Catholic Hierarchy
• The Catholic Church is the largest
religion in the world, with over a
billion members.
• It is almost 2,000 years old, and
its leadership is somewhat
complicated.
• The roots of the Church’s
leadership are found in the
Gospels.
Jesus and His Apostles
The Call of the First Disciples
Folks pressed to hear His words, which could
the spirit shake,
While Jesus stood right by the Gennesaret
Lake.
Just then He saw two boats unoccupied,
Whose owners washed their nets right
alongside.
Christ entered Simon’s boat and asked him to
Push out the boat so He the crowd could view.
He preached to them and, when Christ ceased
to teach,
He told Simon, “See how far your nets reach.
Let down your nets and you will find a catch.”
“Master, if last night’s total we could match,
We still would be without a single fish,
But I’ll let down my nets, if thus You wish.”
On letting down the nets, they were so full
That they called on their friends to help them
pull.
Their catch was such the boats were nearly
sinking,
And Simon fell down, all his sins rethinking,
“Depart from me, O Lord, for I have been,
As my boat’s filled with fish, so filled with sin.”
“You need not fear, just do not sin again,
For henceforth your job will be catching men.”
The sons of Zebedee, both James and John
Stood shocked at all they saw there going on.
These three immediately made up their mind
To follow Christ and leave their boats behind.
The Choosing of the Twelve
One day, Christ climbed a mountain for to pray
And there, until the next morn, He did stay.
He then called His twelve disciples together
To strengthen them for all that they would weather.
So over demons they received authority
And power for to heal any infirmity.
The twelve apostles’ names were James and John,
Peter, the rock the Church was built upon,
His brother, Andrew, and Bartholemew,
Philip, Thomas, the taxman Matthew, too,
And James, who was the son of Alphaeus,
And Judas, also known as Thaddaeus,
And Simon the Zealot, who hated the empire,
And Judas Iscariot, who swapped life for fire.
So Jesus sent the twelve out two by two,
Giving specific orders what to do,
“Avoid Gentiles. Samaritans as well.
Recover the lost sheep of Israel.
Go out and preach, ‘The kingdom of heaven’s at
hand!’
And heal the sick and those possessed throughout
the land.
You even shall raise people from the dead.
As I did not charge you for all I’ve said,
In like ways shall you give it out for free.
When traveling, don’t pack like royalty.
Don’t carry bags for silver or for gold,
Nor shall you spare tunics or sandals hold,
Nor staff; for laborers, in truth, deserve their food.
When in a town, seek one with a just attitude
And stay with him until you leave that place.
On entering, wish for that house God’s grace.
Bestow your peace on them, if they deserve it,
And if they are unworthy, you’ll conserve it.
Where’er you go, where they will not receive you,
Shake their dust from your feet so when you leave, you
Show God how they lack hospitality.
Then they’ll, for their great immorality,
Far worse than Sodom and Gomorrah burn,
Who made peace from my peacemakers return.
I send you out as sheep with wolves surrounding
So be like doves, in innocence abounding,
And also clever, cunning as a snake.”
They left to heal the sick and converts make.
Peter’s Role
“You are the Christ, the Son of the
Living God“
Coming to Caesarea Philippi,
He asked, “According to men, who am
I?”
Disciples answered, “Some say John
has risen
After Herod beheaded him in prison,
While others say a prophet from of old.”
“Do you think something else, or what
you’re told?”
Said Peter, “You’re the Christ, the
Lord’s true Son.”
“Simon Bar-Jona, you’re a blessed one,
For not by flesh and blood was this
revealed,
But God, by whom the truth is not
concealed.
I tell you you are Cephas; on this rock
I’ll build My Church and give it such a lock
The powers of hell could never overtake it.
I’ll give the keys to heaven. If you make it
Bound on earth, then in heaven, too, it will
be bound.
It will be loosed above what you loose on
the ground.”
He charged that His disciples not go spread
News He was the Messiah, as He said.
Commissioning the Seventy-Two
Then Jesus appointed seventy-two
To preach in places He would then go
through.
He told them, sending them out two-by-two,
“The harvest is great, but laborers few.
Pray to the Lord more harvesters be sent.”
And then He further warned before they
went,
“I send you out as sheep with wolves
surrounding,
So travel not with worldly goods abounding.
Don’t carry bags for silver or for gold,
Nor shall you spare tunics or sandals hold,
Nor staff; for laborers deserve their food.
Don’t greet men on the road, but don’t be
rude.
When someone welcomes you, stay in his place.
On entering, wish for that home God’s grace.
Bestow your peace on them, if they deserve it,
And if they are unworthy, you’ll conserve it.
When you are served, eat what’s set at the table.
Make the sick healed and those who can’t walk
able.
Proclaim the kingdom: if they’ll not receive you,
Shake their dust from your feet so when you
leave, you
Show God how they lack hospitality.
Then they’ll, for their great immorality,
Far worse than Sodom and Gomorrah burn,
Who made peace from my peacemakers return.
Tell that town, ‘God’s kingdom has met you here.
What you cast out shall fill your heart with fear.’”
The Last Supper
Then Jesus said, “I’ve ardently desired,
Before My cruel betrayal has transpired,
To share this meal with you, for I’ll not eat
again,
Until it is fulfilled, not in the world of men.”
As they were eating, Jesus took some bread.
He blessed it, broke it, gave it out and said,
“Take, eat. This is My Body, given up for you.
In memory of Me, the same thing you shall
do.”
He took the cup and, after thanks was given,
Declared, “In order that sins be forgiven,
Drink this, for this cup is My Blood, which
shall be poured,
And shall be the new covenant, sent from the
Lord.
