How is the Catholic Church organized and governed at the national level?

Answer 1

3rd June 2009 The following is an outline of how the Catholic Church is organised. Parish This is the local level; each parish is headed by pastor, possibly assisted by other clergy. A parish has a council, a group of people elected the people; the council advises the clergy on almost all parish matters. The parish is where most Catholics experience Church through such things as worship, Scripture groups, youth organisations, funerals, weddings and social gatherings Diocese Parishes are grouped into a diocese, which is headed by a bishop who is regarded as the spiritual father of the diocese. It is his calling to make sure things run smoothly in his area. He is assisted by a council of priests and several offices such religious education, Catholic schools and justice + peace. A bishop is officially chosen by the Pope, but this is done only after the Pope's representative in a particular country, has done a significant amount of listening and searching. Province If there are quite a few dioceses in a country, they are arranged into geographical provinces, each headed by an archbishop (and honorary title). The province simply provides the opportunity for dioceses to collaborate. Sometimes their bishops make a joint statement on an issue that affects their area in a particular way e.g. the bishops of Southern California on the matter of illegal immigrants. Conference This refers to all the bishops of a particular country. They are responsible for a variety of matters including, but not limited to: speaking out on national matters of justice, liturgical adaptations within the nation, approving translations of The Bible for use in the country and establishing relevant policies to be followed nationally e.g. Canon Law states that a boy may not marry until he is 16 and girl until she is 14; a national conference can establish its own age limits. The Curia The Roman Curia comprises several departments, each responsible for given aspect of the Church on a universal level such as: bishops, priests + religious, ecumenism, interpretation of Canon Law, justice + peace, doctrine, worship + sacraments. Each department is headed by a cardinal; the cardinals function as close advisors to the Pope. It is also their job to select a new pope after the present one dies.

Answer 2

The word "catholic" means "universal." There is a universal Church, but it is divided into different communities, which are to some degree estranged from each other:

• The Orthodox community that accepts the authority of the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon
• The Orthodox community that accepts the authority of the Council of Ephesus
• The Orthodox community that rejects the decisions of the Council of Ephesus
• The Catholic community
• The Protestant community

It is likely that these Orthodox communities would love to able to find a way around the divisions that have arisen between them over the very old disputes that were "resolved" during the councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. These councils were held in the fifth century, and the matters under dispute would be capable of modern resolution if an appropriate formula were able to found to accommodate each community's historical stance. Authority in these churches is found in its bishops, which is subject to control though church councils.

In the Catholic Church, the ultimate authority to resolve doctrinal and disciplinary matters resides with the Pope. Only the Catholic community accepts the overriding authority of the Pope. It is this question that stands as the main dividing wall between the Catholic Church and all these other communities, although there are other matters at issue as well.

For Protestants, the Bible stands above all other authorities, and every doctrine has to be measured solely against what the Bible says. Since the Bible was not written as a doctrinal manifesto, it is necessary to read the Bible and then to form a judgement on each issue to determine what is the right opinion. This means that there is some diversity in Protestant opinions on a number of issues of Christian doctrine, while retaining a large measure of agreement around what are considered to be the central doctrines of the faith. Each denomination of the Protestant churches has its own way of exercising authority, and in dealing with disciplinary matters, and in maintaining a sense of shared doctrine.

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Catholic AnswerThe universal Catholic Church is organized under it's head, Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, whose Vicar on earth is the Pope, the head of the episcopal college. Our Blessed Lord appointed Peter as His first Vicar in St. Matthew's Gospel 16:17-19. His successors continue to lead the Church on earth from the Vatican. The episcopal college is formed of all the Bishops in the world who are in union with Christ's Vicar. Under the Bishops are those who help them manage their individual Churches or dioceses: the priests and deacons. The Orthodox Churches are in an imperfect communion with the universal Catholic Church, other Christians who are validly baptized are also related.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994880 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; cf. Lk 6:13; Jn 21:15-17) Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the ret 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 Gentium22; cf. Codex Iuris Canoncic, canon 330)

838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter." (Lumen Gentium 15) Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church." (Unitatis redintegratio 3) With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist." (Paul VI, Discourse, December 14, 1975; cf. Unitatis redintegratio 13-18.)