871
"The Christian faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been
incorporated in Christ through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of
God; for this reason, since they have become sharers in Christ's priestly,
prophetic, and royal office in their own manner, they are called to exercise
the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in
accord with the condition proper to each one."385 (CIC, Can. 204 para 1; Cf. LG 31.)
872
"In virtue of their rebirth in Christ, there exists among all the Christian
faithful a true equality with regard to dignity and the activity whereby all
cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ in accord with each one's
own condition and function."386
873
The very differences which the Lord has willed to put between the members of
his body serve its unity and mission. For "in the Church, there is the diversity of ministry but the unity of mission. To the apostles and their
successors Christ has entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and
governing in his name and by his power. But the laity are made to share in the
priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ; they have, therefore, in the
Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole
People of God."387 (AA 2.) Finally, "from both groups [hierarchy and laity]
there exist Christian faithful who are consecrated to God in their own special
manner and serve the salvific mission of the Church through the profession of
the evangelical counsels."388 (CIC, Can. 207 # 2. )
I.
THE HIERARCHICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH
Why
the ecclesial ministry?
874
Christ is himself the source of ministry in the Church. He instituted the
Church. He gave her authority and mission, orientation and goal:
In
order to shepherd the People of God and to increase its numbers without ceasing,
Christ the Lord set up in his Church a variety of offices which aim at the good
of the whole body. the holders of office, who are invested with sacred power,
are, in fact, dedicated to promoting the interests of their brethren, so that
all who belong to the People of God . . . may attain to salvation.389
875
"How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? and how are
they to hear without a preacher? and how can men preach unless they are
sent?"390 (Rom 10:14:15.) No one - no individual and no community - can proclaim the
Gospel to himself: "Faith comes from what is heard."391 (Rom 10:17. ) No one can
give himself the mandate and the mission to proclaim the Gospel. the one sent
by the Lord does not speak and act on his own authority, but by virtue of
Christ's authority; not as a member of the community, but speaking to it in the
name of Christ. No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and
offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by
Christ. From him, they receive the mission and faculty ("the sacred
power") to act in persona Christi Capitis. the ministry in which Christ's
emissaries do and give by God's grace what they cannot do and give by their own
powers is called a "sacrament" by the Church's tradition. Indeed,
the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament.
876
Intrinsically linked to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry is its
character as service. Entirely dependent on Christ who gives mission and
authority, ministers are truly "slaves of Christ,"392 (Cf. ⇒ Rom 1:1.) in the image of
him who freely took "the form of a slave" for us.393 (Phil 2:7.) Because of the word
and grace of which they are ministers are not their own but are given to them
by Christ for the sake of others, they must freely become the slaves of all.394 (Cf. ⇒ 1 Cor 9:19. )
877
Likewise, it belongs to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry that it
have a collegial character. In fact, from the beginning of his ministry, the
Lord Jesus instituted the Twelve as "the seeds of the new Israel and the
beginning of the sacred hierarchy."395 (AG 5. ) Chosen together, they were also
sent out together, and their fraternal unity would be at the service of the
fraternal communion of all the faithful: they would reflect and witness to the
communion of the divine persons.396, (Cf. ⇒ Jn 17:21-23. ) For this reason, every bishop exercises his
ministry from within the episcopal college, in communion with the bishop of
Rome, the successor of St. Peter and head of the college. So also priests
exercise their ministry from within the presbyterium of the diocese, under the
direction of their bishop.
878
Finally, it belongs to the sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry that it
have a personal character. Although Christ's ministers act in communion with one
another, they also always act in a personal way. Each one is called personally:
"You, follow me"397 (Jn 21:22; Cf. ⇒ Mt 4:19. ⇒ 21; ⇒ Jn 1:4[ETML:C/].) in order to be a personal witness within the
common mission, to bear personal responsibility before him who gives the
mission, acting "in his person" and for other persons: "I
baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
..."; "I absolve you...."
879
Sacramental ministry in the Church, then, is at once a collegial and a personal
service, exercised in the name of Christ. This is evidenced by the bonds
between the episcopal college and its head, the successor of St. Peter, and in
the relationship between the bishop's pastoral responsibility for his
particular church and the common solicitude of the episcopal college for the
universal Church.
The
episcopal college and its head, the Pope
880
When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a
college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen
from among them."398 (LG 19; cf. ⇒ Lk 6:13; ⇒ Jn 21:15-17. ) Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter
and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like
fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors
of the apostles, are related with and united to one another."399
881
The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his
Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the
whole flock.400 (Cf. ⇒ Mt 16:18-19; ⇒ Jn 21:15-17. ) "The office of binding and loosing which was given to
Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head."401 (LG 22 # 2. ) This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very
foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.
