Introduction--I Texts Used by Bishop Gasser--II Relatio of Bishop Vicent Ferrer Gasser on July 11, 1870--III The Infallibility of the Church's Magisterium--Index.
Infallibility is a deeply misunderstood concept, within as well as outside the Catholic Church. It remains a subject of great theological debate, especially regarding papal infallibility and the ordinary Magisterium of the Church. In The Gift of Infallibility, theologian Fr. James T. O'Connor clarifies the idea of infallibility. He provides a helpful translation of the "relation"or official explanation by Bishop Gasser given at Vatican I, the Church council that defined the dogma of papal infallibility. Also include in this important volume is the first draft of chapter 4 of the Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus, as well as the final, official chapter of the constitution. Despite its importance in all theological discussion on the doctrine of infallibility, Bishop Gasser's relatio was not translated from the Latin original into English until 1986. The relatio reveals a mind which is logical in process and fully acquinted with the historical and theological of the question. The volume concludes with a recently updated theological summary on the topic of infallibility by Fr. O'Connor. The Gift of Infallibility is immensely important for theologians and others who to understand the way by wich the Holy Spirit safeguards the Church.