HEIRARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH

DRE, Ibadan Archdiocese

Faith series, episode 106

Hierarchy is a system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority. This according to Google is a general understanding of hierarchy.

The Church’s Hierarchy – The hierarchy of the Church, I mean the Catholic Church according to the concise dictionary of theology edited by Karl Rahner, is a structure that is a constitutive principle of the people of God and has its theological basis in the Sacramentality of the Church. This sacramental significance of the Church is bound to the hierarchical structure proper to the Church, i.e. the Church is only sacramental sign by reason of the fact that the Lord who is the invisible head of the Church, is visibly represented in the Church by men. For without a visible head, the Church cannot be a visible representation of the Lord’s body.

The hierarchy of the Church therefore is the group of clergy invested with ecclesiastical authority. The powers of the Church’s hierarchy are: Priestly, pastoral and teaching corresponding to the triple office of Christ as Priest, King and Prophet.

These powers were transferred to the apostles and their successors and are received by an Episcopal ordination. It is important to note here that there is a distinction in the hierarchy. There are:

  1. Hierarchy of Orders – This deals with the total actions concerning worship. It is given to the men who receive Holy Orders namely: Bishops, Priests and Deacons.
  2. Hierarchy of Jurisdiction – This refers to the pastoral aspects, the governing and teaching of Christians in a certain territory, only the Pope, Bishops and Priests have ordinary jurisdiction. By divine right, the hierarchy of jurisdiction include on the Pope and the episcopate. Jurisdiction held by priests and deacons is merely ecclesiastical since they are delegated by the Bishops.

Hierarchical Structure

  1. The Pope (Supreme Pontiff)                   -       His Holiness
  2. The Cardinals (Princes of the Church)   -       His Eminence
  3. The Archbishops (Deals with Province) -       His Grace
  4. The Bishops (Diocese)                   -       His Lordship
  5. The Priests (Msgr and Fathers)
  6. The Deacons (Reverend)