Does the Pope work alone or with the entire Church and bishops?
Christ has given the charism of infallibility to the Church. This charism, or gift, can be seen in two ways. First, in an ecumenical council where the college of bishops speaks in union with the Pope. An example of an ecumenical council could be Nicea (325) Lateran IV (1215) or Vatican II (1965). The decisions of faith and morals in an ecumenical council become the teaching authority of the Church, the deposit of faith. Second, the charism of infallibility is given to the Pope when speaking on matters of faith and morals. In this manner the pope is said to speak from the chair, ex cathedra, from the authority given to the office of the pope by our Lord. The pope declares ex cathedra of his office as pope, not on his human person. These declarations are binding on the entire faithful and become part of the deposit of faith. Only twice has the pope spoken ex cathedra: Pius IX on the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and Pius XII on the Dogma of the Assumption (1950). Both of thes
