Ep. 2. 44: Vatican I and the Storm of Infallibility

This episode follows the dramatic unfolding of the First Vatican Council as bishops from around the world gather in Rome under Pope Pius IX. Monsignor and Teresa explore the sharp divisions between the majority and minority factions, the intense debates surrounding papal infallibility, and the personalities that shaped the Council—from Cardinal Manning to Archbishop Ketteler and Bishop Dupanloup. The discussion traces the passage of Dei Filius and Pastor Aeternus, clarifying that the Council did not create papal infallibility but formally defined and recognized it within the Church’s tradition. Set against the backdrop of war, the fall of the Papal States, and Pius IX’s imprisonment in the Vatican, the episode reveals both the gravity of the moment and the Pope’s remarkable resilience and wit in the face of historic change.