Eleanor Finch
The teaching body of the Catholic Church is known as the Magisterium. The Magisterium is constituted by the Pope and the bishops in union with him. The Pope, as the successor of St. Peter, is the supreme teacher of the Faith and the visible leader of the Church. Bishops are the spiritual leaders of Christians in their dioceses and, together with the Pope, are the official teachers of the Faith. The Magisterium is the official teaching authority of the Church and is guided by the Holy Spirit.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Leader of the Church | Pope |
| Source of Authority | Christ |
| Guidance | Holy Spirit |
| Teachers of the Faith | Bishops |
| Bishops' Authority | St. Peter and the Apostles |
| Bishops' Responsibility | Teach the Faith, govern Christians in their dioceses, and administer the Sacraments |
| Bishops' Power | Ordain men to the priesthood and to the office of bishop |
| Bishops' Union with Pope | Official teachers of the Faith in the world |
| Bishops' Union with Pope | True successors of St. Peter and the Apostles |
| Bishops' Union with Pope | Hierarchy of the Church |
| Bishops' Union with Pope | Ordinary Magisterium |
| Bishops' Union with Pope | Extraordinary Magisterium |
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What You'll Learn
The Pope as the supreme teacher
The Pope, as the successor of St. Peter, is the visible leader of the Church and the supreme teacher of the Faith. All Catholics are obliged to respect and obey the Pope as the representative of Christ for the whole Church. The Pope's authority as the supreme teacher comes from Christ, and his guidance comes from the Holy Spirit.
The Pope's role as the supreme teacher of the Faith is intimately associated with the Deposit of Faith, which is the truth of God's revelation as expressed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The Pope, along with the bishops, constitutes the Magisterium, which is the official teaching authority of the Church. The Magisterium is responsible for interpreting and applying Scripture and Tradition while being guided by the Holy Spirit.
The Pope exercises his teaching authority in two ways: through the Ordinary Magisterium and the Extraordinary Magisterium. The Ordinary Magisterium is exercised when the Pope, or the bishops in union with him, teach definitively on matters of faith and morals. The Extraordinary Magisterium is exercised when the Pope, as the Supreme Pontiff, gives an authoritative universal teaching on matters of faith and morals, or when all the bishops in union with the Pope do the same through an ecumenical council.
The Pope's teachings, especially when speaking ex cathedra, or "from the chair" as the shepherd and teacher of all Christians, are considered infallible. This infallibility is a gift of the Holy Spirit that protects the Church from teaching errors in matters of faith and morals. While the Pope is the supreme teacher, he is not superior to the Deposit of Faith but is instead its servant, preserving and communicating the truths of the Faith to every generation.
In summary, the Pope, as the successor of St. Peter and the visible leader of the Church, is the supreme teacher of the Faith. He exercises his teaching authority through the Magisterium, which includes both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisterium. The Pope's teachings are considered infallible, and he is obliged to preserve and communicate the truths of the Faith while being guided by the Holy Spirit.
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Bishops as spiritual leaders
Bishops are the spiritual leaders of Christians in their dioceses (geographical areas). They are responsible for teaching, governing, and sanctifying the faithful of their diocese, sharing these duties with the priests and deacons who serve under them. Bishops are the only ones who can ordain men to the priesthood and the office of bishop.
The Catholic Church holds that the College of Bishops as a group is the successor of the College of Apostles. The Church also holds that, among the apostles, Saint Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, was granted a role of leadership and authority, giving the pope the right to govern the Church together with the bishops. Hence, the Bishop of Rome, as the successor of Peter, possesses the role of speaking for the whole Church, appointing other bishops, and managing the Church's central administration, the Roman Curia.
The Ordinary Magisterium is exercised when, in matters of faith and morals, there is a definitive position taught by the Church through the Pope or the bishops in union with the Pope. The Extraordinary Magisterium is exercised when the Pope, as Supreme Pontiff of the Church, gives an authoritative universal teaching on matters of faith and morals, and when all the bishops in union with the Pope give an authoritative universal teaching on matters of faith and morals through an ecumenical council.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the bishop is the leader of a local congregation, called a ward. The bishop is a part-time lay minister and is expected to be a spiritual guide for his congregation. In The United Methodist Church, bishops are responsible for leading and overseeing the spiritual and temporal affairs of the Church.
In the Church of England, 26 archbishops and bishops, known as Lords Spiritual, sit in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as representatives of the established church. They have the same rights as other House of Lords members but are independent members and sit by virtue of the office they hold.
