The structure of the
Catholic Church
YOUCAT Catechism +
Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 138
Ave Maria series
138 How is the one, holy,
catholic, and apostolic Church structured?
In the Church there are the laity and clerics (clergy). As children of God, they are of equal
dignity. They have equally important but
different tasks. The mission of the
laity is to direct the whole world toward the kingdom of God. In addition, there are the ordained ministers
(clerics), who have the duties of ecclesiastical governance, teaching, and
sanctification. In both states of life,
there are Christians who place themselves at God’s disposal in a special way
through celibacy, poverty, and obedience (for example, consecrated
religious). [871-876, 934, 935]
A bishop invokes Holy Spirit on a new priest while praying
silently. .....138 ..... 251
Every Christian has the duty to bear witness to the Gospel
by his own life. But God walks a special
path with each person. Some he sends as
laymen, so that they might build up the kingdom of God by their family and
occupation in the midst of the world.
For this purpose, he bestows on them in Baptism and Confirmation all the
necessary gifts of the Holy Spirit. Others
he entrusts with the pastoral ministry; they are to govern, teach, and sanctify
his people. No one can take this duty
upon himself; the Lord himself must send him on his way with his divine power
through Holy Orders, so that he can act in the place of Christ and administer the
sacraments. 259
[871-876, 934, 935]
Christ's Faithful - Hierarchy, Laity,
Consecrated Life
871 "The Christian
faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ
through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of God; for this reason,
since they have become sharers in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and royal
office in their own manner, they are called to exercise the mission which God
has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition
proper to each one."(Codex Iuris Canonici, Can. 204
para 1; compare Lumen gentium 31)385 –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition
872 "In virtue of their rebirth in Christ there exists among
all the Christian faithful a true equality with regard to dignity and the
activity whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ in
accord with each one's own condition and function."(Codex Iuris Canonici, Can. 208;
compare Lumen gentium 32)386 –CCC
873 The very differences
which the Lord has willed to put between the members of his body serve its
unity and mission. For "in the Church there is diversity of ministry but
unity of mission. To the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the
office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in his name and by his power. But
the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of
Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world, their own
assignment in the mission of the whole People of God."(Apostolicam
actuositatem 2)387 Finally, "from both
groups [hierarchy and laity] there exist Christian faithful who are consecrated
to God in their own special manner and serve the salvific mission of the Church
through the profession of the evangelical counsels."(Codex Iuris Canonici, Can. 207 §
2)388 –CCC
874 Christ is himself the source of ministry in the Church. He
instituted the Church. He gave her authority and mission, orientation and goal:
In order to shepherd the People of God and to increase its
numbers without cease, Christ the Lord set up in his Church a variety of
offices which aim at the good of the whole body. The holders of office, who are
invested with a sacred power, are, in fact, dedicated to promoting the
interests of their brethren, so that all who belong to the People of God
. . . may attain to salvation.(Lumen gentium 18)389 B
875 How are they to believe in him of whom they
have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men
preach unless they are sent?"(Romans 10:14:15)390 No one - no individual and no community - can
proclaim the Gospel to himself: "Faith comes from what is heard."(Romans 10:17)391 No one can give himself the mandate and the mission to proclaim
the Gospel. The one sent by the Lord does not speak and act on his own
authority, but by virtue of Christ's authority; not as a member of the
community, but speaking to it in the name of Christ. No one can bestow grace on
himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of
grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, bishops and priests
receive the mission and faculty ("the sacred power") to act in persona Christi
Capitis; deacons receive the strength to serve the people of God in the diaconia of liturgy, word and charity, in communion with the bishop and
his presbyterate.
The ministry in which Christ's emissaries do and give by God's grace what they
cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a "sacrament" by
the Church's tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a
special sacrament.—CCC
876 Intrinsically linked to
the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry is its character as service. Entirely dependent on
Christ who gives mission and authority, ministers are truly "slaves of
Christ,"(compare Romans 1:1)392 in the image of him who
freely took "the form of a slave" for us.(Philippians 2:7)393 Because the word and
grace of which they are ministers are not their own, but are given to them by Christ
for the sake of others, they must freely become the slaves of all.(compare 1 Corinthians 9:19)394 –CCC
IN BRIEF
934 "Among the Christian faithful by divine institution
there exist in the Church sacred ministers, who are also called clerics in law,
and other Christian faithful who are also called laity." In both groups
there are those Christian faithful who, professing the evangelical counsels,
are consecrated to God and so serve the Church's saving mission (compare Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 207 § 1, 2).—CCC
935 To proclaim the faith and to plant his reign, Christ
sends his apostles and their successors. He gives them a share in his own
mission. From him they receive the power to act in his person.—CCC
Holy Orders The
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