Church as Hierarchy

In this lesson, you will know and understand why the Church has Her
hierarchy developed and continue to develop as time pass by. The we can say that
Saint Peter is the first Pope of the Church since he was appointed by Jesus in
Matthew 16:18 saying “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” And
the successor of Saint Peter continues his duties entrusted by Jesus.
Learning Competencies

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

• Illustrate the growth and development of the institution that

strengthen the Church as a community of life, witness, and service

• Enumerate the leadership in the Church and their distinct role in

the community.

• Give ways on how to nourish their desire and responsibility of

following Christ through His leadership

Intro
Like in our government the Catholic Church has Her own governing body that

controls the Church for Her good. The structure of hierarchy of the Church is like

the government of Philippines, it is just that in the Church, not the faithful who do

choose for their leaders. The cardinals are the ones who choose who will be the

next Pope or head of the Catholic Church through Papal Conclave, and the

cardinals are appointed by the

Pope, while the archbishops and bishops are recommended by the Papal Nuncio.

Clergy is a group or body of chosen persons by God and ordained in a religion. Clergy are

ordained to perform pastoral ministry and priestly functions and to distinguished from the

laity in a Christian Church.

The clergy has two classifications, religious and diocesan. Religious submits

themselves to their superiors, they are not assigned to particular province or

diocese bur rather depends to their superior where they will be assigned to carry

out their ministry, they also have the so called vows: poverty, chastity and

obedience. Other religious orders have extra vows

like the Society of Jesus; they have the “Vow of Loyalty to the Pope.” The religious

also follow strict ways of living depending on the charisms of the community where

they belong and the way they dress depends also to the habit (considered uniform)

of the community where they belong. Examples of religious are as follows:

• Ordo Fratrum Minorum/Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) - OFM

• Ordo Sancti Benedicti/Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines) - OSB

• Ordo Praedicatorum/Order of Preachers (Dominicans) - OP

• Ordo Sancti Augustini/Order of St. Augustine (Augustinians) - OSA

• Ordo Fratrum Beatissimæ Virginis Mariæ de Monte Carmelo/ - O.Carm.

Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (Carmelites)

• Ordo Cartusiensis/Order of Carthusians (Carthusians) – O.Cist.

• Societas Iesu/Society of Jesus (Jesuits) - SJ

• Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis/Servite Order (Servites) - OSM

While the diocesans submit themselves to their bishops or archbishops, they

are assigned to a province or diocese or archdiocese. They do not have vows, but
they do have promises: recite daily the Liturgy of the Hours, obey the bishop or

archbishop, and live a life of celibacy.

There are three ordained groups, order, or ordained ministers in the Catholic
Church.
Deaconate Deacons (permanent and transitional)

Presbyterate Priests and Monsignors

Episcopate Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals, and

Pope

Every group does have their own duties to fulfill in the hierarchy of the Church. The

lowest are the deacons, came from the Greek word “diakoneo” which means to

serve, for deacons offers their lives to serve Church. Deacons teach in the name of

the Church, they preach and most of all proclaim the Gospel. As ordained minister,

he can already initiate the Sacrament of Baptism, serve as witness in the

Sacrament of Matrimony, lead the faithful in prayers, and conduct wake and funeral

services. To distinguish the deacons from the other ordained minister, the stoles

they wear are hung from the left shoulder going down to right hip

like a sash. The color of the stole varied from the color of the liturgical calendar or

season. There are two types of deacon: the permanent deacon and the transitional

deacon. The permanent deacons chose not to be ordained as priests but can be

ordained if they are not married yet, for permanent deacons can enter vocation of

married life. While the transitional deacons sooner or later will be ordained in the

Order of Presbyterate. .
 Presbyterate came from the Greek word presbyteros which means elders. It

is the second rank or group in the ordained ministry and in terms of duties, what the

deacons can do the priest or presbyters also can and aside from those tasks they

can initiate the

Sacraments of Confession, Holy Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick.

The priests also known as “In Persona Christi/Altar Christvs” in English “In

Person of Christ/Alter of Christ” which means that the priest is not who is he

whenever he initiates a sacrament but rather he is Christ. To distinguish the priests

from the other ordained ministers, the priest wears his stole hanging down to his

shoulders and can wear with chasuble (the outermost vestment of the celebrant);

the color also depends from the color of the liturgical calendar or season.

The word Episcopate came from the Greek work epískopos meaning

“watching over” for one of their duties is to watch over their constituents in a large

scale; a province, group of provinces, a diocese or group of dioceses.

