Dear Ms Brown: As you recommended, I consulted the Catholic Encyclopedia regarding Bulls, Encyclicals, and Infallibility and found this which makes it clear that simply calling a document an encyclical does NOT confer infallibility:

“BULLA was originally a circular plate or boss of metal, so called from its resemblance in form to a bubble floating upon water (Latin bullire, to boil). In the course of time the term came to be applied to the leaden seals with which papal and royal documents were authenticated. ... For practical purposes a BULL may be conveniently defined to be "an Apostolic letter with a leaden seal,...In official language papal documents have at all times been called by various names, more or less descriptive of their character. ...

Barbara your question was too long for this Forum but you know the full extent of it which in summary was "how can we know whether or not a document or teaching is infallible."

I recommend for further reading this article, and pray it is of help to you in your discernment:

Infallibility: God’s perfect gift to His imperfect Church

Originally published by the Association for Catechumenal Ministry http://www.acmrcia.org

http://parishbulletin.com/Organizations/8190/Documents/Infallibility.pdf

COPYRIGHT 2013

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