Yes, in God’s plan, the Catholic Church is a hierarchical society. It is a people guided by its bishops, who are in union with the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. By means of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, bishops (the successors of the Apostles) and priests have received the powers of Jesus Christ. Bishops and priests, together with deacons, are …

The Pope is the successor of St. Peter; the Catholic bishops are the successors of the Apostles. Collectively, the bishops constitute what is known as the Episcopal College, with the Pope as its head. Christ made the Apostles as a stable group, or college. They were jointly responsible for spreading the Gospel of Christ in the whole world. To the …

The chief responsibilities of the Pope and the bishops are to teach, sanctify, and govern the People of God. This authority and power was given to them by Jesus, beginning with that received by St. Peter and the other Apostles. After His Resurrection, Jesus demanded of Peter a profession of love. “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son …

The Pope and the bishops direct Christ’s work in the Catholic Church, in every rite and diocese. The Pope is chief representative of Christ in the Church; he is its principal symbol of unity. The Pope is chief representative of Christ in the Church; he is its principal symbol of unity. He enjoys the primacy of jurisdiction over the Church …

The Pope and the bishops are owed honor, respect, obedience and love by the faithful. We obey the fourth commandment of God, and thus serve Him and His Church, when we honor, love, respect, and obey the Pope and the bishops in union with him. To be a Catholic means to believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, established …

The Catholic Church is a community since its members share Christ’s life with one another; it is a people brought together by God. The Church is a community of those throughout the world whom God has called to give witness to Christ and to the new life He has brought to man. This assembly is called the “People of God” …

All the members of the Church are equal, but they have different duties and roles. They are united to each other as the one People of God whose Head is Christ. Describing the Church as the “People of God” emphasizes the fact that the Church is composed of people, including the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons, and the laity. As the …

In the Church each member has a vocation to lead a life of holiness. When God created man, He gave him the gifts of supernatural life, of divine sonship. Man was alive with the very life of God, but by sin, he lost this gift of divine life. Left to himself, man was incapable of winning back the divine life. …

Everyone in the Church deserves our deepest respect since, through Baptism, we are united to Christ in His Mystical Body and become His brothers and sisters. Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God and is precious in His eyes. Our Lord said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the …

The Catholic Church is missionary because every member shares the command from Christ to carry the Good News of His teaching to all mankind by word and example. The Church, as a community of believers and brotherly love, bears Christian witness by its preaching of the Gospel and its service to others. God has called to be witnesses all those …