Through the ordained Ministry, eSpecially that of Bishops and Priests, the presence of Christ as Head of the Church is made Visible in the midst of the commUnity of believers. 26 In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the Bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father. 27

"The divinely instituted ecclesiastical Ministry is Exercised in different degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called Bishops, Priests, and Deacons." 32 Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the Priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate . the diaconate is intended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdos in current usage denotes Bishops and priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three conferred by a Sacramental act called "ordination," that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders:

"Amongst those various Offices which have been Exercised in the Church from the earliest times the chief place, according to the witness of tradition, is held by the function of those who, through their appointment to the dignity and responsibility of Bishop, and in virtue consequently of the unbroken succession going back to the beginning, are regarded as transmitters of the Apostolic line." 34

"Episcopal consecration confers, together with the Office of sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and ruling.... In fact ... by the imposition of Hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that Bishops, in an eminent and Visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and Priest, and act as his representative (in Eius persona agant)." 37 "By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, Bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors." 38

"One is constituted a member of the episcopal body in virtue of the Sacramental consecration and by the hierarchical Communion with the Head and members of the college." 39 The character and collegial nature of the episcopal order are evidenced among other ways by the Church's ancient practice which calls for several Bishops to participate in the consecration of a new Bishop. 40 In our day, the lawful ordination of a bishop requires a Special intervention of the Bishop of Rome, because he is the supreme Visible bond of the communion of the Particular Churches in the one Church and the guarantor of their freedom.

As Christ's vicar, each Bishop has the pastoral care of the Particular Church entrusted to him, but at the same time he bears collegially with all his brothers in the episcopacy the solicitude for all the Churches: "Though each bishop is the lawful pastor only of the portion of the flock entrusted to his care, as a legitimate successor of the apostles he is, by divine institution and precept, responsible with the other Bishops for the Apostolic mission of the Church." 41

The above considerations explain why the Eucharist celebrated by the Bishop has a quite Special significance as an expression of the Church gathered around the altar, with the one who represents Christ, the Good Shepherd and Head of his Church, presiding. 42

"Christ, whom the Father hallowed and sent into the world, has, through his apostles, made their successors, the Bishops namely, sharers in his consecration and mission; and these, in their turn, duly entrusted in varying degrees various members of the Church with the Office of their Ministry." 43 "The function of the Bishops' ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to Priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the Priesthood and be co-workers of the episcapal order for the proper fulfillment of the Apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ." 44

"Whilst not having the supreme degree of the pontifical Office, and notwithstanding the fact that they depend on the Bishops in the Exercise of their own proper power, the Priests are for all that associated with them by reason of their sacerdotal dignity; and in virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, after the image of Christ, the supreme and eternal Priest, they are consecrated in order to preach the Gospel and shepherd the Faithful as well as to celebrate divine worship as true priests of the New Testament." 46

"The Priests, prudent cooperators of the episcopal college and its support and instrument, called to the service of the People of God, constitute, together with their Bishop, a unique sacerdotal college (Presbyterium) dedicated, it is, true to a variety of distinct duties. In each local assembly of the Faithful they represent, in a certain sense, the bishop, with whom they are associated in all trust and generosity; in part they take upon themselves his duties and solicitude and in their daily toils discharge them." 51 Priests can Exercise their Ministry only in dependence on the bishop and in Communion with him. the promise of obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of the ordination liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience.

"All Priests, who are constituted in the order of Priesthood by the Sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate sacramental brotherhood, but in a Special way they form one priestly body in the diocese to which they are attached under their own Bishop. . ;" 52 The Unity of the Presbyterium finds liturgical expression in the custom of the presbyters' imposing Hands, after the bishop, during the Ate of ordination.

The ministerial or hierarchical Priesthood of Bishops and Priests, and the common priesthood of all the Faithful participate, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one to another," they differ essentially. 22 In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is Exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace - a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit - ,the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. the ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own Sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.

