At the weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV continues his catechesis on the Second Vatican Council document ‘Lumen gentium,’ and reflects on the essential nature of the Church’s hierarchical structure in her mission to preach the Gospel.
By Devin Watkins Pope Leo XIV reflected on the third chapter of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium at the Wednesday General Audience. In his catechesis, the Pope recalled that the Second Vatican Council document first considered the essence of the Church as the People of God, before turning to her hierarchical form. The Church’s hierarchy is not a “subsequent element with respect to the People of God,” he said, but rather a fundamental aspect that accompanied the birth of the Church. Jesus’ first disciples—the Apostles—formed the community of those redeemed by Christ’s Paschal Mystery, and were therefore established by Him “as a means of salvation for the world.” “The Council teaches that the hierarchical structure is not a human construct, functional to the internal organization of the Church as a social body,” said the Pope, “but a divine institution whose purpose is to perpetuate the mission given by Christ to the Apostles until the end of time.” Pope Leo recalled that the Catholic Church possesses a “hierarchical structure that works in the service of unity, mission, and sanctification of all her members.” “Since the Apostles are called to faithfully preserve the Master’s salvific teaching,” he said, “they hand on their ministry to men who, until Christ’s return, continue to sanctify, guide and instruct the Church through their successors in pastoral office.” The Second Vatican Council sought to explain the fundamental structure of the Church, not merely present her external form, he said. Lumen gentium focuses on the “ministerial or hierarchical priesthood,” which is different “in essence and in degree” from the common priesthood of the faithful. Though all of baptized Christians participate in the one priesthood of Christ, said the Pope, those men entrusted with ministerial priesthood have been endowed with sacra potestas, or “sacred power” for the service of the Church. Bishops, priests, and deacons each bear a task—munera in Latin—in order to serve the People of God in a unique way so that all may arrive at salvation. Pope Leo XIV said the Church’s hierarchy is both an internal reality and an external expression of the apostolic mission to service. “We can therefore understand,” he said, “why Saint Paul VI presented the hierarchy as a reality ‘born of the charity of Christ, to fulfil, spread and ensure the intact and fruitful transmission of the wealth of faith, examples, precepts and charisms bequeathed by Christ to His Church’.” In conclusion, Pope Leo prayed that the Lord may send ministers for His Church who are filled with evangelical charity and willing to become courageous missionaries in every part of the world.