THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH
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THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH
All baptized people make up the Christian faithful and are equal in dignity.
The Christian faithful are divided into two groups:
1. Clergy – All sacred ministers who have been ordained through Holy Orders
(bishops, priests, deacons)
2. Laity – Everyone else, including religious men and women, who are not
ordained (brothers, sisters, laypeople)
ROLE OF THE CLERGY AND LAITY
The role of the clergy is to serve Christ
and His Church.
The role of the laity is to engage the
world and lead it to Christ and His
Church.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH – A DIAGRAM
Also Bishops
They are
appointed to
their respective
ranks in
addition to their
existing position
within the
Church as
Bishops.
THE CLERGY – BISHOPS
Bishops serve as successors to the Apostles.
They represent a direct, uninterrupted line
of continuity from the Apostles of Jesus
Christ.
Bishops take care of a particular area of the
Church called a diocese, which contain
smaller areas known as parishes.
Each bishop is also responsible to work with
other bishops to maintain the unity of the
Church as a whole.
THE CLERGY – BISHOPS → THE POPE, THE HEAD BISHOP
Jesus entrusted the leadership of the
Church to the apostle Saint Peter, the
first bishop of Rome.
The Pope is the successor of Saint
Peter. He is head of the College of
Bishops and pastor, or shepherd, of
the entire world.
THE CLERGY – BISHOPS → CARDINALS
Second in precedence only to the Pope, cardinals are the Church's most senior officials, who
are appointed for life by the Pope and are ordained bishops.
They are appointed to the rank of cardinal in addition to their existing position within the Church.
Collectively, they form the College of Cardinals, which oversees the day-to-day governance of the
Holy See and has the responsibility of electing new Popes.
THE CLERGY – BISHOPS → ARCHBISHOPS
Archbishops are bishops of higher
rank who are in charge of
archdioceses, which are greater in size
than a typical diocese.
Bishops within an archdiocese report
directly to and work with the
archbishop when in need of
assistance, guidance, or direction.
Cardinal Thomas Collins,
Archbishop of Toronto
THE CLERGY – PRIESTS
Priests are ordained coworkers of the bishops.
Priests have a very wide variety of tasks within the Church. There are many
specialized ministries such as being a chaplain, working at the diocesan
offices, or teaching in a seminary, but the majority of priests serve in
parishes under the guidance and direction of a bishop.
THE CLERGY – PRIESTS
Their duties include:
➢ Preaching the Gospel
➢ Celebrating Mass
➢ Administering Sacraments
➢ Counseling those in need
➢ Managing the affairs of a parish
THE CLERGY – DEACONS
Deacons are ordained coworkers of
bishops and priests and called like Christ
to be servants.
Deacons are different than priests or
bishops. They are ordained for service.
They cannot absolve sins in the
Sacrament of Penance, offer the Mass or
confect the Holy Eucharist, administer the
Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, or
administer the Sacrament of
Confirmation.
THE CLERGY – DEACONS
The essential functions of a deacon include:
➢ Proclaiming the Gospel (e.g., preaching,
reading Sacred Scripture)
➢ Assisting Bishops and Priests in a variety
of liturgical functions (e.g., distributing
Holy Communion)
➢ Administering charitable works (e.g.,
within the parish community)
VIDEO
THE LAITY – CONSECRATED RELIGIOUS (brothers, sisters)
Consecrated religious share in
responsibility for the Church’s mission.
Consecrated religious (e.g., monks,
nuns) make public vows or promises
of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
These are called the evangelical
counsels. In this way they dedicate
their entire lives to bringing Christ to
the world.
THE LAITY – LAYPEOPLE
Bring Christ to the world by sharing in the
priestly, prophetic, and kingly work of Christ.
Laypeople participate in the priestly work of
Christ through prayer and worship, especially
by participating in the Mass, by striving for
holiness, and by being open to the Holy Spirit
in all that they do.
THE LAITY – LAYPEOPLE
Laypeople participate in the prophetic work of
Christ by pointing others to Christ through
both word and action.
Laypeople participate in the kingly work of
Christ by following their model, Jesus, who is
servant-king. Like Jesus, they lead by serving
others, especially those most in need of help.
