Titles, Terms, Ministries
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Titles, Terms, Ministr ies And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. ~ Ephesians 4:11-12 EOPLE WHO BECOME PART of an organization after their principal cities. Each diocese is headed always have a new vocabulary to learn. The by its own bishop, who has his own authority as a Catholic Church, which is nearly 2,000 years successor to the apostles — that is, he is not a subor- Pold, has developed a tremendous number of dinate of the Pope, even though he is appointed by terms covering every aspect of its activity. This hand- him, but exercises his “pastoral office over the por- out provides a guide to some tion of the People of God of the more common ones “A bishop is the chief shepherd assigned”13 to him (CCC that might be encountered. of a diocese.” 886). Provinces are groups For the sake of simplicity, of dioceses organized un- the following refers almost der an archdiocese, head- exclusively to the Latin rite, ed by an archbishop (also to which most English-speak- called a metropolitan). ing Catholics belong. Bishops of dioceses under Most people know that an archdiocese are called the head of the Catholic suffragan bishops (that is, Church, its supreme au- they may vote in provin- thority on earth, is the Pope cial councils). The bishop (from Latin and Greek for of a diocese is often called “father”). The Pope is also the ordinary, that is, the known as the Supreme Pon- one who exercises “ordi- tiff, a term that derives from nary jurisdiction” over a the Latin title of the chief diocese. He can be assist- priest of pagan Rome, the ed by auxiliary bishops. pontifex maximus or “chief Auxiliary bishops are often bridge-builder” (from the given specific parts of the gods to the people). diocese to manage under The Pope is the Bishop of the overall supervision of Rome, that is, he is responsi- the bishop. Large groups ble also for the specific geo- of dioceses are called re- graphic area in and around gions. In some countries, that city. Such a geographic one bishop is considered area is called a diocese (from the “first among equals” the Greek word dioikesis, re- and is called the primate. ferring to the management of A few Latin-rite dioces- a household, which was ap- St. Anthony’s Parish in Wichita, Kansas, founded in 1887 es have patriarchs (for plied in ancient Roman civil example, Venice, Italy). administration to a geographic area dependent for This title is, however, much more common in Eastern- its administration on a city), and a bishop (from the rite churches. Collectively, the bishops are called the Greek word episcopos, meaning “overseer”) is the episcopate and, together, they in communion with the chief shepherd of a diocese. Every area of the world Bishop of Rome (the Pope) have a “common solicitude where there is a significant number of Catholics is … for the universal Church” (CCC 879). organized into one or more dioceses, usually named Dioceses are broken down into parishes (from The Association for Catechumenal Ministry (ACM) grants the original purchaser (parish, local parochial institution, or individual) permission to reproduce this handout. the Greek paroikia, meaning a neighboring group of dean (from the Greek word deka, originally denoting homes), geographic areas with a common building a minor military officer but later used for minor of- for worship usually called a church. Both the par- ficials in the household of the Roman emperor). In ish and the church are named after some event in other dioceses, parishes may be grouped into a vicar- our Lord’s life (for example, Incarnation or Resur- iate under a vicar (from the Latin vicarius, meaning rection church), his Mother using her name or one of “instead of”), who may be a bishop or monsignor (for her titles (for example, St. Mary’s, Immaculate Con- monsignor, see below). Some positions within a dio- ception, or Our Lady of Good Counsel parish), or cese use the title vicar as well, such as vicar general saints or angels. While par- (if there is one cleric who is ishes have borders, Catholics “Parishes are geographic administratively responsible residing within the boundar- under the bishop) and judi- ies of a given parish are not areas with a common building cial vicar (who is respon- required to be members of for worship usually called a sible for dealing with ques- that parish. They are, how- tions of annulments, that is, ever, strongly encouraged to church.” determining whether a mar- do so since they form a nat- riage is sacramental or not). ural community of neigh- The Pope is sometimes bors as well. Parishes are called the Vicar of