The Great Commission

• Apostolic succession is the passing down of authority from the Apostles to the next Pope.
• The Church hierachy goes: Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Priest, Deacon, laity.
• “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church” Matthew 16:18 
• The Pope is the Bishop of Rome (Diocese), based in Vatican City, and head of the Roman Catholic Church (the universal Church on earth). Pope comes from the Latin (papa) for 'father’ but can also mean ‘bridge builder’.
• Catholics believe that all Popes are descendants of St Peter as an unbroken line of popes can be dated right back to the first one. St Peter was the first pope as chosen by Jesus. Peter was chosen as he was the first to believe that Jesus was the Son of God.
• The Pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the leader of the Magisterium (Church Authority).
• There are 2 types of Magisterium: the Extraordinary Magisterium and the Ordinary Magisterium.
• The Ordinary Magisterium preach the Gospel in sermons and letters to the diocese. These letters are written to encourage faith, to teach the faith, and to clarify the faith. Its function is to present Catholic teaching in a modern context.
• The Extraordinary Magisterium respond to specific disputes rather than general teachings and updates. They form a Conciliar Magisterium, where they meet and discuss.
• Papal infallibility means that the Pope cannot be wrong.
• John XXIII was a pope in the Roman Catholic Church. The popes are the leaders of the church. He was pope from 1958 to 1963. John XXIII was one of the most-popular popes of all time. He began a new era in the church with his openness to change. He was made a saint of the church in 2014.
• The word Cardinal is latin for ‘door-hinge’. This is because the Cardinals open the Church to ordinary people.
• Cardinals are nominated by the Pope to form part of the Magisterium. There are 193 of these worldwide, they all live in the Vatican as leading Bishops. ​

  Cardinals are one of the most senior members of the Catholic Church, being second to only the Pope. ​

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  When a Pope dies one of the 193 Cardinals will become the next Supreme Pontiff. ​

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  They form part of a sacred ‘College of Cardinals’ and help the Pope out with his many roles in the Papacy.
• Cardinals wear a scarlet zucchetto (skullcap) and biretta (four-cornered hat with tassel). 
• The robes are crimson - the colour of blood - to symbolise the commitment of each cardinal to defend the church to the death.
• A Cardinal's roles are:

  • They advise and assist the Pope on the running of the Catholic Church,​
  • They run Vatican administration both as a state and as a Church (similar to a government),​
  • They elect the new Pope after the death (or resignation) of the current Pope.
  • They form part of the Magisterium. 
• The word Bishop is taken from a Greek word which means ‘overseer’.
• A Bishop is a senior member of the Church, usually in charge of a diocese with many parishes. They are empowered to celebrate Holy Orders.
• Bishops oversee a whole diocese which includes multiple parishes. Some diocese are so large they have multiple bishops with 1 leading archbishop ​

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  To help him out the Bishop will appoint many Priests and Deacons who will take on a parish within that particular diocese. ​

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  In order to be a Bishop they will need to be ordained and hold the fullness of the Sacrament of the Holy Orders
• Roles of a Bishop:

  To Teach - Oversee the preaching of the Gospel and the Word of God ensuring it is being taught correctly.

  To Govern - Oversee the finances and care for all properties of the church.

  To Sanctify - Oversee and provide administration of the Sacraments.
• • Bishops are seen as the successors of the Apostles, sent out by Jesus to continue his work.​
  • A Bishop’s church is called a Cathedral. This is the main church for the diocese. ​
  • He must regularly visit all smaller parts of his diocese which are called parishes. ​
  • Every 5 years the Bishop must send a report to Vatican City about his diocese.​
  • He has a duty to be present at his cathedral during the seasons of Lent and Advent, and on the feasts of Easter, Christmas, Pentecost and Corpus Christi.
• Bishops also wear a Zucchetto skullcap but they are the colour purple instead of red (Cardinals) or white (Pope).
• Bishops can also wear a Mitre on their head. The colour and design of this triangular headgear can vary depending on the liturgical season. This will always be removed during prayer.
• During important occasions the Bishop will hold a Crosier which is a type of shepherd's staff to show he is guiding all those in his diocese. The design will differ so that it represents his diocese.
• A Deacon may baptise, preach and distribute Holy Communion (but not to transubstantiate it).
• A Priest is believed to have the power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ (transubstantiation) and to forgive sins.
• Only a Bishop has the complete fullness of the Priesthood, with the power to confirm and to ordain Deacons, Priests and other Bishops through the sacrament of Holy Orders.
• A Priest must:

  1. Follow the example of Christ​
  2. Abstain from some normal activities – for example marriage and politics​
  3. Preach about Jesus and the Word of God​
  4. Administer four of the seven sacraments frequently – Eucharist, Baptism, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick​
  5. Pray privately each day​
  6. Teach people how to pray​
  7. Continue their studies, and increase their understanding of the Bible and of theology.​
  8. Care for the dying and console those who grieve​
  9. Live a simple life
• These are the following roles that a Deacon can perform as long as they are supervised by a Priest during it: ​

  • Witness marriages that take place outside of Mass.​
  • Minster (give) Holy Communion to the laity during Mass.​
  • Preach and proclaim teachings in the Gospel. ​
  • Advise, listen and assist those in attendance of Mass.​
  • Perform the sacrament of Baptism.
• The laity are the ordinary members of the Catholic church who neither clergy nor recipients of Holy Orders or vowed to a life in a religious order or congregation. They are the biggest group within the church.
• The Laity:

  • Embody the teachings of the church.​
  • Share the gift of the Catholic faith.​
  • Active members in their own parishes.​
  • Act as ministers of faith - bringing Christianity to work/school.​
  • Take part in some rituals – altar servers, lectors and lay ministers.
• • Youcat 132​

  ‘The Church is holy, not because all her members are supposed to be holy, but rather because God is holy and is at work in her. All members of the Church are sanctified by baptism’
• The Second Vatican Council is the most recent council in Church History. The Second Vatican Council lasted for three years between 1962 and 1965. 

  The council sought to address relationships between the Catholic Church and the modern world. Four key documents were the result of the council. 

  • Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) 
  • Lumen gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) 
  • Dei verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) 
  • Gaudium et spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) 
• One of the greatest aims of the Sacrosanctum Concilium document was the participation of the laity in the Mass
• For the first time, the Mass could be said in the vernacular, which is the local language of the country or place where Mass is celebrated
• The use of vernacular language allowed the laity to fully participate and understand what was happening during the Mass
• The liturgy of the Mass was rewritten to involve the laity
• The layout of churches was changed after Vatican II:

  • Previously, the priest would celebrate the Mass with his back to the congregation, making them mere observers
  • After Vatican II, the altar was moved and the priest now faces the congregation, making them active participants in the Mass
• Lumen Gentium 

  This focused on the Catholic beliefs about the Church with five key areas: 

  • universal call to holiness 
  • the church as the people of God 
  • the role of the bishops 
  • the permanent diaconate - these are deacons who are ordained by the Bishop to serve the local church 
  • the lay vocation - those in the church who have not been ordained or taken any vows 

  The role of the Bishop was given more weight, the laity were called to holiness and by describing the Church as the 'people of God', the teaching on salvation and the Church as a community was made clearer. 
• Dei Verbum focused on revelation, and clarified key Church teachings. It stated that the scriptures teach the truth about salvation, and it is that truth that God wanted humanity to know. Christ himself was the ultimate revelation of God and preached the Gospel to men. The message of Christ was written by the apostles and those with them to preserve the teachings of Christ, and these teachings have been preserved by the magisterium. Divine Revelation means the Word of God expressed through the words of man.