In the one year of Catholic High School I attended before transferring to public, I was taught that the Pope is only infallible in matters of Doctrine. He can be wrong all other times, which is why I don't use the NFL pick sheet Benedict prepared for me.

I think the clarification was an explanatory compromise born out of Vatican II when that whole Galileo mess was brought up.

yes, I seem to remember this... seems a bit of a cop out though, he's only infallible when he means to be infallible. Hmmm.

I was a bit let down when the Pope didn't just come out and say, "Well, I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition." A very clear life-imitating-comedy opportunity missed.

that would have been great...

" seems a bit of a cop out though, he's only infallible when he means to be infallible."

Eh. Think of it as a pragmatic compromise between theology and history--even the most ultramontane Catholic would hardly want to insist that everything that every pope has ever done was God's will.

even the most ultramontane Catholic would hardly want to insist that everything that every pope has ever done was God's will

This is certainly true. Pragmatism and the belief that a person speaks for God just seem a little incompatible to me I guess.