882
The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and
visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole
company of the faithful."402 (LG 23. ) "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his
office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full,
supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always
exercise unhindered."403 (LG 22; cf. CD 2,9. )
883
"The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the
Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its head." As such, this college has
"supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power
cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff."404
884
"The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a
solemn manner in an ecumenical council."405 (CIC, can. 337 # 1. ) But "there never is an
ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by
Peter's successor."406
885
"This college, in so far as it is composed of many members, is the
expression of the variety and universality of the People of God; and of the
unity of the flock of Christ, in so far as it is assembled under one
head."407
886
"The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in
their own particular Churches."408 (LG 23.) As such, they "exercise their
pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to
them,"409 (LG 23. ) assisted by priests and deacons. But, as a member of the
episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches.410 (Cf. CD 3. ) The bishops exercise this care first "by ruling well their own Churches as
portions of the universal Church," and so contributing "to the
welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a
corporate body of Churches."411 ( LG 23. ) They extend it especially to the poor,412 (Cf. ⇒ Gal 2:10. ) to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working
throughout the world.
887
Neighboring particular Churches who share the same culture form ecclesiastical
provinces or larger groupings called patriarchates or regions.413 (Cf. Apostolic Constitutions 34. ) The bishops
of these groupings can meet in synods or provincial councils. "In a like
fashion, the episcopal conferences at the present time are in a position to contribute
in many and fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegiate
spirit."414 (LG 23 # 3. )
The
teaching office
888
Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach
the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command.415 (PO 4; cf. ⇒ Mk 16:15. ) They
are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are
authentic teachers" of the apostolic faith "endowed with the
authority of Christ."416
889
In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the
apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own
infallibility. By a "supernatural sense of faith" the People of God,
under the guidance of the Church's living Magisterium, "unfailingly
adheres to this faith."417
890
The mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the
covenant that is established by God with his people in Christ. It is this Magisterium's
tasks to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and to guarantee
them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error.
Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the
People of God abides in the truth that liberates. To fulfill this service,
Christ endowed the Church's shepherds with the charism of infallibility in
matters of faith and morals. the exercise of this charism takes several forms:
891
"The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this
infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of
all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a
definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.... the infallibility
promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when together
with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all
in an Ecumenical Council.418 (LG 25; cf. Vatican Council I: DS 3074.) When the Church through its supreme Magisterium
proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed,"419 (DV 10 # 2. ) and
as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the
obedience of faith."420 (LG 25 # 2.) This infallibility extends as far as the deposit
of divine Revelation itself.421
892
Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in
communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop
of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible
definition and without pronouncing in a "definitive manner," they
propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to a better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this
ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious
assent"422 (LG 25. ) which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless
an extension of it.
The
sanctifying office
893
The bishop is "the steward of the grace of the supreme
priesthood,"423 (LG 26. ) especially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or
whose offering he assures through the priests, his co-workers. the Eucharist is
the center of the life of the particular Church. the bishop and priests sanctify
the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the
sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, "not as domineering over
those in your charge but being examples to the flock."424 (1 Pet 5:3. ) Thus,
"together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal
life."425 (LG 26 # 3. )
The
governing office
894
"The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the particular
Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example, but
over and above that also by the authority and sacred power" which indeed
they ought to exercise so as to edify, in the spirit of service which is that
of their Master.426
895
"The power which they exercise personally in the name of Christ, is
proper, ordinary, and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled
by the supreme authority of the Church."427 (LG 27. ) But the bishops should not be
thought of as vicars of the Pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the
whole Church does not annul, but on the contrary, confirms and defends that of
the bishops. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the whole
Church under the guidance of the Pope.
896
The Good Shepherd ought to be the model and "form" of the bishop's
pastoral office. Conscious of his own weaknesses, "the bishop . . . can
have compassion for those who are ignorant and erring. He should not refuse to
listen to his subjects whose welfare he promotes as of his very own
children.... the faithful ... should be closely attached to the bishop as the church is to Jesus Christ and as Jesus Christ is to the Father":428
Let
all follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ follows his Father, and the college of
presbyters as the apostles; respect the deacons as you do God's law. Let no one
do anything concerning the Church in separation from the bishop.429
II.
