March 28, 1871 - Ignatius von Döllinger Writes Against Infallibility of the Pope

When the First Vatican Council met from 1869-1870, one of the dogma established was the infallibility of the Pope. This declared that the Pope was perfect and incapable of making a mistake. One German priest, Ignatius von Döllinger, strongly contested this idea, stating in a letter to his archbishop on March 28, 1871, “as a Christian, as a theologian, as a historian, as a citizen I cannot accept this dogma.” He was excommunicated two years later and became a leading organizer of bishops and priests who left the faith because of this teaching.