reads: "If, as we absolutely do not believe, you choose another path and refuse to confirm the decisions of our paternity, may God help us, for in doing so you will be turning us away from your obedience."

Saint Norbert of Magdeburg, founder of the Premonstratensian Canons, faced with the danger that Pope Innocent II would yield to Emperor Lothair III during the investiture ceremony, said: “Father, what are you going to do? To whom will you hand over the sheep that God has entrusted to you, at the risk of seeing them devoured? You have received a free Church. Are you going to reduce it to slavery? The See of Peter demands the conduct of Peter. I have promised, by Christ, obedience to Peter and to you. But if you grant this request, I will oppose you before the whole Church.”

Vitoria, the great Dominican theologian of the 16th century, wrote: “If the Pope, with his orders and his actions, destroys the Church, he can be resisted and the execution of his commands prevented.”

Suárez states: "If (the Pope) were to issue an order contrary to good morals, he should not be obeyed; if he were to attempt to do something manifestly opposed to justice and the common good, it would be lawful to resist him; if he were to attack by force, he could be repelled by force" ("De Fide").

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, expressed: "When there is imminent danger to the faith, prelates must be challenged, even publicly, by their subjects. Thus, Saint Paul, who was a subject of Saint Peter, challenged him publicly."  Galatians 2:14

As we know, one of the most renowned Doctors of the Church is Saint Catherine of Siena. She rebuked the Pope: "Father, what are you going to do? To whom are you handing over the sheep that God has entrusted to you, at the risk of seeing them devoured? You have received a free Church. Are you going to reduce it to slavery? The Chair of Peter demands the conduct of Peter. I have promised, through Christ, obedience to Peter and to you. But if you grant this request, I will oppose you before the whole Church."