The 3 Tier Hierarchy Of The Roman Catholic Church:
Pope, Bishop, Priests
Learn from the Bible Blueprint, how the church was organized by the apostles!
Find a local congregation of the New Testament church that is organized exactly as the Bible says
30-606 AD: The gradual historical Development of the Papal and Patriarchal Systems of Centralized Church Government away from the organization found in the Bible.

The office of Elders, pastors and bishops

 The New Testament Church has no world headquarters!

There are a total of at least 30 Roman Catholic denominations in the world. There are 22 different liturgies within the Roman Catholic church (which we have graciously counted as 1) and between 8 - 66 independent schisms.

1. Notice there are only three levels of control: World head, Diocese head, Local church.
2. All dots on graphic below are local churches with differing levels of authority.
3. The one Blue dot (where the Pope preaches every Sunday) is the local church of St. John Lateran Basilica that is the only local church in the world to have all three levels of authority: World head, diocese head, Local parish
4. The black dots are local churches (always called "Cathedrals" which is Latin for "chair,") that have bishops as their preacher every Sunday. There are 2946 of these Cathedrals (local churches) in the Catholic church presently. There is only one bishop for each of these "diocese head" mother churches (Cathedrals). Each Bishop is located at a simple local church (Cathedral) that controls other local churches (parishes) within its geographic territory. You will notice that even the local church of St. John Lateran Basilica (Rome diocese) is over other local churches in exactly the same way.
5. The Red Dots are local churches headed by mere priests. There are 219,583 of these local churches in the Catholic church presently. A group of these local churches bound together under the headship of a single diocese Bishop.
6. To find out how many actual local churches there are in the Catholic church today you must add the number of Parishes (219,583) and the number of Diocese churches (2946) plus St. John Lateran Basilica (1). So the math is: 219,583 + 2946 + 1 = 222,530. That means that a Roman catholic can attend any one of 222,530 local churches in the world. But every Roman Catholic could chose to attend a Parish where a priest preaches every Sunday or where a Bishop preaches every Sunday or where the Pope preaches every Sunday.
7. In this way, you can see that the Roman Catholic church is simple groupings of local churches with three different levels of authority.

There are a total of at least 30 Roman Catholic denominations in the world. There are 22 different liturgies within the Roman Catholic church (which we have graciously counted as 1) and between 8 - 66 independent schisms.

A. The Pope (also called the Patriarch) The term Patriarch is obsolete in the Roman Catholic church and is derived from 325-606 AD when there were 3-5 "Mother churches" that equally ruled the world divided by their 5 territories. One of the official titles of the Bishop of Rome today, is "Patriarch of the west". This is because in 600 AD there were 4 Patriarchs of the east, (Antioch and Alexandria, Jerusalem and Constantinople) who eventually split off in 1054AD to become the Greek Orthodox church., and one "Patriarch of the West." (Rome)

The following terms are applied to the Pope:
Bishop of the city of Rome (head of the a local diocese in Rome)
Vicar of Jesus Christ
Successor of St. Peter
Pope (Universal bishop over all other bishops)
Prince of the Apostles
Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church
Patriarch of the West
Primate of Italy
Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province
Sovereign of the Vatican City State
Servant of the Servants of God
Priest of St. John Lateran Basilica (Parish priest)

Notice that the Pope actually holds three positions in the Catholic church: 1. Priest who preaches at the pulpit of St. John Lateran Basilica on a day to day basis just like any other parish priest. 2. Bishop of the Diocese of the city of Rome. 3. Pope: head of the universal church. Think of the Catholic church as a collection of local churches. Take the Pope for example. He holds all three positions of power in the Catholic church, which are separate offices:

1. Parish Priest at St. John Lateran Basilica: The Pope is the regular preacher for a church called, St. John Lateran Basilica. It is a simple local church where pew dwelling common Catholics come to hear their Parish priest, (Pope) preach.
2. Bishop of diocese where at St. John Lateran Basilica is the "Mother church". The Pope is more than just a parish priest, he is also the Bishop of Rome meaning that St. John Lateran Basilica is also a mother church that oversees diocese. This means the local parish of St. John Lateran Basilica is over a limited number of other local churches that are within its local geographic area called a diocese. As the Bishop of Rome, he is equal to every other bishop in the Catholic church.
3. Universal Bishop: Pope. The Pope is also the "Ruler of the Bishops".