The liturgy of the Church, however, sees in the Priesthood of Aaron and the service of the Levites, as in the institution of the seventy elders, 11 a prefiguring of the ordained Ministry of the New Covenant. Thus in the Latin Rite the Church prays in the consecratory preface of the ordination of Bishops:

Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished by a Rite called ordinatio, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a blessing or a Sacrament. Today the word "ordination" is reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of Bishops, presbyters, or Deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the commUnity, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the Exercise of a "sacred power" (sacra potestas) 5 which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. the laying on of Hands by the Bishop, with the consecratory Prayer, constitutes the Visible sign of this ordination.

All gather together. Christians come together in one place for the Eucharistic assembly. At its Head is Christ himself, the principal agent of the Eucharist. He is high Priest of the New Covenant; it is he himself who presides invisibly over every Eucharistic Celebration. It is in representing him that the Bishop or priest acting in the person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the assembly, speaks after the readings, receives the offerings, and says the Eucharistic Prayer. All have their own active parts to play in the celebration, each in his own way: readers, those who bring up the offerings, those who give Communion, and the whole people whose "Amen" manifests their participation.

In the anamnesis that follows, the Church calls to mind the Passion, resurrection, and glorious return of Christ Jesus; she presents to the Father the offering of his Son which reconciles us with him. In the intercessions, the Church indicates that the Eucharist is celebrated in Communion with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, the living and the dead, and in communion with the pastors of the Church, the Pope, the diocesan Bishop, his Presbyterium and his Deacons, and all the Bishops of the whole world together with their Churches.

The whole Church is united with the offering and intercession of Christ. Since he has the Ministry of Peter in the Church, the Pope is associated with every Celebration of the Eucharist, wherein he is named as the sign and servant of the Unity of the Universal Church. the Bishop of the place is always responsible for the Eucharist, even when a Priest presides; the bishop's name is mentioned to signify his presidency over the Particular Church, in the midst of his Presbyterium and with the assistance of Deacons. the community intercedes also for all ministers who, for it and with it, offer the Eucharistic sacrifice:

Beneath the changes in discipline and Celebration that this Sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be discerned. It comprises two equally essential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God's action through the intervention of the Church. the Church, who through the Bishop and his Priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial Communion.

Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the Ministry of reconciliation, 65 Bishops who are their successors, and Priests, the Bishops' collaborators, continue to Exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and Priests, by virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Forgiveness of sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church. Since ancient times the Bishop, Visible Head of a Particular Church, has thus rightfully been considered to be the one who principally has the power and Ministry of reconciliation: he is the moderator of the penitential discipline. 66 Priests, his collaborators, Exercise it to the extent that they have received the commission either from their bishop (or religious superior) or the Pope, according to the law of the Church. 67

Certain particularly grave sins incur excommunication, the most severe ecclesiastical penalty, which impedes the reception of the Sacraments and the Exercise of certain ecclesiastical acts, and for which absolution consequently cannot be granted, according to canon law, except by the Pope, the Bishop of the place or Priests authorized by them. 68 In danger of death any Priest, even if deprived of faculties for hearing confessions, can absolve from every sin and excommunication. 69

In case of grave necessity recourse may be had to a communal Celebration of reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without sufficient time for the Priest or Priests to hear each penitent's confession. Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of Sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case, for the absolution to be valid the Faithful must have the intention of individually confessing their sins in the time required. 91 The diocesan Bishop is the judge of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist. 92 A large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages does not constitute a case of grave necessity. 93

Only Priests (Bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing Of The Sick. 130 It is the duty of pastors to instruct the Faithful on the benefits of this Sacrament. the faithful should encourage the sick to call for a Priest to receive this sacrament. the sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial commUnity, which is invited to surround the sick in a Special way through their Prayers and fraternal attention.

The Celebration of the Sacrament includes the following principal elements: the "Priests of the Church" 132 - in silence - lay Hands on the sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church 133 - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the Bishop. These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick.