I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine
’Till in My Father’s kingdom we all dine.”
“I give a new command: to love each other,
Not just as if all were sister or brother,
But I will only count your love as ample
If you give love as I’ve given example.
For others shall know that you follow Me
When you love all of mankind boundlessly.”
Washing the Disciples’ Feet
At night, Christ thought how He would miss His every
friend,
And knew that He had loved them all, right through the
end.
Now Judas had by Satan been inspired
To sell Christ for the silver he desired.
Christ knew that, as from Heaven He was sent,
When from His close disciples He was rent,
Then with His Father He’d be reunited.
The twelve were each in front of Him invited.
He washed their feet and thus a servant’s role
embraced,
And wiped them with the towel wrapped around His
waist,
After His outer garment was removed.
When it was his turn, Peter disapproved.
“My Lord, do You really intend to wash my feet?”
“Your understanding will at one time be complete.”
“I will not have You kneel like you’re enslaved!”
“If I don’t wash you, you will not be saved.”
“Well, then, Lord, wash my hands and feet as well!”
“One who has bathed is clean and does not smell,
Save for the feet, since they walk on the ground.
Yet one of you will not so clean be found.”
When finished washing all their feet by hand,
He asked, “Do you My action understand?
You call Me Lord and Master, rightly so,
But what is this if My ways you don’t know?
Just as you all have seen Me wash your feet,
This action you must, one and all, repeat.
For, just as any master is above his slave,
No messenger outranks him who the message gave.
So blest are you if you believe in such a way,
But I do not mean all. For does not Scripture say,
‘Who shares my table treats me with malignity.’? 1
I foretell this so you will know that I am He.
In truth, whoever welcomes one that I will send
Welcomes Myself and Him who sent Me, in the end.”
Christ Before the Eleven on a Mountain
in Galilee
Then the eleven went to Galilee,
Where they were told that Jesus they would see.
There on the mountainside Jesus appeared
And they prostrated and their Lord revered.
“On earth and heaven all authority
The Father has seen fit to give to Me.
Preach to all nations that all people hear it.
In My name, and the Father and the Spirit,
Shall you baptize people from every land
And teach them to heed all things I command.
Baptized believers will receive salvation,
While people who reject face condemnation.
Those who believe will do many a sign,
For poison shall to them be like fresh wine.
Unharmed they’ll pick up serpents and cast demons
out,
And in strange tongues they do not know My words
they’ll shout.
They’ll lay hands on the sick and they shall cure.
And I shall be with you forevermore.”
Jesus at the Sea of Tiberias
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Then Jesus handed them some fish and bread
And, after all of them were amply fed,
Asked, “Peter, do you love Me more than
others?”
“You know I do.” “Then feed My lambs like
brothers.”
Again He asked, “Peter, in truth, do you love
Me?”
“I love You, Lord.” “Then tend My sheep most
faithfully.”
A third time Christ asked, “Simon, do you love
Me?”
So Peter said, “Your thoughts are leagues
above me,
You know I love You,” and this almost made
him weep.
So Christ looked deeply into his eyes, “Feed
My sheep.”
Church Leadership After Jesus’ Assumption
• Throughout Jesus’ ministry, there are the Twelve
Apostles, Jesus’ inner circle (Peter, James and John),
and Peter seems to always have a special leadership
role.
• In the Early Church, this leadership of Twelve, led by
Peter, continues.
• Everything in the Early Church is shared.
• People complain that Jewish widows are receiving
more than Greek widows.
• The Apostles, who also have the job of praying,
teaching, etc., create a new position to distribute food:
deacons.
Deacons Today
• There are two types of deacons, permanent and
transitional.
• Permanent deacons have no intention of being
ordained to any other office; transitional deacons are
on their way to the priesthood.
• Deacons assist at, but cannot say, Mass.
• They can give homilies.
• They can baptize and officiate at weddings.
• They cannot consecrate Eucharist, Confirm, hear
Penance, Anoint the sick, or Ordain.
• Permanent deacons can be married.
Priests
• Priests lead a community in prayer, worship,
ministry, etc. Primarily, they say Mass.
• They can perform every sacrament except Holy
Orders and Matrimony (where they officiate).
• They Baptize, (sometimes) Confirm, Consecrate
Eucharist, hear Penance, and Anoint the sick.
• A priest who is in charge of a parish is a
PASTOR.
Bishops
• Bishops are seen as inheriting the role of the
Apostles.
• A bishop leads the diocese, ordaining priests and
assigning them to parishes.
• In most cases, it is the bishop who performs
Confirmation.
The Pope
• The pope is seen as inheriting
Peter’s role, as leader of the
Apostles, the first among the bishops.
• The pope is the bishop of Rome.
• The pope appoints bishops
throughout the world.
• He leads the Church, including at
Councils.
So what about ARCHbishops?
• Archbishops are merely bishops of an archdiocese, which is
an important area, such as NY, Chicago, LA, etc.
How is a Cardinal different?
• A cardinal is, in name, the pastor of a parish in Rome.
• (Another priest does the day-to-day running of the parish.)
• A cardinal is USUALLY a bishop, but does not have to be.
(Avery Cardinal Dulles was a theologian at Fordham who
was a cardinal, but not a bishop.)
• In Rome, the pastors (cardinals) elect their bishop (the
pope).
• Cardinals can no longer vote when they are past the age of
80, although a pope can serve until their death.
• A meeting of cardinals to elect a pope is called a
CONCLAVE, where a 2/3 majority is required for a person to
be elected pope.
• The cardinals almost always elect one of their own, but do
not need to.
MAGISTERIUM
• The pope and bishops
together make up the
Magisterium, the
teaching authority of the
Church.