142. Christ instituted the Twelve and placed Peter at the head of His Church.

Christ instituted the Twelve and placed Peter at the head of His Church.

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 142

Ave Maria series

142  Can bishops act and teach against the Pope, or the Pope against the bishops?

Bishops cannot act and teach against the Pope, but only with him.  In contrast, the Pope can make decisions in clearly defined cases even without the approval of the bishops.  [883-885, 880-890]

The Second Vatican Council was opened by Pope St. John XXIII in 1962. His passionate views on equality were summed up in his famous statement, "We were all made in God's image, and thus, we are all Godly alike."  His successor Paul VI saw the close of Vatican II three years later in 1965. Photo by Lothar Wolleh. …..142

Of course the Pope in all his decisions is bound by the Church’s faith.  There is something like a general sense of the faith in the Church, a fundamental conviction in matters of faith that is brought about by the Holy Spirit and present throughout the Church, the Church’s “common sense”, so to speak, which recognizes “what has always and everywhere been believed by all” (Vincent of Lerins).

 [883-885, 880-890]

The episcopal college and its head, the Pope

883 "The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its head." As such, this college has "supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff."(Lumen gentium 22; compare Codex Iuris Canonici, can 336)⁴⁰⁴ –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

884 "The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical council."(Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 337 § 1)⁴⁰⁵  But "there never is an ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by Peter's successor."(Lumen gentium 22)⁴⁰⁶ –CCC

885 "This college, in so far as it is composed of many members, is the expression of the variety and universality of the People of God; and of the unity of the flock of Christ, in so far as it is assembled under one head."(Lumen gentium 22)⁴⁰⁷ –CCC

880 When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them."(Lumen gentium 19; compare Luke 6:13; John 21:15-17)³⁹⁸ Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another."(Lumen gentium 22; compare Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 330)³⁹⁹ –CCC

881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.(compare Matthew 16:18-19; John 21:15-17)⁴⁰⁰  “The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head."(Lumen gentium 22 § 2)⁴⁰¹    This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.—CCC

882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful."(Lumen gentium  23)⁴⁰² "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."(Lumen gentium 22; compare Christus Dominus 2,9)⁴⁰³ –CCC

883 "The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its head." As such, this college has "supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff."( Lumen Gentium 22; compare Codex Iuris Canonici, can 336.)⁴⁰⁴ –CCC

884 "The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical council."( Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 337 § 1.)⁴⁰⁵ But "there never is an ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by Peter's successor."( Lumen Gentium 22.)⁴⁰⁶ –CCC

885 "This college, in so far as it is composed of many members, is the expression of the variety and universality of the People of God; and of the unity of the flock of Christ, in so far as it is assembled under one head."( Lumen Gentium 22.)⁴⁰⁷ –CCC

886 "The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches."(Lumen gentium 23)⁴⁰⁸  As such, they "exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them,"(Lumen gentium 23)⁴⁰⁹ assisted by priests and deacons. But, as a member of the episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches.(compare Christus Dominus 3)⁴¹⁰ The bishops exercise this care first "by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church," and so contributing "to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches."(Lumen gentium 23)⁴¹¹ They extend it especially to the poor, (compare Galatians 2:10)⁴¹² to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world.—CCC

887 Neighboring particular Churches who share the same culture form ecclesiastical provinces or larger groupings called patriarchates or regions.(compare Apostolic Constitutions 34)⁴¹³  The bishops of these groupings can meet in synods or provincial councils. "In a like fashion, the episcopal conferences at the present time are in a position to contribute in many and fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegiate spirit."(Lumen gentium 23 § 3)⁴¹⁴ –CCC

The teaching office

888 Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command.(Presbyterorum ordinis 4; compare Mark 16:15)⁴¹⁵  They are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers" of the apostolic faith "endowed with the authority of Christ."(Lumen gentium 25)⁴¹⁶  –CCC

889 In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a "supernatural sense of faith" the People of God, under the guidance of the Church's living Magisterium, "unfailingly adheres to this faith."(Lumen gentium 12; compare Dei Verbum 10)⁴¹⁷ –CCC

890 The mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the covenant established by God with his people in Christ. It is this Magisterium's task to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error. Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the People of God abides in the truth that liberates. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church's shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. The exercise of this charism takes several forms: (to be continued in YOUCAT Lesson 143 under the theme “Is the Pope really infallible?”). –CCC

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