In the hierarchy of the Church, the Episcopate is the head of the province. It

can be a bishop, an archbishop or a cardinal, depend upon the Pope. The

difference between the two, the bishop is the head of a specific province while the

archbishop is not only the head of a province but also the head of the group of

province or dioceses like in our archdiocese.

Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga is the

head or leader of the three dioceses namely,

Diocese of Iba, Zambales, Diocese of Tarlac, Tarlac

and Diocese of Balanga, Bataan. Though they do

have their own bishops, the reason why there is an archbishop is that when any

among the dioceses under his jurisdiction turned to Sede

Vacante literally means “the seat is vacant” for a reason, the archbishop will take

over the diocese as long as there is no new appointed bishop to the diocese.

And, among their duties is to initiate all the Seven Sacraments especially the

Sacraments of

Confirmation and Ordination.

To distinguish the Episcopates they have their own insignia:

1. Mitre – it is the spiritual helmet of the bishop and at
the same time it means to protect our faith and
defend the Church.

2. Baculo or Crosier – it symbolizes the authority,

service and jurisdiction of the bishop over the

Church.

3. Episcopal Ring – it symbolizes spiritual matrimony

between the bishop and the Church.

4. Coat of Arms – a shield with the symbolic elements

12
and motto of the bishop.

5. Pectoral Cross – symbolizes the absolute love of the

bishop for Christ.
Bishop’s Insignia | 11
 The Archbishops insignia is just the same with the bishops

aside that the Archbishops has the so called “pallium” given by

the Pope made of a circular strip of white lamb’s wool about two

inches wide with two vertical bands front and back that form Y-

shape look and has crosses, one each on the chest

and back and on each shoulder and band with the total of six
Archbishop’s Pallium |13

crosses that adorn the vestment. The pallium is being wear over the chasuble by

the Archbishops when they gather their flocks.

Image 10 came from: https://jcapsj.org/wp-content/uploads/1/2019/06/2019.06.Arman-Samonte-SJ-

ordination.jpg Image 11 came from: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Novaliches
Image 12 came from:
https://www.facebook.com/ArchbishopPacianoAniceto/photos/a.325087654281061/817621145027707/?
type=3

The Cardinals are chosen by the Pope to serve as principal assistant and

advisers at the same time in administering the center of Catholic Church affairs.

The College of Cardinals is the assembly of the Cardinals.

The College of Cardinals is divided into three ranks: Cardinal Deacons, Cardinal

Priests and Cardinal Bishops.

Rank Functions

Cardinal Deacon Serve in dioceses or archdiocese outside Rome, meaning

to say they serve as Bishops or Archbishops.

Cardinal Priest They work as full-time Roman Curia (administrative unit of

the Holy See) and also serve as the cabinet members of the

Pope. Some of them also carry the duties during Papal

Conclave and announcing the newly elected Pope.

Cardinal Bishop Aside from the duties of the Cardinal Deacons, they are
considered “close-in consultors” of the Pope and also
assign to hold Suburbicarian Churches of Rome.
 14

8 Photo credit: https://www.catholicregister.org/images/stories/documents/CardinalStyle.pdf

Image 14 came from: https://issuu.com/catholicregister/docs/cardinalcollins/17

 The highest in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is the Pope or also known

as the Supreme Pontiff. Pope came from the Greek work páppas which means

“father.” The does not only serve as successor of Saint Peter as the head of the

Church but also the Bishop of Rome, Head of the Bishops, and head of the state or

president, for the reason that Vatican City is a state.

As mentioned above, if the seat is vacant they will elect a new Pope among

the cardinals. But there are qualifications:

• He must be a Cardinal (any rank)

• 80-year old below

• Gained two-thirds (2/3) of the votes

• Accept the Papacy

 As the old saying goes “With great power comes great responsibility.” It goes
the same in the hierarchy of the Church.
Proper Address to the Church Authority

Pope His Holiness/Your Holiness/Holy Father

Cardinals His Eminence/Your Eminence

Archbishops His Excellency/Your Excellency

Bishops Most Reverend

Monsignor Reverend Monsignor

Priests Reverend Father

Deacons Reverend

Ministerium Tuum Imple is the motto of the Archbishop Emeritus Paciano B.

Aniceto of the Archdiocese of San Fernando (P) which means “Fulfil your ministry” it

is a motto that reminds him his ministerial duties he oath to God as a priest and also

reminder to the priests under his archdiocese. It is also a reminder to us that we

must fulfil our missions od duties as a Christian.

