Abstract

Chapter IV of the constitution, "Pastor aeternus", of the First Vatican Council was received in various ways: with justifications, amplifications and, since the period before the last Council, what we might call a contextualisation. The majority view sought not to minimise the definition but to offer an interpretation which takes into account certain factors: the historical context, official explanations, the position of the council's minority and theological principles. This interpretation was partly received by the Second Vatican Council. However, the question of the relationship between a statement which remains that of a single minister and the faith of the whole church still remains, making the implementation of the dogma proclaimed in 1870 problematic.