THE LAY FAITHFUL
897
"The term 'laity' is here understood to mean all the faithful except those
in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the
Church. That is, the faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and
integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in
the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part
to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the
World."430
The
vocation of lay people
898
"By reason of their special vocation, it belongs to the laity to seek the
kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to
God's will... It pertains to them in a special way so to illuminate and order
all temporal things with which they are closely associated that these may
always be effected and grow according to Christ and maybe to the glory of the
Creator and Redeemer."431
899
The initiative of lay Christians is necessary especially when the matter
involves discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political,
and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life. This
initiative is a normal element of the life of the Church:
Lay
believers are in the front line of Church life; for them, the Church is the
animating principle of human society. Therefore, they in particular ought to
have an ever-clearer consciousness not only of belonging to the Church but of
being the Church, that is to say, the community of the faithful on earth under
the leadership of the Pope, the common Head, and of the bishops in communion
with him. They are the Church.432
John Paul II, CL 9. )
John Paul II, CL 9. )
900
Since, like all the faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the
apostolate by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, they have the right and
duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine Message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth.
This duty is more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear
the Gospel and know Christ. Their activity in ecclesial communities is so
necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of the pastors cannot be
fully effective without it.433
The participation of lay people in Christ's priestly office
901 "Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit - indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born - all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist, these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord. and so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives."434
902
In a very special way, parents share in the office of sanctifying "by
leading a conjugal life in the Christian spirit and by seeing to the Christian
education of their children."435
903
Lay people who possess the required qualities can be admitted permanently to
the ministries of lector and acolyte.436 (Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 230 # 1.) When the necessity of the Church
warrants it and when ministers are lacking, laypersons, even if they are not
lectors or acolytes can also supply for certain of their offices, namely, to
exercise the ministry of the word, to preside over liturgical prayers, to
confer Baptism, and to distribute Holy Communion in accord with the
prescriptions of law."437
Participation
in Christ's prophetic office
904
"Christ . . . fulfills this prophetic office, not only by the hierarchy.
. . but also by the laity. He accordingly both establishes them as witnesses
and provides them with the sense of the faith [sensus fidei] and the grace of
the word"438
To
teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of
each believer.439
905
Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, "that
is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life." For laypeople, "this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and
peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of
the world." 440
This
witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true
apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to
unbelievers . . . or to the faithful.441
906
Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical
formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications
media.442
907
"In accord with the knowledge, competence, and preeminence which they
possess, [lay people] have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to
the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the
Church and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other
Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and
reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and
the dignity of persons."443
Participation
in Christ's kingly office
908
By his obedience unto death,444 (Cf. ⇒ Phil 2:8-9. ) Christ communicated to his disciples the gift
of royal freedom, so that they might "by the self-abnegation of a holy
life, overcome the reign of sin in themselves":445 (LG 36. )
That
man is rightly called a king who makes his own body an obedient subject and, by
governing himself with suitable rigor, refuses to let his passions breed
rebellion in his soul, for he exercises a kind of royal power over himself. and
because he knows how to rule his own person as king, so too does he sit as its
judge. He will not let himself be imprisoned by sin, or thrown headlong into
wickedness.446
909
"Moreover, by uniting their forces let the laity so remedy the
institutions and conditions of the world when the latter are an inducement to
sin, that these may be conformed to the norms of justice, favoring rather than
hindering the practice of virtue. By so doing they will impregnate culture and
human works with a moral value."447
910
"The laity can also feel called, or be in fact called, to cooperate with
their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community, for the sake of its
growth and life. This can be done through the exercise of different kinds of
ministries according to the grace and charisms which the Lord has been pleased
to bestow on them." 448
911
In the Church, "lay members of the Christian faithful can cooperate in the
exercise of this power [of governance] in accord with the norm of law."449 (CIC, can. 129 # 2.) and so the Church provides for their presence at particular councils, diocesan
synods, pastoral councils; the exercise in solidum of the pastoral care of a
parish, collaboration in finance committees, and participation in
ecclesiastical tribunals, etc.450 (
912
The faithful should "distinguish carefully between the rights and the
duties which they have as belonging to the Church and those which fall to them
as members of the human society. They will strive to unite the two
harmoniously, remembering that in every temporal affair they are to be guided
by a Christian conscience, since no human activity, even of the temporal order,
can be withdrawn from God's dominion."451
913
"Thus, every person, through these gifts given to him, is at once the
witness and the living instrument of the mission of the Church itself
'according to the measure of Christ's bestowal."'452
III.
