On the Corrigibility of the Pope
Elsewhere I have argued against papal infallibility on metamathematical grounds. As Gödel proved in his Second Incompleteness Theorem, no arithmetical deductive system can truthfully prove its own consistency. If it can prove that it can’t fail, then that proof itself is a failure. Flawlessness is jinxed!
This jinx afflicts not just papal theology, but also national security doctrines, corporate planning, and financial structures. In each case institutions are tempted by the deadly illusion of absolute self-justification.
Infallibility fails because it cannot admit error, therefore cannot correct for error, therefore accumulates error. Counter to infallibility is error-correction, also known as corrigibility. Science is ostensibly based upon a philosophy of corrigibility. Note that I said ‘ostensibly’ based on corrigibility, in keeping with that very philosophy!
The latest two Popes may be taking my advice to abandon papal infallibility and embrace papal corrigibility. Francis reversed course on several issues, and Benedict reversed course on being Pope.
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