"At a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found Deacons, who receive the imposition of Hands 'not unto the Priesthood, but unto the Ministry."' 53 At an ordination to the diaconate only the Bishop lays hands on the candidate, thus signifying the deacon's Special attachment to the bishop in the tasks of his "diakonia." 54

Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a Special way. 55 The Sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint (“character") which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the "deacon" or servant of all. 56 Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the Bishop and Priests in the Celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity. 57

In the Latin Church, it is ordinarily understood that the spouses, as ministers of Christ's grace, mutually confer upon each other the Sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church. In the Eastern liturgies the minister of this sacrament (which is called "Crowning") is the Priest or Bishop who, after receiving the mutual consent of the spouses, successively crowns the bridegroom and the bride as a sign of the marriage covenant.

Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with Bishops' pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and Special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a Prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of Hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).

Sacramentals derive from the baptismal Priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a "blessing," and to bless. 172 Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained Ministry (Bishops, Priests, or Deacons). 173

When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and Office of exorcizing. 176 In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the Celebration of Baptism. the solemn exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only by a Priest and with the permission of the Bishop. the priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, eSpecially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness. 177

Pastoral discernment is needed to sustain and support popular piety and, if necessary, to purify and correct the religious sense which underlies these devotions so that the Faithful may advance in knowledge of the mystery of Christ. 180 Their Exercise is subject to the care and judgment of the Bishops and to the general norms of the Church.

The Roman Pontiff and the Bishops are "authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people entrusted to them, the faith to be believed and put into practice." 76 The ordinary and Universal Magisterium of the Pope and the Bishops in Communion with him teach the Faithful the truth to believe, the charity to practice, the beatitude to hope for.

"A parish is a definite commUnity of the Christian Faithful established on a stable basis within a Particular Church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan Bishop." 115 It is the place where all the faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday Celebration of the Eucharist. the parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ's saving doctrine; it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:

"If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the Celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is Specially recommended that the Faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish Church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan Bishop, or engage in Prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families." 120

Given the importance that the ordination of a Bishop, a Priest, or a Deacon has for the life of the Particular Church, its Celebration calls for as many of the Faithful as possible to take part. It should take place preferably on Sunday, in the cathedral, with solemnity appropriate to the occasion. All three ordinations, of the bishop, of the pRiest, and of the deacon, follow the same movement. Their proper place is within the Eucharistic liturgy.

The essential Rite of the Sacrament of Holy Orders for all three degrees consists in the Bishop's imposition of Hands on the Head of the ordinand and in the bishop's specific consecratory Prayer asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the Ministry to which the candidate is being ordained. 60

As in all the Sacraments additional Rites surround the Celebration. Varying greatly among the different liturgical traditions, these rites have in common the expression of the multiple aspects of sacramental grace. Thus in the Latin Church, the initial rites - presentation and election of the ordinand, instruction by the Bishop, examination of the candidate, litany of the saints - attest that the choice of the candidate is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and prepare for the solemn act of consecration, after which several rites syrnbolically express and complete the mystery accomplished: for bishop and Priest, an anointing with holy chrism, a sign of the Special anointing of the Holy Spirit who makes their Ministry fruitful; giving the book of the Gospels, the ring, the miter, and the crosier to the bishop as the sign of his Apostolic mission to proclaim the Word of God, of his fidelity to the Church, the bride of Christ, and his Office as shepherd of the Lord's flock; presentation to the priest of the paten and chalice, "the offering of the holy people" which he is called to present to God; giving the book of the Gospels to the Deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

Christ himself chose the apostles and gave them a share in his mission and authority. Raised to the Father's right hand, he has not forsaken his flock but he keeps it under his constant protection through the apostles, and guides it still through these same pastors who continue his work today. 61 Thus, it is Christ whose gift it is that some be apostles, others pastors. He continues to act through the Bishops. 62