THE CONSECRATED LIFE
914
"The state of life which is constituted by the profession of the
evangelical counsels, while not entering into the hierarchical structure of the
Church, belongs undeniably to her life and holiness."453
Evangelical
counsels, consecrated life
915
Christ proposes the evangelical counsels, in their great variety, to every
disciple. the perfection of charity, to which all the faithful are called,
entails for those who freely follow the call to consecrated life the obligation
of practicing chastity in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, poverty and
obedience. It is the profession of these counsels, within a permanent state of
life recognized by the Church, that characterizes the life consecrated to
God. 454
916
The religious state is thus one way of experiencing a "more intimate"
consecration, rooted in Baptism and dedicated totally to God.455 (Cf. PC 5. ) In the
consecrated life, Christ's faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to
follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and,
pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify
and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come.456
One
great tree, with many branches
917
"From the God-given seed of the counsels a wonderful and wide-spreading
tree has grown up in the field of the Lord, branching out into various forms of
the religious life lived in solitude or in community. Different religious
families have come into existence in which spiritual resources are multiplied
for the progress in holiness of their members and for the good of the entire
Body of Christ."457 (LG 43. )
918 From the very beginning of the Church, there were men and women who set out to follow Christ with greater liberty and to imitate him more closely, by practicing the evangelical counsels. They led lives dedicated to God, each in his own way. Many of them, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became hermits or founded religious families. These the Church, by virtue of her authority, gladly accepted and approved.458
919
Bishops will always strive to discern new gifts of consecrated life granted to
the Church by the Holy Spirit; the approval of new forms of consecrated life is
reserved to the Apostolic See.459
The
eremitic life
920
Without always professing the three evangelical counsels publicly, hermits
"devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through
a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous
prayer and penance." 460
921
They manifest to everyone the interior aspect of the mystery of the Church,
that is, personal intimacy with Christ. Hidden from the eyes of men, the life
of the hermit is a silent preaching of the Lord, to whom he has surrendered his
life simply because he is everything to him. Here is a particular call to find
in the desert, in the thick of spiritual battle, the glory of the Crucified
One.
Consecrated
virgins
922
From apostolic times Christian virgins, called by the Lord to cling only to him
with greater freedom of heart, body, and spirit, have decided with the Church's
approval to live in a state of virginity "for the sake of the Kingdom of
heaven."461
923
"Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely,
are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop according to the approved
liturgical rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are
dedicated to the service of the Church."462 (CIC, can. 604 # 1.)
By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is "constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church's love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come."463
By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is "constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church's love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come."463
924
"As with other forms of consecrated life," the order of virgins
establishes the woman living in the world (or the nun) in prayer, penance,
service of her brethren, and apostolic activity, according to the state of life
and spiritual gifts given to her.464 (Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 604 # 1; OCV Praenotanda 2.) Consecrated virgins can form themselves
into associations to observe their commitment more faithfully.465
Religious
life
925
Religious life was born in the East during the first centuries of Christianity.
Lived within institutes canonically erected by the Church, it is distinguished
from other forms of consecrated life by its liturgical character, public
profession of the evangelical counsels, fraternal life led in common, and
witness given to the union of Christ with the Church.466
926
Religious life derives from the mystery of the Church. It is a gift she has
received from her Lord, a gift she offers as a stable way of life to the
faithful called by God to profess the counsels. Thus, the Church can both show
forth Christ and acknowledge herself to be the Savior's bride. Religious life
in its various forms is called to signify the very charity of God in the
language of our time.
