The following passage is from the papal bull Unam Sanctam (Evaluating the Evidence 9.2), issued by Pope Boniface VIII in 1302: "If, therefore, the earthly power err, it shall be judged by the spiritual power; and if a lesser power err, it shall be judged by a greater. But if the supreme power [the papacy] err, it can only be judged by God, not by man. . . . For this authority, although given to a man and exercised by a man, is not human, but rather divine, given at God's mouth to Peter and established on a rock for him and his successors. . . ."
According to Boniface, who or what had the power to judge the papacy when the papacy committed an alleged error?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the passage, if the supreme power (i.e., the papacy) errs, it can only be judged by God, not by man. Therefore, the power to judge the papacy when it commits an alleged error lies with God.

The Following Passage Is from the Papal Bull Unam Sanctam