I fear for this Pope

[sabrina 1]

143. If you have something to say to me say it directly so I can respond. The POTUS can issue an

executive order at the flick of a pen also but we are told constantly that he 'doesn't have a magic wand' which is what I was referring to. Which I am sure most people 'got'. As a matter of fact I know they did. It is a simplistic statement to say that the President OR the Pope 'can change doctrine at the flick of a pen'. Although the President probably can do it more easily, still he would have consulted with advisors and would not just go 'do it' as you claim the Pope can.

The pope CANNOT change doctrine at the flick of a pen. You are confusing the issue of 'infallibility' (even that is acknowledged only rarely, and means he is infallible, on doctrine already established, not that HE can create new doctrine, infallibly)with the Pope's power to change doctrine. He cannot.

A short explanation to help you understand:

Change in the Church

From now on, I believe that Pope Francis will rely on collegiality, the method stressed in Vatican II in which the pope does not have ultimate authority to make changes alone but only when the bishops united approve significant change.

One significant example of how Vatican II’s exercise of collegiality resulted in radical change in Catholic doctrine happened during the council’s deliberations on religious freedom.

The document, in which the bishops refuted the old church stance that “error has no rights,” was approved by Pope Paul VI.

Church teaching on one or more of the aforementioned doctrines could be changed in the same way by a new council or through a synod, with elected members representing the world’s bishops and the pope’s approval.

I hope that helps to understand how ridiculous it is to claim that any one person can just get up one day and write new doctrine for a huge organization like the Catholic Church.