[557] of the doctrinal authority in its infallible character. If the Pope writes a theological book, he is not infallible; if he gives a decision, as for instance the Assumption of the Virgin, then he is infallible. Now this means: we are now in a situation where a large amount of former and present decisions

must be accepted by everybody who wants to be a member, with GOOD conscience, of this Church. What's the result? There are only two possible results --- or perhaps three: 1) The one is the primitive acceptance of these things without critical thought. This is always a possibility, and in my lectures on education, you remember I was very hesitant to break this kind of naivete or primitivism, which can be FULL OF SPIRIT, in relation to God, and which therefore one should not break wilfully. 2) There is the second way, namely to accept this doctrine and to interpret it. This is the way which liberal Catholicism^a always tries to go. And there is always a kind of margin within which it can do this. But this margin, in the course of history, has become narrower and narrower. The last great attempt to escape the demonic authority of an authority in principle^b, was the symbolism of the symbolae fideistes [?sp], in the beginning and middle of the 19th century.

They were rejected by the Church; this way out was closed. Today we had conversations between  Protestants and Roman Catholics. And they were going on for a certain time, and then the Pope^c came down with the sword of Damocles---which always soars above the head of every liberal Catholic---and these conversations were cut off. And I know Roman Catholics in Eastern Germany with whom I spoke, who are very near to my not quite orthodox theology [little laugther],