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Ordinary Magisterium
The term "Magisterium" is derived from the Latin word "magister," meaning "teacher." In Catholic contexts, it refers to the official teaching authority of the Church, constituted by the Pope and the bishops in union with him. The authority of the Magisterium comes from Christ, and its guidance comes from the Holy Spirit.
The Magisterium can exercise its teaching authority in various ways, typically through official documents. While interviews and books published by popes and bishops do not constitute an exercise of the Magisterium, they often contain references to the Church's authoritative teachings. When the Magisterium speaks officially, it may propose ideas for consideration or infallibly teach truths that the faithful are bound to believe and hold.
The Ordinary Magisterium specifically refers to the ordinary teaching of the popes and bishops as they conduct their ministry. It is considered infallible when there is a definitive position taught by the Church through the Pope or the bishops in union with him on matters of faith and morals. This is distinct from the Extraordinary Magisterium, which occurs when the Pope or all the bishops in union with the Pope give an authoritative universal teaching on matters of faith and morals through an ecumenical council.
While individual bishops cannot exercise the Church's Extraordinary Magisterium, their teachings belong to the Ordinary Magisterium. The Ordinary and Universal Magisterium refers to teachings on which all bishops, including the Pope, universally agree and are considered infallible. These teachings are part of the sensus fidelium, or the sense of the faithful. The First Vatican Council declared that all things contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and proposed by the Church as divinely revealed, are to be believed through either solemn judgment or the Ordinary and Universal Magisterium.
The Ordinary Magisterium can be infallible but is not always so. For example, while the Catechism of Trent taught that the soul enters the body some time after conception, more recent magisterial teachings state that ensoulment happens at conception. Both teachings were presented at the level of the Ordinary Universal Magisterium.
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Extraordinary Magisterium
The Magisterium is the official teaching authority of the Catholic Church, constituted by the Pope and the bishops in union with him. The Pope is the visible leader of the Church and the supreme teacher of the Faith. The Pope's authority comes from Christ as a successor of St. Peter, and all Catholics are obliged to respect and obey the Pope. Bishops are the spiritual leaders of Christians in their dioceses and are the only ones who can ordain men to the priesthood and the office of bishop. United with the Pope, they are the official teachers of the Faith.
The Magisterium can exercise its teaching authority in many ways, typically through official documents. Interviews with popes and bishops and books published by them as private individuals do not involve an exercise of the Magisterium. When the Magisterium speaks officially, it can exercise its authority in different degrees. At the low end, the Magisterium may merely propose an idea for the consideration of the faithful without imposing it authoritatively. At the high end, the Magisterium may infallibly teach a truth, binding the faithful to believe or hold it definitively.
The term "Extraordinary Magisterium" refers to two ways in which the Magisterium is exercised in an especially solemn way:
- When the Pope, as the Supreme Pontiff of the Church, gives an authoritative universal teaching on matters of faith and morals. This is also known as an ex cathedra (Latin for "from the chair") pronouncement from the Pope and is considered an infallible teaching. The Pope is incapable of error when teaching ex cathedra. The only two ex cathedra pronouncements in 2,000 years have been the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption (1950).
- When all the bishops in union with the Pope give an authoritative universal teaching on matters of faith and morals through an ecumenical council. The term extraordinary magisterium is also used for ecumenical councils, although authors differ in the way they employ it. Some authors use extraordinary magisterium to refer to any teaching of an ecumenical council, while others use it only for instances where an ecumenical council infallibly defines something.
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The Holy Spirit as the protector of the Church
The Holy Spirit is often referred to as the third person of the Trinity, with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each constituting distinct persons that are fully and completely God. The Holy Spirit is believed to protect the Church from teaching errors in matters of faith and morals, guaranteeing that the Magisterium, or the official teaching authority of the Church, will always teach the truth infallibly.
The Holy Spirit is said to have protected Jesus' disciples as Peter preached his first sermon 50 days after the crucifixion, on the Jewish holy day of Pentecost. The Spirit placed a canopy of protection over the people in the Upper Room, preventing the crowd from throwing rocks and instead filling them with guilt and a desire to repent.
The Holy Spirit also guides the interpretation of Scripture, as different people can interpret the same passage in various ways. The early Christians turned to the Apostles for guidance, and the Holy Spirit opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
The Catholic Church, by the special help of the Holy Spirit, is believed to be kept free from error in teaching about what to believe (faith) and how to live (morals). The Pope, as the supreme teacher of the Faith, and the bishops united under him, form the hierarchy of the Church.
Additionally, while God may not always protect physical bodies from harm, the Holy Spirit offers protection from hopelessness, apathy, and fear, providing strength and courage in the face of adversity.
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