Since the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacrament of the Apostolic Ministry, it is for the Bishops as the successors of the apostles to hand on the "gift of the Spirit," 63 The "apostolic line." 64 Validly ordained Bishops, i.e., those who are in the line of apostolic succession, validly confer the three degrees of the sacrament of Holy Orders. 65

"Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination." 66 The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their Ministry. 67 The college of Bishops, with whom the Priests are united in the Priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason, the ordination of women is not possible. 68

In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for many centuries: while Bishops are chosen solely from among celibates, married men can be ordained as Deacons and Priests. This practice has long been considered legitimate; these Priests Exercise a fruitful Ministry within their communities. 73 Moreover, priestly celibacy is held in great honor in the Eastern Churches and many priests have freely chosen it for the sake of the Kingdom of God. In the East as in the West a man who has already received the Sacrament of Holy Orders can no longer marry.

For the Bishop, this is first of all a grace of strength (“the governing spirit": Prayer of Episcopal Consecration in the Latin Rite): 78 The grace to guide and defend his Church with strength and prudence as a father and pastor, with gratuitous love for all and a preferential love for the poor, the sick, and the needy. This grace impels him to proclaim the Gospel to all, to be the model for his flock, to go before it on the way of sanctification by identifying himself in the Eucharist with Christ the Priest and victim, not fearing to give his life for his sheep:

The spiritual gift conferred by presbyteral ordination is expressed by this Prayer of the Byzantine Rite. the Bishop, while laying on his hand, says among other things:

With regard to Deacons, "strengthened by Sacramental grace they are dedicated to the People of God, in conjunction with the Bishop and his body of Priests, in the service (diakonia) of the liturgy, of the Gospel, and of works of charity." 81

For this reason Bishops, personally or through delegates, should see to the promotion of sacred art, old and new, in all its forms and, with the same religious care, remove from the liturgy and from places of worship everything which is not in conformity with the truth of faith and the authentic beauty of sacred art. 297

In the Latin Rite, the ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop. 130 Although the bishop may for grave reasons concede to Priests the faculty of administering Confirmation, 131 it is appropriate from the very meaning of the Sacrament that he should confer it himself, mindful that the Celebration of Confirmation has been temporally separated from Baptism for this reason. Bishops are the successors of the apostles. They have received the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders. the administration of this sacrament by them demonstrates clearly that its effect is to unite those who receive it more closely to the Church, to her Apostolic origins, and to her mission of bearing witness to Christ.

Periods of renewal in the Church are also intense moments of catechesis. In the great era of the Fathers of the Church, saintly Bishops devoted an important part of their Ministry to catechesis. St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, and many other Fathers wrote catechetical works that remain models for us. 11

Likewise, it belongs to the Sacramental nature of ecclesial Ministry that it have a collegial character. In fact, from the beginning of his ministry, the Lord Jesus instituted the Twelve as "the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy." 395 Chosen together, they were also sent out together, and their fraternal Unity would be at the service of the fraternal Communion of all the Faithful: they would reflect and witness to the communion of the divine persons. 396 For this reason every Bishop Exercises his ministry from within the episcopal college, in communion with the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter and Head of the college. So also Priests exercise their ministry from within the Presbyterium of the diocese, under the direction of their bishop.

Sacramental Ministry in the Church, then, is at once a collegial and a personal service, Exercised in the name of Christ. This is evidenced by the bonds between the episcopal college and its Head, the successor of St. Peter, and in the relationship between the Bishop's pastoral responsibility for his Particular Church and the common solicitude of the episcopal college for the Universal Church.

When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the Head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them." 398 Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single Apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the Bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another." 399

The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. 400 "The Office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its Head." 401 This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the Bishops under the primacy of the Pope.

