The Catholic Church - Structure, Status, and Ranks

This article talks about the structure of the Catholic Church, and various ranks accorded to the individual Churches.

Structure of the Roman Catholic Church

The structure or organization of the Roman Catholic Church is hierarchical (organized into ranks).

The Pope is the head. Below him are Patriarchs, Metropolitans, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and other members of the clergy. The laity, who are at the bottom, are considered the foundation of the Church.

The priest is the laity's first and nearest contact with the Church.

The Church is the Body of Christ. The laity, who are the members of the Church, are in turn members of the Body of Christ.

The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church. The Pope, who is the head of the Universal Church, is also the Bishop of Rome. The Pope is the Vicar of Christ, the successor of Peter the Apostle. The Pope is credited with the gift of infallibility in matters of Christian doctrine and morals, and his words are deemed as being inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Papal Election

In theory, any practicing male Catholic can be elected as the Pope. In reality, a Cardinal from the College of Cardinals is chosen as the Pope.

The Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals that constitutes all Cardinals of the Catholic Church under the age of 80 years. The election is quite unlike other elections we witness, and is considered inspired by the Holy Spirit. A cardinal usually requires a two-third majority for being elected as the Pope.

Status and Ranks of Churches

The Catholic Church accords various ranks to individual Catholic Churches hierarchically. The hierarchical ranking implies that the status accorded to a Church and its population need not be commensurate. Consequently, a Church with comparatively smaller population can have a higher status.

Patriarchal Churches

The Latin Church or Roman Church and six of the 21 Oriental Churches have attained the Patriarchal Status.

The Patriarchal Oriental Churches are:

1. Armenian
2. Chaldean
3. Coptic
4. Maronite
5. Melkite
6. Syrian

A Patriarch is the head of a Patriarchal Church. The pope is the Patriarch of the Latin Church.

Major Archiepiscopal Churches

A Major Archbishop is the head of a Major Archiepiscopal Church.

A Patriarchal Church and a Major Archiepiscopal Church have the same structure and autonomy. However, a Major Archiepiscopal Church differs from a Patriarchal Church in that the election of a Major Archbishop requires the Pope's confirmation whereas a Patriarch's election need only be notified to the Pope and other Patriarchs.

Three of the 21 Oriental Churches are Major Archiepiscopal Churches. These are:

1. Ukrainian Catholic Church
2. Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
3. Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

The Ukrainian Church is the largest Oriental Catholic Church with a population of about 4.5 million. The Syro-Malabar Church, the second largest Oriental Catholic Church, has a strength of nearly 4 million believers. These two Churches stand second and third in population in the entire Roman Catholic Church, behind the Church of Rome that alone has a following of about 1 billion. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has a population of about 4 lakhs.

Metropolitan Churches

A Metropolitan Archbishop is the head of a Metropolitan Church. The pope appoints a Metropolitan Archbishop. All 12 remaining Oriental Churches, excepting the six Patriarchates and the three Major Archiepiscopates, are Metropolitan Churches.

The Catholic Church

Index   Roman Catholic Church   Structure & Ranks of the Catholic Church

Latin Church   Oriental Catholic Churches   Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Knanaya Catholics   Syro-Malankara Catholic Church