ex cathedra
From the chair
Ex cathedra means with the full authority of one's office or position, as if speaking from an official seat of power.
The phrase comes from Latin for "from the chair"—originally the bishop's throne.
In Catholic doctrine, ex cathedra pronouncements by the Pope on faith and morals are considered infallible.
More broadly, it describes any authoritative declaration that brooks no argument: He delivered his opinions ex cathedra, as if they were beyond question.
- papal infallibilityPontiff's error-free teaching authority
- Holy SeePapal governing authority
- encyclicalFormal papal circular letter
- dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
- papacyPope's office and authority
solemn declaration · authority · canon law · pontificate · hierarchy · decree · proclamation · papal bull · conclave · theology · mandate · Latin · catechism · pronouncement · throne · bull · jurisdiction · Rome
- papacypontiff, Pope, pope, Holy See, papal election
- Popepontiff, Holy Father, papacy, papal, Vatican
- papal authoritypapal infallibility, papal authority, papal supremacy, Holy See, infallibility
- religious decreesfatwa, papal bull, edict, papal decree, encyclical
- sainthoodcanonization, saint, beatification, sainthood, patron saints
- papal documentspapal bulls, papal decree, papal bull, encyclical, bull
ex cathedraunofficial
Not formally recognized
non-binding · tentative · fallible · advisory · provisional
ex cathedraoff the cuff
Spontaneous, unrehearsed speech
informal · casual · offhand · impromptu · conversational
exit, exclude, external, excavate, extraordinary, cathedral, exhume, extrapolate, cathedrals