Christ the Perfect Sacrament

Learning Competencies

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

• Express the different ideas and convictions on how Christ

became the perfect sacrament of God.

• Discuss Christ as the perfect sacrament of God.

• List down the different ways on how to become and active

witness of Christ to others

Jesus Christ is one of the person of the Trinity God. Hence, Jesus Christ is the

God and He has all the characteristics of the God as the case of the Father and the

Holy Spirit.

In addition, Jesus Christ is the Word (logos). “The Word became a human being

and, full of grace and truth, lived among us” (John 1: 14). Therefore, Jesus Christ is

also true human. The duality nature of Jesus becomes the center of the Christian

faith. The different titles of Jesus convey different aspects of Jesus identity in

relation to the salvation project of God. - The Paschal Mystery in the Church’s

Sacrament

Most of the time when we are talking about the love especially when St.

Valentine’s Day is about to come the symbol that best describe love is the heart

shape, but for Jesus, the best symbol of love is His own cross that He sacrificed His

own life for our sake to redeem us from our sin. But it did not end there for the
redeeming effect of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross continues to be communicated to

us by the Church through the sacraments. In our life as followers of Christ,

sacraments are considered indispensable. Through our encounter with Christ in the

sacraments, He gives us the wonderful opportunity to experience life in its fullness

and all because Christ loves us. The sacraments truly are celebrations of God’s gift

of life and love!

As members of the Church, we have our own privileges and the duty to show other

that our God is a loving and forgiving Father. We are also called not just to bring but

to make Jesus present in the communities where we belong. But sometimes, we fail

to live up to this challenge because we fail to show our love and instead, we are

overcome by our self-centeredness. Thus, instead of being instruments of God’s

salvation, we become means of further alienation. The question is, how can we truly

become a sacrament of

Christ’s love to others? Here are some of the ways:

A. Be a person for others- There are many people around us who are lonely; let us be

Jesus’ hands that will comfort them. There are also people who may know very little

about God; let us be Jesus’ mouth to tell them about God’s love. Many of us are in

need, let us share whatever blessings we have with them.

B. Be forgiving- God our Father is merciful because He forgave sinners and welcomed

them into His circle of friends. It is inevitable that sometimes other hurt us and when

the pain caused by others is too deep, it is sometimes difficult to just forgive and

forget. But if we are to be authentic signs of Jesus’ presence in our community, the

right thing to do for us is to forgive and stop the hatred in our hearts.
 C. Be courageous and faithful- Jesus never lost His faith even in His most trying times.

He never failed to faced His sufferings, instead, He still fulfil God’s divine will. We

can become signs of Jesus’ presence if we too will be courageous in times of trial,

never losing our

hope and trust in God and remains strong especially in the face of temptations and
sin.

D. Be hopeful and cheerful- Problems do happen, crises do occur yet we know that our

Father is always there to assist us. We can be signs of Jesus’ presence if we will

always look at the bright side of life, if we remain joyful in the midst of all the

problems, trials and difficulties that come our way.

E. Be humble- no matter how fruitful you are stay humble like the grains that the more

it bears grains the more it bends.

Catholic Signs and Symbols

In this lesson, you will encounter activities that help you to reinforce your knowledge

about the Catholic Signs and Symbols.

Learning Competencies
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

• Enumerate the different signs and symbols present in their own

ordinary life.

• Differentiate signs and symbols.

• Relate how they become a sign and symbol of God to others.

Signs and symbols involve a significant spot in regular day to day existence. As

social creatures we use signs and symbols to speak with one another through

language, signals, and activities that we do. The same might be said in our

relationship with God.

When we say that a symbol is conventional, it means that such symbol has

the same meaning for a particular group of people with the same beliefs and

culture. Like in the Philippines, we have natural symbols that mean the same for all

of us Filipinos. For example, the Sampaguita that is considered as our national

flower, stands for the purity of the Filipino women possess. The Narra tree, on the

other hand, symbolizes our strength of character as a Filipino.

On the other hand, an accidental symbol means something that has a

special meaning for one person, but may not have any meaning for another. A rose

given by a man to the woman he loves carries so much meaning for that man. This

symbolizes his deep affection for the woman he loves. But for others who are not in

love, a rose is simply just another flower that has no difference from the others.

