Lesson Twelve - Catholic Church Government/Hierarchy

Text by Pat Austin, St. Patrick's Cathedral RCIA Instructor

• Universal Church -- means all the Catholic provinces in the whole world.
• Diocese -- is made up of several deaneries. Our Diocese of Norwich is made up of 7 Deaneries; New London, Old Saybrook, Middletown, Norwich, Vernon, Willimantic and Putnam. The whole Catholic Church has well over 2000 Dioceses.
• Deanery -- consists of several parishes from a geographical area of the Diocese. Priests from each of the parishes in that particular area are members of that Deanery. From all of the priests in that particular Deanery, one is chosen to be the chairman of that Deanery.
• Parish -- A limited geographical area, usually in a city/town that has a Church as its center with a priest called pastor, living in the rectory (priest house). Membership of this parish comes from families living within the boundaries of the parish. A parish may have more than one priest residing in the rectory but only one is the Pastor.

Connection -- From Family to Pope

• Families
• Deacon - Transitory -- A man who is going to be ordained to the priesthood is ordained a deacon approximately one year before ordination. He is called a transitory deacon.
• Deacon - Permanent -- a layman. He can be married at the time of his ordination but cannot mary after he is ordained. There is a preparation period depending on the diocese. The Norwich Diocese preparation period is three years. A deacon cannot say Mass, hear confessions or administer the Sacrament of the Sick. He also cannot confirm.
• Priest -- Ordained by the bishop for a diocese. His preparation is at least four years after college in a seminary chosen by the bishop.
• Monsignor -- Honorary title requested by the bishop for a priest in his diocese. The title is given by Rome.
• Bishop -- the word comes from Greek and means one who is an overseer. He is appointed by the Pope, consecrated by another Bishop or Cardinal. Appointed means - announcement from Rome. Consecrated means - religious ceremony. Bishops wear purple/red. The Bishop is assigned to a Diocese (many parishes under one head). He is the Ordinary of the Diocese - means ruling bishop. An Auxiliary Bishop - not a ruling bishop but assists the ruling bishop.
  
  Archbishop is the ruling bishop assigned to the principal diocese in a province. This Bishop is called Archbishop.
  
  The Bishop as ordinary (ruling) of the Diocese speaks with authority from the chair (seat) of the Diocese which is the cathedral. Every Diocese has a Cathedral.
  
  Every Bishop reports to Rome once every five years. This visit is called Ad Limina -- "To the Threshold." While in Rome each Bishop must: (1) Give a report of his Diocese; (2) Personally visit with the Pope and (3) Visit and pray at Tombs of Peter and Paul.
  
  The Norwich Diocese reports in years ending in 3 and 8. Actually, all of New England reports in those years. Norwich is usually at the end of August or early September.
  
  Connecticut has three Dioceses
  Norwich -- Bishop Daniel Hart
  Archdiocese of Hartford -- Archbishop Daniel Cronin
  Bridgeport -- Bishop William Lori
• Cardinal - (hinge) appointed/consecrated by the Pope. It is a position of honor, only the Pope can appoint a Cardinal, Pope Nicholas II, 1059 A.D. A Cardinal wears red/red (fire engine red).
  
  The prime purpose of a Cardinal is to elect a Pope.
  
  In the meantime some are assigned to Territorial Diocese and some are assigned to committees in Rome. Committees in Rome are called Sacred Congregation For ...
  
  All of these Sacred Congregation For form a group called Curia -- ruling body (government) of the Catholic Church. (Curia is like the Cabinet of the President of the United States).
• Pope -- is bishop of Rome. His Church -- Cathedral of Saint John Lateran. The Pope has no more priestly power than other Bishops but has more authority. He has infallibility of himself in union with all bishops. The Pope chooses bishops, assigns them to a Diocese. The Pope can make laws.
  
  John Paul II is the 264^th Pope. A list of Popes can be found on page 476 of the Catholic Dictionary.
  
  The Pope is elected by Cardinals in a Conclave (gathering of the cardinals to elect a Pope). The election takes place in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
  
  Only cardinals can vote for a new Pope - Pope Alexander III, 1179 A.D.
  
  Only Cardinals 80 years old and younger can vote -- Pope Paul VI.
  
  Chamberlain -- a Cardinal appointed by the reigning Pope to be in charge when the Pope dies. The Cardinal makes arrangements for the Pope's funeral and sets the date for the Conclave to begin.
  
  White smoke announces the election of a new Pope. Two ballots are cast in the morning, two in the afternoon until a new Pope is elected. When elected, the canopy over each Cardinal is lowered except the canopy over the new Pope.

In the Church there are "order" priests, (sisters/brothers) that do not belong to a specific Diocese. Their "Diocese" is the world. They serve wherever they are called to serve. Mother Theresa's nuns work all over the world and not just in one Diocese in India where they began. Some other "orders" are the Jesuits, Dominicans, the Redemptoris, Franciscans.

Laws in the Catholic Church are called Canon Laws.