The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and Visible source and foundation of the Unity both of the Bishops and of the whole company of the Faithful." 402 "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his Office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and Universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always Exercise unhindered." 403

"The college or body of Bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its Head." As such, this college has "supreme and full authority over the Universal Church; but this power cannot be Exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff." 404

"The college of Bishops Exercises power over the Universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical council." 405 But "there never is an ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by Peter's successor." 406

"The individual Bishops are the Visible source and foundation of Unity in their own Particular Churches." 408 As such, they "Exercise their pastoral Office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them," 409 assisted by Priests and Deacons. But, as a member of the episcopal college, each Bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches. 410 The bishops exercise this care first "by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the Universal Church," and so contributing "to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches." 411 They extend it eSpecially to the poor, 412 to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world.

Neighboring Particular Churches who share the same culture form ecclesiastical provinces or larger groupings called patriarchates or regions. 413 The Bishops of these groupings can meet in synods or provincial councils. "In a like fashion, the episcopal conferences at the present time are in a position to contribute in many and fruitful ways to the concrete realization of the collegiate spirit." 414

"Just as the Office which the Lord confided to Peter alone, as first of the apostles, destined to be transmitted to his successors, is a permanent one, so also endures the office, which the apostles received, of shepherding the Church, a charge destined to be Exercised without interruption by the sacred order of Bishops." 375 Hence the Church teaches that "the Bishops have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and him who sent Christ." 376

The Church is Apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways: - she was and remains built on "the foundation of the Apostles," 362 The witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself; 363 - with the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and Hands on the teaching, 364 The "good deposit," the salutary words she has heard from the apostles; 365 - she continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by the apostles until Christ's return, through their successors in pastoral Office: the college of Bishops, "assisted by Priests, in union with the successor of Peter, the Church's supreme pastor": 366

"Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who - by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the Sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and Communion - are joined in the Visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the Bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but 'in body' not 'in heart.'" 321

"The Ministry of catechesis draws ever fresh energy from the councils. the Council of Trent is a noteworthy example of this. It gave catechesis priority in its constitutions and decrees. It lies at the origin of the Roman Catechism, which is also known by the name of that council and which is a work of the first rank as a summary of Christian teaching. . " 12 The Council of Trent initiated a remarkable organization of the Church's catechesis. Thanks to the work of holy Bishops and theologians such as St. Peter Canisius, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Turibius of Mongrovejo or St. Robert Bellarmine, it occasioned the publication of numerous catechisms.

It is therefore no surprise that catechesis in the Church has again attracted attention in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which Pope Paul Vl considered the great catechism of modern times. the General Catechetical Directory (1971) the sessions of the Synod of Bishops devoted to evangelization (1974) and catechesis (1977), the Apostolic exhortations Evangelii nuntiandi (1975) and Catechesi tradendae (1979), attest to this. the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985 asked "that a catechism or compendium of all Catholic doctrine regarding both faith and morals be composed" 13 The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, made the Synod's wish his own, acknowledging that "this desire wholly corresponds to a real need of the Universal Church and of the Particular Churches." 14 He set in motion everything needed to carry out the Synod Fathers' wish.

This work is intended primarily for those responsible for catechesis: first of all the Bishops, as teachers of the faith and pastors of the Church. It is offered to them as an instrument in fulfilling their responsibility of teaching the People of God. Through the Bishops, it is addressed to redactors of catechisms, to Priests, and to catechists. It will also be useful reading for all other Christian Faithful.

"In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left Bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority." 35 Indeed, "the Apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a Special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time." 36

The apostles entrusted the "Sacred deposit" of the faith (the depositum fidei), 45 contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the whole of the Church. "By adhering to [this heritage] the entire holy people, united to its pastors, remains always Faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and the Prayers. So, in maintaining, practising and professing the faith that has been handed on, there should be a remarkable harmony between the Bishops and the faithful." 46

"The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching Office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is Exercised in the name of Jesus Christ." 47 This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the Bishops in Communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

"The whole body of the Faithful. . . cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, from the Bishops to the last of the faithful, they manifest a Universal consent in matters of faith and morals." 55

"I believe" (Apostles' Creed) is the faith of the Church professed personally by each believer, principally during Baptism. "We believe" (Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) is the faith of the Church confessed by the Bishops assembled in council or more generally by the liturgical assembly of believers. "I believe" is also the Church, our mother, responding to God by faith as she teaches us to say both "I believe" and "We believe".

