Expert: Edward Bode - 9/6/2010

Question
Edward:
First of all, thanks for offering your time to
answer my question.
A long time ago Cristians split into Catholics
and Orthodoxs because Catholics said
Cristians should have a global leader and
then the pope came into the picture, right?

Where in the bible can we find the reason to
have a leader such as the pope?

My second question is about papal
infallibility, this infallibility means that on
terms of dogma and morals the pope is
always correct, rigth?. This became a dogma
in the XIX century, what are the reasons to
accept such a dogma? I imagine there is
some biblical explanation for this.
As it is a pretty young dogma, does it apply
to every pope in history or only to the popes
after the dogma was accepted?
If every pope was infallible in morals, how
can you explain that some popes decided to
start the crusades or to persue Galileo?

Thanks again for your time, if I am wrong
feel free to tell me and teach me.
Gretings from Chile,
Álvaro Silva

Answer
Ola, Alvaro!
The dogma of papal infallibility refers to the teaching [not the practice or action] of a pope when he solemnly declares a truth to be divinely revealed and so to be held by all Catholics.  If the Pope says that we must believe a truth as divinely revealed and could make a mistake, that would mean that the authentic teaching of the Church could be changed -- that would destroy the permancnce of Jesus' teaching  and introduce error.
Long before the split between Catholics and Orthodox, Catholics held that the pope, as the successor of St. Peter, was the supreme leader of the Church, based upon Mt 16:16ff and Jn 21:15ff.   
All dogmas are not first established when they are solemnly defined by a Council.  Often, the reason for the definition is that the teaching is being serious challenged.
For the reasoning and the sources in revelation that relate to the Pope as the supreme pastor of the Church and his infallibility in faith and morals in specific circumstances, I refer you to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 85-100, 880-882, 891-892, available online at
www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm
If you would like further from me, please feel free to write again.
Best wishes, Alvaro.