Popes Who Fail to Rule for the Common Good

Can a bishop, even a pope, act against the Church's common good? Has a pope ever been resisted for abusing his authority?

Decretals of Boniface VIII (detail from medieval MS, 1328: source). Not necessarily saying this pope failed, though he was certainly controversial.

Last week, we dwelt on the fundamental notion of the common good and saw how that good establishes authority and “norms” obedience. Today, I will apply this analysis to the question of how papal authority rel…