927
All religious, whether exempt or not, take their place among the collaborators
of the diocesan bishop in his pastoral duty.467 (Cf. CD 33-35; ⇒ CIC, can. 591. ) From the outset of the work of
evangelization, the missionary "planting" and expansion of the Church
require the presence of the religious life in all its forms.468 (Cf. AG 18; 40. ) "History
witnesses to the outstanding service rendered by religious families in the
propagation of the faith and in the formation of new Churches: from the ancient
monastic institutions to the medieval orders, all the way to the more recent
congregations."469 (John Paul II, RMiss 69. )
Secular
institutes
928
"A secular institute is an institute of consecrated life in which the
Christian faithful living in the world strive for the perfection of charity and
work for the sanctification of the world especially from within."470
929
By a "life perfectly and entirely consecrated to [such]
sanctification," the members of these institutes share in the Church's
task of evangelization, "in the world and from within the world,"
where their presence acts as "leaven in the world."471 (Pius XII, Provida Mater; cf. PC 11. ) "Their
witness of a Christian life" aim "to order temporal things according
to God and inform the world with the power of the gospel." They commit
themselves to the evangelical counsels by sacred bonds and observe among themselves
the communion and fellowship appropriate to their "particular secular way
of life."472
Societies
of apostolic life
930
Alongside the different forms of consecrated life are "societies of
apostolic life whose members without religious vows pursue the particular
apostolic purpose of their society, and lead a life as brothers or sisters in
common according to a particular manner of life, strive for the perfection of
charity through the observance of the constitutions. Among these, there are
societies in which the members embrace the evangelical counsels" according
to their constitutions.473
Consecration
and mission: proclaiming the King who is corning
931
Already dedicated to him through Baptism, the person who surrenders himself to
the God he loves above all else thereby consecrates himself more intimately to
God's service and to the good of the Church. By this state of life consecrated
to God, the Church manifests Christ and shows us how the Holy Spirit acts so
wonderfully in her. and so the first mission of those who profess the
evangelical counsels is to live out their consecration. Moreover, "since
members of institutes of consecrated life dedicate themselves through their
consecration to the service of the Church they are obliged in a special manner
to engage in missionary work, in accord with the character of the
institute." 474
932
In the Church, which is like the sacrament - the sign and instrument - of God's
own life, the consecrated life is seen as a special sign of the mystery of
redemption. To follow and imitate Christ more nearly and to manifest more
clearly his self-emptying is to be more deeply present to one's contemporaries,
in the heart of Christ. For those who are on this "narrower" path
encourage their brethren by their example, and bear striking witness "that
the world cannot be transfigured and offered to God without the spirit of the
beatitudes."475
933
Whether their witness is public, as in the religious state, or less public, or
even secret, Christ's coming remains for all those consecrated both the origin
and rising sun of their life:
For
the People of God has here no lasting city, . . . [and this state] reveals more
clearly to all believers the heavenly goods which are already present in this
age, witnessing to the new and eternal life which we have acquired through the
redemptive work of Christ and preluding our future resurrection and the glory
of the heavenly kingdom.476
IN
BRIEF
934
"Among the Christian faithful by divine institution there exist in the
Church sacred ministers, who are also called clerics in law, and other
Christian faithful who are also called laity." In both groups there are
those Christian faithful who, professing the evangelical counsels, are
consecrated to God and so serve the Church's saving mission (cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 207 # 1, 2).
935
To proclaim the faith and to plant his reign, Christ sends his apostles and
their successors. He gives them a share in his own mission. From him they
receive the power to act in his person.
936
The Lord made St. Peter the visible foundation of his Church. He entrusted the
keys of the Church to him. the bishop of the Church of Rome, successor to St.
Peter, is "head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor
of the universal Church on earth" (⇒
CIC, can. 331).
937
The Pope enjoys, by divine institution, "supreme, full, immediate, and
universal power in the care of souls" (CD 2).
938
The Bishops, established by the Holy Spirit, succeed the apostles. They are
"the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular
Churches" (LG 23).
939
Helped by the priests, their co-workers, and by the deacons, the bishops have
the duty of authentically teaching the faith, celebrating divine worship, above
all the Eucharist, and guiding their Churches as true pastors. Their
responsibility also includes concern for all the Churches, with and under the
Pope.
940
"The characteristic of the lay state being a life led in the midst of the
world and of secular affairs, lay people are called by God to make of their
apostolate, through the vigor of their Christian spirit, a leaven in the
world" (AA 2 # 2).
941
Lay people share in Christ's priesthood: ever more united with him, they
exhibit the grace of Baptism and Confirmation in all dimensions of their
personal family, social and ecclesial lives, and so fulfill the call to
holiness addressed to all the baptized.
942
By virtue of their prophetic mission, lay people "are called . . . to be
witnesses to Christ in all circumstances and at the very heart of the community
of mankind" (GS 43 # 4).
943
By virtue of their kingly mission, lay people have the power to uproot the rule
of sin within themselves and in the world, by their self-denial and holiness of
life (cf. LG 36).
944
The life consecrated to God is characterized by the public profession of the
evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, in a stable state of
life recognized by the Church.
945
Already destined for him through Baptism, the person who surrenders himself to
the God he loves above all else thereby consecrates himself more intimately to
God's service and to the good of the whole Church.
GO TO:
ARTICLE 9
PARAGRAPH 1 THE CHURCH IN GOD'S PLAN
PARAGRAPH 2.THE CHURCH - PEOPLE OF GOD, BODY OF CHRIST, TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
PARAGRAPH 3.THE CHURCH IS ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC
PARAGRAPH 6.MARY - MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
SECTION TWO: CREEDS
CHAPTER THREE:
CHAPTER THREE:
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