Christ. headed by pastors (from the Deacons (named from Greek word for “shepherd”) the Greek word diakonos, who are priests (a word de- meaning “servant”) are rived from the Greek presby- clergy who, like priests, ob- teros, meaning “elder”). Oth- tain their authority from er priests may also serve the their bishop through the parish as associate pastors sacrament of Holy Orders. or parochial vicars, espe- Deacons have some of the cially if it has a large mem- powers of the sacrament of bership. Unlike bishops, Holy Orders, and can bap- who are not subordinates of tize, witness marriages, pre- the Pope, priests obtain their side at funerals (but not cel- authority from their bish- ebrate the Mass), and offer op. They are subordinate to blessings. Unlike bishops the bishop and take a vow of and priests who must be cel- obedience to him. Priests re- ibate (unmarried), deacons ceive their powers through can be married (although if the sacrament of Holy Or- ordained before marriage, ders, which is conferred by a they cannot later marry). bishop. (Bishops are conse- Deacons serve in a wide va- crated by several bishops si- riety of parish and non-par- multaneously.) Priests can ish capacities. Altogether, administer all the sacraments the Pope, bishops, priests, except Holy Orders, which is and deacons form the hier- DAVID CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES DAVID reserved exclusively to bish- A Catholic deacon vesting for Mass in the sacristy of a parish archy (from the Greek hi- ops; their administration of erarchia, meaning “sacred the sacrament of Confirmation, however, is permitted rule”), an ordered clergy whose hallmark is their spe- only during the Easter Vigil when adults are received cial calling of service to the People of God exercised into the Church (or into full communion if already in the name of Christ, the true Head of the Church. baptized). Collectively, priests are called the presby- There are also titles of honor. Priests can be named terate. Training for priests takes place at seminar- monsignor (from the French for “my lord”). This ti- ies, whose enrollees are called seminarians. tle gives no additional powers or duties. Bishops, Within large dioceses, parishes are sometimes priests, and deacons can be named cardinal (from grouped into deaneries, and one pastor is named as the Latin cardo, meaning “hinge”; the term originally Titles, Terms, Ministries — Page 2 referred to a central or bishop’s church, the “hinge” clerical men’s religious orders also often, but not al- church for the diocese, but over time, the term began ways, distinguish themselves with habits.) to be used in a more restricted way). In the mod- The Pope does not wear a business suit, but instead ern Church, the overwhelming number of cardinals a white simar (an ankle-length garment, with an elbow- are bishops. The few non-bishop cardinals are usu- length shoulder cape, buttoned all the way down the ally priests given the title to honor a lifetime of faith- front) and a white zucchetto (a skullcap). The practice ful service as theologians, and are usually over 80 of wearing white dates from Pope St. Pius V, who as a when so named. While the title of cardinal is honor- member of the Dominican religious order always wore ary, it has real significance white. When not wearing a in the governance of the “The Pope, bishops, priests, suit, cardinals wear a scar- Church. Since 1059, only let cassock (known to non- cardinals may gather in and deacons form the hierarchy.” English speakers as a sout- conclave (from the Latin ane), a garment similar to for “with a key,” referring the Pope’s simar but with- to the locked nature of the out the cape, and a scarlet proceedings) to partici- zucchetto, or a black simar pate in electing a pope, re- or cassock with a scarlet placing a system by which fascia (a wide sash) and the the clergy of Rome chose scarlet zucchetto. Scarlet the Bishop of Rome (the signifies that they are ready Pope) in elections of- to shed their blood for ten affected by turbu- Christ, and is the source of lent and violent partisan our “cardinal red.” Where mobs of Romans. (As a the cardinals’ color is scar- reflection of the ancient let, bishops wear a color practice, each cardinal is called amaranth red (which named as “titular” pas- looks like fuschia or ma- tor of a church in Rome.) genta). Monsignors wear Bishops who have high- black cassocks (never si- ranking posts in govern- mars) with amaranth-red ing the Church are usu- trim but black fascia and ally named cardinals, as no zucchetto. are bishops of prominent During liturgical cele- dioceses throughout the brations, all clergy wear a world.