"The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it.... This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in Communion with him." 267

The phrase "Particular Church," which is the diocese (or eparchy), refers to a commUnity of the Christian Faithful in Communion of faith and Sacraments with their Bishop ordained in Apostolic succession. 313 These particular Churches "are constituted after the model of the Universal Church; it is in these and formed out of them that the one and unique Catholic Church exists." 314

Bishops, with Priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command. 415 They are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers" of the Apostolic faith "endowed with the authority of Christ." 416

"The Roman Pontiff, Head of the college of Bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his Office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the Faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.... the infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of Bishops when, together with Peter's successor, they Exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all in an Ecumenical Council. 418 When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed," 419 and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the obedience of faith." 420 This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself. 421

For the purpose of assisting the work of the common Priesthood of the Faithful, other particular ministries also exist, not consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders; their functions are determined by the Bishops, in accord with liturgical traditions and pastoral needs. "Servers, readers, commentators, and members of the choir also Exercise a genuine liturgical function." 14

The chair (cathedra) of the Bishop or the Priest "should express his Office of presiding over the assembly and of directing Prayer." 63 The lectern (ambo): "The dignity of the Word of God requires the Church to have a suitable place for announcing his message so that the attention of the people may be easily directed to that place during the liturgy of the Word." 64

The anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the Bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one "anointed" by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed Priest, prophet, and king. 41

In the liturgy of the Eastern Churches, the post-baptismal anointing is the Sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation). In the Roman liturgy the post-baptismal anointing announces a second anointing with sacred chrism to be conferred later by the Bishop Confirmation, which will as it were "confirm" and complete the baptismal anointing.

The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the Bishop and Priest and, in the Latin Church, also the Deacon. 57 In case of necessity, any person, even someone not baptized, can baptize, if he has the required intention. the intention required is to will to do what the Church does when she baptizes, and to apply the Trinitarian baptismal formula. the Church finds the reason for this possibility in the Universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation. 58

In the first centuries Confirmation generally comprised one single Celebration with Baptism, forming with it a "double Sacrament," according to the expression of St. Cyprian. Among other reasons, the multiplication of infant baptisms all through the year, the increase of rural parishes, and the growth of dioceses often prevented the Bishop from being present at all baptismal celebrations. In the West the desire to reserve the completion of Baptism to the bishop caused the temporal separation of the two sacraments. the East has kept them united, so that Confirmation is conferred by the Priest who baptizes. But he can do so only with the "myron" consecrated by a bishop. 100

A custom of the Roman Church facilitated the development of the Western practice: a double anointing with sacred chrism after Baptism. the first anointing of the neophyte on coming out of the baptismal bath was performed by the Priest; it was completed by a second anointing on the foreHead of the newly baptized by the Bishop. 101 The first anointing with sacred chrism, by the priest, has remained attached to the baptismal Rite; it signifies the participation of the one baptized in the prophetic, priestly, and kingly Offices of Christ. If Baptism is conferred on an adult, there is only one post-baptismal anointing, that of Confirmation.

The practice of the Eastern Churches gives greater emphasis to the Unity of Christian initiation. That of the Latin Church more clearly expresses the Communion of the new Christian with the Bishop as guarantor and servant of the unity, catholicity and Apostolicity of his Church, and hence the connection with the apostolic origins of Christ's Church.