Finally, a universal symbol is something that has the same meaning for all the

people in all places at all times. Like for example, water is seen by people from

different cultures as symbolizing life and cleansing; fire symbolizes strength and life;

bread as nourishment and life. These universal symbols are used by the Church in

the sacraments.

The church is full of sacred signs and symbols that tell us about our past- our
history - and inform our faith. Each one has some significance and connection to

our faith, and each one represents a time in history, a story, and body of believers.
Catholic signs and symbols point a way through the spiritual world; act as badges of

faith, teaching tools, and aids on the journey towards understanding complex

philosophies.

Christian Symbols
Cross - seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus, is

the best-known symbol of Christianity. The most famous and widespread

Christian symbol is the cross. It is found wherever there is a Christian

presence. In Roman times, the cross was an instrument of torture and public

humiliation, and criminals were put to death on crosses.

For Christians, the cross has become a symbol not only of Jesus' death,

but also of his resurrection. While the cross has been around long before the

advent of

Christianity, the Easter story (that is, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus

Christ) has made the cross one of the most recognized icons in the world. The

cross symbolizes sacrifice, suffering, repentance, solidarity, and exclusion.

These are only a few ways to interpret the cross. Every Catholic applies their

own significance to this perennial symbol.

ICHTHVS - among the symbols employed by the early Christians, that of the fish

seems to have ranked first in importance. Its popularity among Christians was

due principally to the famous acrostic consisting of the initial letters of five

Greek words forming the word for fish (Ichthus), which words briefly but clearly

described the character of Christ and the claim to worship of believers:

 "Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς Σωτήρ".

Alpha and Omega - use since the earliest Christianity of the first and the last letters

of the Greek alphabet, alpha (α or Α) and omega (ω or Ω), derives from the

statement said by Jesus (or God) himself "I am Alpha and Omega, the First

and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:13, also 1:8 and

21:6).

Lamb - symbol of Christ as the Paschal Lamb and also a symbol for Christians (as

Christ is our Shepherd and Peter was told to feed His sheep). The lamb is also

a symbol for St. Agnes (Feast Day 21 January), virgin martyr of the early

Church.

Dove - symbol of the Holy Ghost and used especially in representations of our

Lord's Baptism and the Pentecost. It also symbolizes the release of the soul in

death, and is used to recall Noe's dove, a harbinger of hope.

Peacock - a symbol of immortality (even St. Augustine believed the peacock’s flesh

to have "antiseptic qualities" and that it didn't corrupt), the peacock became a

symbol of Christ and the Resurrection. Its image embellished everything from

the Catacombs to everyday objects, like lamps, especially in early

Romanesque and

Byzantine churches.

Pelican: The Pelican is a symbol of the atonement and the Redeemer and is often

found in Christian murals, frescos, paintings and stained glass. The pelican

was believed to wound itself in order to feed its young with its own blood. In
 the hymn "Adoro Te," St. Thomas Aquinas addresses the Savior with, "Pelican

of Mercy, cleanse me in Thy Precious Blood." Allusion is even made to this

belief in "Hamlet" (act iv): "To his good friend thus wide I'll ope my arms And,

like the kind, life rendering pelican, Repast them with my blood."

Phoenix - the Phoenix is a mythical creature said to build a nest when old, and set

it on fire. It would then rise from the ashes in victory. Because of these myths

(believed by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Orientals), the bird came to

symbolize Christ.

Ship- as those outside of Noe's Ark were destroyed, the ship became a perfect

early symbol of the Church with its associations with "the barque of Peter, the

Fisherman." In the same vein, the main part of a church's interior, the place

where the people worship, is called a "nave," from the Latin "navis" -- ship.

The Ark is also a symbol of the Temple through its shape and purpose, both

having three levels, etc. And as a symbol of the Temple and Church, it is a

symbol of Mary, sealed off with pitch and closed up by God Himself.

Rainbow - sign of the Covenant with Noe. Its 7 colors recall the 7 Sacraments (7 is

the sign of Covenant and completion). In St. John's vision of Heaven, a

rainbow makes an appearance -- over the head of the angel who gives John a

book to eat (ch. 10), and surrounding the throne of God.

The Good Shepherd - some of the earliest depictions of Christ show Him as the
Good Shepherd. This type of representation is found in the Catacombs.
Palm - victory and martyrdom. Palms are especially made use of on Palm Sunday.

The ashes of palms used on Palm Sunday are later burned and used on the

next year's Ash Wednesday to symbolize mortality and penance.

