(1870)

This council represented the culmination of a movement called "ultramontanism," standing for devotion to Rome (across the mountains, the Alps. Go figure.). The council opened in Rome on 8 December 1869. The question of the definition of papal infallibility the item on the agenda. The Catholics had little doubt that the pope as successor of Peter possessed special teaching authority. The only question was how far this authority extended (completely), whether it could be exercised independently from councils (yes) and the college of bishops (again, yes), and what special preconditions would have to be met (none, except that he be alive and breathing when exercising said authority. After all, he might be infallible, but he's not immortal. Yet. We'll wait on that vote in a future council. Unless, of course, the Pope ex cathedra infallibly declares he indeed is immortal.).

The vote for the record, on 18 July 1870,