The consecration of the sacred chrism is an important action that precedes the Celebration of Confirmation, but is in a certain way a part of it. It is the Bishop who, in the course of the Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday, consecrates the sacred chrism for his whole diocese. In some Eastern Churches this consecration is even reserved to the patriarch:

In the Roman Rite the Bishop extends his Hands over the whole group of the confirmands. Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift of the Spirit. the bishop invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words:

The sign of peace that concludes the Rite of the Sacrament signifies and demonstrates ecclesial Communion with the Bishop and with all the Faithful. 114

But "the members do not all have the same function." 12 Certain members are called by God, in and through the Church, to a Special service of the commUnity. These servants are chosen and consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders, by which the Holy Spirit enables them to act in the person of Christ the Head, for the service of all the members of the Church. 13 The ordained minister is, as it were, an "icon" of Christ the Priest. Since it is in the Eucharist that the sacrament of the Church is made fully Visible, it is in his presiding at the Eucharist that the Bishop's Ministry is most evident, as well as, in Communion with him, the ministry of Priests and Deacons.

It is the whole commUnity, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates. "Liturgical services are not private functions but are Celebrations of the Church which is 'the Sacrament of unity,' namely, the holy people united and organized under the authority of the Bishops. Therefore, liturgical services pertain to the whole Body of the Church. They manifest it, and have effects upon it. But they touch individual members of the Church in different ways, depending on their orders, their role in the liturgical services, and their actual participation in them." 7 For this reason, "Rites which are meant to be celebrated in common, with the Faithful present and actively participating, should as far as possible be celebrated in that way rather than by an individual and quasi-privately." 8

By Christ's will, the Church possesses the power to forgive the sins of the baptized and Exercises it through Bishops and Priests normally in the Sacrament of Penance.

Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in Communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the Bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a "definitive manner," they propose in the Exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the Faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent" 422 which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.

The Bishop is "the steward of the grace of the supreme Priesthood," 423 eSpecially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or whose offering he assures through the Priests, his co-workers. the Eucharist is the center of the life of the Particular Church. the bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their Prayer and work, by their Ministry of the word and of the Sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, "not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock." 424 Thus, "together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life." 425

"The Bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the Particular Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example, but over and above that also by the authority and sacred power" which indeed they ought to Exercise so as to edify, in the spirit of service which is that of their Master. 426

"The power which they Exercise personally in the name of Christ, is proper, ordinary, and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the supreme authority of the Church." 427 But the Bishops should not be thought of as vicars of the Pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the whole Church does not annul, but on the contrary confirms and defends that of the Bishops. Their authority must be exercised in Communion with the whole Church under the guidance of the Pope.

The Good Shepherd ought to be the model and "form" of the Bishop's pastoral Office. Conscious of his own weaknesses, "the bishop . . . can have compassion for those who are ignorant and erring. He should not refuse to listen to his subjects whose welfare he promotes as of his very own children.... the Faithful ... should be closely attached to the bishop as the Church is to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ is to the Father": 428

Bishops will always strive to discern new gifts of consecrated life granted to the Church by the Holy Spirit; the approval of new forms of consecrated life is reserved to the Apostolic See. 459

"Virgins who, committed to the holy plan of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan Bishop according to the approved liturgical Rite, are betrothed mystically to Christ, the Son of God, and are dedicated to the service of the Church." 462 By this solemn rite (Consecratio virginum), the virgin is "constituted . . . a sacred person, a transcendent sign of the Church's love for Christ, and an eschatological image of this heavenly Bride of Christ and of the life to come." 463

All religious, whether exempt or not, take their place among the collaborators of the diocesan Bishop in his pastoral duty. 467 From the outset of the work of evangelization, the missionary "planting" and expansion of the Church require the presence of the religious life in all its forms. 468 "History witnesses to the outstanding service rendered by religious families in the propagation of the faith and in the formation of new Churches: from the ancient monastic institutions to the medieval orders, all the way to the more recent congregations." 469

The original minister of Confirmation is the Bishop. 128 In the East, ordinarily the Priest who baptizes also immediately confers Confirmation in one and the same Celebration. But he does so with sacred chrism consecrated by the patriarch or the bishop, thus expressing the Apostolic Unity of the Church whose bonds are strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation. In the Latin Church, the same discipline applies to the Baptism of adults or to the reception into full Communion with the Church of a person baptized in another Christian community that does not have valid Confirmation. 129