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The Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law states (Canon 1401): By proper and exclusive right the Church adjudicates: 1) cases which regard spiritual matters or those connected to spiritual matters; 2) the violation of ecclesiastical laws and all those matters in which there is a question of sin, in what pertains to the determination of culpability and the imposition of ecclesiastical penalties. Canon 1405 further states: It is solely the right of the Roman Pontiff himself to judge in the cases mentioned in ⇒ can. 1401:
- those who hold the highest civil office of a state;
- cardinals;
- legates of the Apostolic See and, in penal cases, bishops;
- other cases which he has called to his own judgment.
The effect of these ordinances would appear to be that the secular authorities are to be excluded from judging clergy (or heads of state) who have committed sins even when (also) covered by a nation's criminal code. In mediaeval times, the right of clergy to be judged by the Church alone was indeed enforced whenever possible. In modern times, we now find that bishops have been protecting priests accused of sexual abuse and, if guilt is proven, imposing minor ecclesiastical penalties.
Times have changed, and we see all over the world that courts insist that national laws apply to all clergy, whether Catholic or otherwise. Regular news items tell us that clergy are now prosecuted for theft, fraud and money laundering. Priests and bishops have been brought before the courts for sexual abuse of children and for attempting to hide the truth of these crimes from the secular authorities. In many jurisdictions, the Church hierarchy is obliged under law to advise police or other relevant authorities when the have grounds for suspicion of paedophilia committed by members of the Church.
The Code of Canon Law notwithstanding, the authority of popes and bishops to be the sole judges of the clergy has disappeared, other than within the Vatican City.
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∙ 10y ago
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What are the immediate lower-level authorities of the Church after the pope called?
The chain of authority goes thusly: Jesus Christ Pope Bishops Priests Deacons Bishops that are head of an Archdiocese are known as Archbishops, Bishops that have been chosen as electors of the new Pope are Cardinals, but they all remain bishops.
What aurthority does the pope have on the church?
As the successor of Saint Peter, supreme authority is vested in the Pope. He has universal jurisdiction and all Catholic bishops may only use their authority when they are in communion with the Pope.
Is a deacon appointed by the pope?
The pope has the authority as a bishop to ordain deacons but deacons are usually ordained by their local bishops in the dioceses in which they will serve and not by the pope.
In authority what comes after bishops?
pope (bishop of rome) ^^^^^ bishop ^^^^^ priest ^^^^^ deacon
The bishops and priests who the pope in Rome had authority over were called the?
.Catholic AnswerThe Holy Father in Rome has authority over all bishops and priests in the world, but particularly, he is the Bishop of Rome.
What is church authority?
Church authority is the authority of God as expressed through the Magisterium of the Church, which resides ultimately in Christ, as expressed through His Vicar, the Pope, and the teaching authority of the Bishops in union with him.
What was Great Schism of East and West?
The question related to the authority of the pope. The pope and the bishops of the western parts of Europe claimed that the pope was the head of the Church, who had authority over the whole Church. The bishops of the eastern parts of the Church said that the pope was merely the most important bishop, whose position was one of dignity rather than actual authority. The difference went on for centuries before a series of incidents resulted in the eastern bishops setting up a separate Church. The result was that the Roman Catholic Church was in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.
What do you call the bishops that elect the pope?
Bishops that elect the pope are called cardinals.
Do the bishops work for the pope?
Bishops work for their dioceses but are under the guidance and leadership of the pope. There are bishops in Rome who are assigned various offices in the Vatican as part of the curia who may work directly for the pope. Many of these are cardinals.
Who are bishops that elect the pope?
Cardinals elect Popes, but they are not necessarily bishops.
Who serves as advisers to the pope and as a governing body for the Church?
All the bishops act as advisers to the pope. The pope in conjunction witht the bishops is known as the Magisterium of the Church.
What is the highest authority in the Catholic Church?
It's the Pope.Roman Catholic AnswerThe highest authority in the Catholic Church is Jesus Christ. His Will is known through the twin authorities of Tradition and Scripture. These are interpreted for us by Ecumenical councils (councils of all the bishops ratified by the Holy Father) and by the Pope.
