Roman Catholic Church

I

Introduction

Roman Catholic Church, the largest single Christian body, composed of those Christians who acknowledge the supreme authority of the bishop of Rome, the pope, in matters of faith. The word catholic (Greek katholikos) means “universal” and has been used to designate the church since its earliest period, when it was the only Christian church.

The Roman Catholic Church regards itself as the only legitimate inheritor, by an unbroken succession of bishops descending from Saint Peter to the present time, of the commission and powers conferred by Jesus Christ on the 12 apostles. The church has had a profound influence on the development of European culture and on the introduction of European values into other civilizations. Its total membership is about 1 billion (about half of the total number of affiliated Christians in the world). The church has its greatest numerical strength in Europe and Latin America but also has a large membership in other parts of the world.

II

Organization and Structure

In keeping with early Christian traditions, the fundamental unit of organization in the Roman Catholic Church is the diocese, headed by a bishop. The church comprises more than 2,500 dioceses and over 600 archdioceses, which are more distinguished sees (areas of jurisdiction) that have certain responsibilities for governance in the dioceses attached to them. The major church in a diocese is the cathedral, where the bishop presides at worship and other ceremonies. The cathedral contains the bishop’s “throne” or “chair” (Latin cathedra), from which in the early church he preached to his congregation.

A

The Bishop

The bishop is the chief liturgical figure in the diocese and is distinguished from the priest principally by the power to confer holy orders and to act as the usual minister of confirmation. The bishop has the highest jurisdictional powers within the diocese: He has the right to admit priests to his diocese and to exclude them from the practice of ministry within it, and he assigns priests of his diocese to parishes and other duties. The bishop often delegates administrative details to his vicar-general, his chancellor, or other officials. In larger dioceses he may be assisted by auxiliary or coadjutor bishops.

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B

The Clergy

Directly under the bishop are the clergy, both secular and religious. Secular clergy are not members of religious orders or congregations and have permanently been incorporated (incardinated) into the diocese under the authority of the local bishop. Secular clergy generally staff the parishes of the diocese and serve as pastors in them.

The religious clergy, on the other hand, are primarily committed to their orders or congregations, which transcend diocesan boundaries (see Monasticism). While working within a given diocese, these clergy must adhere to the bishop’s decisions in matters of public worship but otherwise enjoy considerable discretion in their ministry. The same can be said of nuns (or sisters) and brothers, who are members of orders or congregations but are not clergy. Religious clergy and laity tend to staff the schools, hospitals, and other institutions of mercy and social service in the diocese. Since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the laity who are not members of religious orders have assumed an increasingly active role in advising pastors and bishops, especially in practical matters, and in the pastoral ministry, such as catechesis (instruction given in preparation for adult baptism).

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