Scallop Shell - the sea shell, especially the scallop shell, is the symbol of Baptism,

and is found frequently on Baptismal fonts. The dish used by priests to pour

water over the heads of catechumens in Baptism is often scallop-shaped. The

scallop, too, is a symbol for the Apostle James the Greater.

Rose - the Holy Faith, Our Lady, martyrdom, the secrecy of penance. Five roses

grouped together symbolize the 5 Wounds of Christ.

3 Nails - 3 nails symbolize the Crucifixion. They are three in number because two

nails were used to secure Christ's Hands, and a third was used to secure His

Feet. The 3 nails are often combined with other symbols, such as they are in

the Jesuit seal - the letters IHS with the three nails underneath, all surmounted

by a Cross.

Keys - The Keys are the symbol of the authority of the papacy and the Church's

power to "bind and loose" (Matthew 16:19 and Isaiah 22).

"Crux commissa" or "thau" or "tau" - the T-shaped cross is mentioned in the

Old

Testament and is seen as a foreshadowing of the Cross of Christ.

Byzantine Cross - used mostly by the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox

Churches. The second cross-bar at top is for the INRI inscription; the bottom

cross-bar is His footrest.

Slavonic Cross - used most often by Eastern Catholics and Russian Orthodox, this

Cross is the Byzantine Cross with the footrest at a diagonal.

Jerusalem Cross - also called the "Crusaders' Cross," it is made up of 5 Greek

Crosses which are said to symbolize a) the 5 Wounds of Christ; and/or b) the
4

Gospels and the 4 corners of the earth (the 4 smaller crosses) and Christ

Himself (the large Cross). This Cross was a common symbol used during the

wars against

Islamic aggression.

Celtic Cross (the Cross of Iona) - stone crosses in this form dot the landscapes of

Ireland and Scotland and are associated with the evangelization of these lands.

THE CRUCIFIX - The crucifix is a depiction of the cross that reveals the body of

Christ as a reminder of the suffering and sacrifice made for mankind as

atonement. The crucifix adorns the walls of homes and churches of Roman

Catholics. It is placed facing the priest on the altar and facing the congregation

above the Eucharistic altar. It is, in truth, the ultimate symbol of sacrifice

BREAD AND WINE - These are considered to be the holiest part in a Eucharistic

celebration, the consecrated bread and wine are seen as the Body and Blood

of Christ sacrificed on the altar. The priest and the laity become one in Christ

after receiving the Holy Communion.

INRI - A crucifix often has the letters "INRI" carved into the wood of the cross.

These letters are short for the Latin phrase, "Iesus Nazarenus, Rex

Iudaeorum," which translates to "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

These are the words which Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who

sentenced Jesus to death, ordered to be written on the cross on which Jesus

Christ was crucified.

PASCHAL CANDLE - The Paschal candle lit every year at the dawn of Easter is

symbolic of the risen Christ. The flame of the candle is used to symbolize the

eternal presence of Christ who is also called the light of the world.

SACRED HEART - In Catholic art, the Sacred Heart is usually depicted as a

flaming heart. It is also usually shining with divine light, pierced (presumably

from a lance), encircled by a crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross, and

bleeding. Sometimes it is shown in the bosom of Jesus Christ. The wound,

thorns, and blood represent Jesus' crucifixion, and the flames represent the

transformative power of divine love.

FLAMES/FIRE - Tongues of fire descending down to the earth is used to represent

the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

FLEUR-DE-LIS - The fleur-de-lis is a stylized lily composed of three petals bound

together at their base. In one interpretation, the flower is a symbol of the

Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The whiteness and beauty of the lily is

symbolic of the purity of Mary Immaculate.

Lets have more activity!
 Sacraments also make use of universal symbols. In fact, according to St.

Augustine, a sacrament is a sign of sacred reality. This means that the signs or

symbols used in the sacraments point to a deeper reality other than what we see or

what we feel. For example, the matter that is being use in the sacrament of baptism

is water. We all know that water is used for cleaning and it is also important to our

existence. Water in baptism symbolizes the grace that we receive in the sacrament.

This grace frees the recipient of the sacrament from both original and personal sins.

It also gives the recipient’s birth to a new life. This means that the reality we do not

see which is the grace is symbolized by a reality which we see (water).

Sacraments are more than just ordinary symbols. They are referred as

efficacious symbols which means that the sacraments do not merely point to the

reality of grace. They are real performative word events, which mean that they

make present the spiritual reality that they symbolize, that is, the saving presence

of the Risen Christ (CFC 1573).