Leo XIV explains the hierarchy of the Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV continues with the catechesis on “.“Lumen Gentium”during the hearings of Wednesdays. On this occasion, he delved into the hierarchical form of the Church, explained in chapter three of the dogmatic constitution.

First of all, the Pontiff pointed out that “the Catholic Church finds its foundation in the apostles, Christ wanted them to be living pillars of his Mystical Body. This hierarchy, he explained, ”works at the service of unity, mission and the sanctification of all its members“.

But this order, as stated in “Lumen Gentium”, “is not a human construction that serves for the internal organization of the Church as a social body, but is a divine institution whose purpose is to perpetuate until the end of time the mission that Christ gave to the apostles”.

The Holy Father then clarified what the dogmatic constitution means when it uses the adjective “hierarchical”. This refers to the “sacred origin of the apostolic ministry in the action of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, as well as its internal relationships”. In this sense, he continued, “the bishops, first of all, and, through them, priests and deacons, have received commissions that lead them to be at the service of ‘all who belong to the People of God’” (LG, 18).

Leo XIV pointed out that “the ‘Lumen Gentium’ recalls several times and in an effective way the collegial and communion character of this apostolic mission”. For this reason, he encouraged all Christians to ask God “to send to his Church ministers who are ardent in evangelical charity, dedicated to the good of all the baptized and courageous missionaries in every part of the world”.