Who belongs to the Church? 19 PERUGINO, Pietro Christ Handing the Keys to St Peter Fresco, 335 x 550 cm Cappella Sistina, Vatican

Compendium of the Catechism 177. Who are the faithful? 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. There exists a true equality among them in their dignity as children of God.

Introduction Saint Paul compares the Church – the Body of Christ– with the human body, that is, a single body with different parts all together.  In the body of the Church, the Head is Jesus Christ and the different parts, the Christians on earth, in Purgatory and in Heaven. This singular composition of the Church is called the Mystical Body of Christ. The mission that corresponds to each one differs according to his or her function in the Church. All of them have their own responsibility. BRAMANTINO The Risen Christ c Oil on panel, 109 x 75 cm Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Main ideas

1. The Church is governed by the Pope and the Bishops The Pope and the bishops make up the Hierarchy, which rules the People of God –helped by the priests and the deacons. We should love and obey the Hierarchy. Its mission is:  to teach the doctrine of Jesus Christ;  to sanctify with the sacraments;  to govern the Church declaring laws that bind us in conscience, judging and punishing if necessary. GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Calling of the Apostles 1481 Fresco, 349 x 570 cm Cappella Sistina, Vatican

2. The Pope The Roman Pontiff is the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ on earth and visible head of the whole Church, with supreme power over each and every shepherd and faithful. Moreover, by divine will, the Pope is infallible and, as supreme teacher of the whole Church, cannot err when teaching about a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.

3. The bishops By divine institution, Bishops are the successors of the Apostles. A bishop to whom a particular Church has been entrusted governs that Church with the authority of his own sacred power. This power is ordinary, immediate and exercised in the name of Christ, the Good Shepherd, in communion with the entire Church and under the guidance of the successor of Peter. “they do proclaim infallibly the doctrine of Christ (…) when (…) preserving for all that amongst themselves and with Peter's successor the bond of communion, in their authoritative teaching concerning matters of faith and morals, they are in agreement that a particular teaching is to be held definitively and absolutely” (Lumen gentium 25) UNKNOWN MASTER, Catalan Christ and the Twelve Apostles c Wood, 103 x 130 cm Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

4. The presbiters or priests of the second order and the deacons Priests are Christ’s ministers who, under the bishop’s authority,  collaborate with him preaching the Gospel,  sanctifying the faithful and leading Christian people to salvation,  mainly through the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. Deacons have received an inferior degree of the Sacrament of the Holy Order. They are not priests.  They receive ordination in order to serve God’s People, in union with the bishop and all the priests of his diocese, in the ministry of liturgy, in preaching and in charity.

5. The laity The greatest part of the People of God consists of the laity. Lay people are those faithful Christians –besides clergy and religious – who, incorporated to Christ by baptism, form the People of God. They participate, in their own particular way, in the priestly, prophetic and royal functions of Christ. They have to be witnesses of Christ wherever they live, and are called to be holy, the same as the other members of the Church. BASSANO, Jacopo Adoration of the Shepherds Oil on canvas, 139,5 x 219 cm Royal Collection, Windsor

6. The religious Religious are those faithful who live apart from the cares of this world in order to profess the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.  Thus, they give admirable testimony that the world can neither be transformed nor offered to God without the spirit of the beatitudes. In this way, they contribute to the good of the entire Church and to the fulfilment of her salvific mission. MAGNASCO, Alessandro Prayer of the Penitent Monks Oil on canvas, 57 x 43 cm Private collection

Resolutions for Christian life

Resolutions to move forward Think about the task that Christ gave us of fulfilling the mission of the Church, and draw conclusions. Pray frequently for the Pope and the bishops, especially for the bishop of your diocese. This can be done during Holy Mass.