B. The Bishops (also called Archbishop = Major-Archbishop) There are 2946 "Mother churches" (and diocese) in the Catholic church today. The local church where a Bishop resides is always called a Cathedral, which is Latin for "chair". A Cathedral therefore means that a specific local church is where the Bishop's official chair is centered from over other local parishes. The Cathedral is the Bishop's home church. Each of these Mother churches (Cathedrals) are assigned a geographic territory which is called a diocese. There is only one Bishop per diocese, although he may be assisted by other bishops who rank below him as servants. So from a power organization, there is one Bishop for each of the 2946 diocese. There is no difference in rank and power between a Bishop and an Archbishop. An archbishop is merely a bishop who controls a larger than average territory or is located in a city of political importance, like a capital city of a state, province or nation. An Archbishop has no power over other bishops outside his own diocese. The term Major-Archbishop is just a variation of Archbishop. In power terms, there is only one man who can "fire" a bishop: the Pope, who appointed him in the first place.

Notice that the Pope is nothing more than an exalted Pulpit preacher of a local church. He actually holds three positions in the Catholic church: 1. Priest (pulpit preacher) at St. John Lateran Basilica on a day to day basis just like any other parish priest. 2. Bishop of the Diocese of the city of Rome. 3. Pope: head of the universal church.

All Bishops hold two positions of power in the Catholic church, which are separate offices.

1. Parish Priest wherever their local church is in the world: The Pope is the regular preacher for a church called, St. John Lateran Basilica. It is a simple local church where pew dwelling common Catholics come to hear their Parish priest.
2. Bishop of diocese where his local church is in the world. He preaches for a "Mother church" that is over other local churches in his area. All Bishops are more than just a parish priests, they are also Bishop of a church that is the head of diocese within which are several other local churches he rules over. As the Bishop of Rome, he is equal to every other bishop in the Catholic church including the Pope, who is also a mere bishop of a local diocese.

C. The Priests: They are also called, Reverend, Pastor, Priest, Father. There is one Priest for each of the 219,583 Parishes (local churches) in the Catholic church. Each Parish has is own geographic territory and boundary lines between local churches are well defined. The Priest, is in charge of a single parish that is over common Catholics. The priest answers only to two men, his Bishop and the Pope. A bishop from one diocese has no power or control over a Priest from a different diocese. In power terms, there are only two men who can "fire" a priest: the Pope or the bishop who appointed him.

D. Three levels: As you can see, the Pope holds three separate offices, Bishops hold two separate offices and Priests hold one office.

Bishops and Arch-Bishops are the same power. Arch-Bishops are from larger cities, capital cities etc. Such a naming tradition of calling larger, politically powerful cities by seemly higher sounding titles, carries on the tradition that caused the Bishop of Rome (A large city that was the capital of Rome) to take the highest title of Pope! Small cities get Bishops, while BIG cities get ARCH-BISHOPS. Think of Bishops and Arch-Bishops as Minor and Major prophets of the Bible. Minor and Major prophets are equal in authority, Major prophets tend to be larger books, while Minor prophet tend to be smaller books. Same with Bishops and Arch-Bishops! "Major-Archbishops" are just Bishops from real super important cities with real super important sounding names that mean nothing more than Bishop. Diocese and Arch-Diocese are the same power. Arch-Diocese are from larger cities, capital cities etc. Diocese have Bishops, while Arch-Diocese have Arch-Bishops. Its all just for show and the terms are confusing and irrelevant.

Cardinals have no power in the Catholic church. They are not over Bishops or Priests. Cardinals are chosen by the Pope from the 2946 bishops to take on an additional title of Cardinal. The best way to think of a Cardinal, is a cabinet member in the British or Canadian Government. The prime minister is like the Pope with total control. But there are also hundreds of elected officials called "Members of Parliament". Each "Members of Parliament", corresponds to a Bishop and rules over a specific territory. From this pool of elected "Members of Parliament", the Prime minister chooses his "Cabinet" of about 15 men to fill positions like, "Defense Minister", "Trade Minister", "Environment Minister". These 15 cabinet members correspond to "Cardinals". Just as Cabinet members have no power over other "Back Benchers" (non-cabinet members) so too Cardinals have no power over other Bishops. So Cardinals are Bishops with additional privilege but do not rank over anyone outside their own diocese. Cardinals act as an advisory panel for the Pope and elect the new pope when the current one dies.

V. Various national sizes:
Remember, there are no national positions of power in the Catholic church, only Bishops within a country, who are equal to all other bishops in the world.

It is important to remember that the Catholic church has no organizational tie on national, provincial or state level. All Bishops the world over, are equal in power. Although all the bishops in one country form separate organizations, they are powerless, except by way of suggesting a policy that has the backing of all the bishops in a country. Notice that there is an equal number of Dioceses, Bishops and Cathedrals. That is because a Bishop is head of a single diocese and his one home church is called a Cathedral. Also notice that the number of Parishes and the number of Priests is the same. That is because there is one priest over each parish.

VII. Catholic offices and positions that violate the Bible:

• Bishop: These men are the successors of the apostles and are usually the spiritual leaders of local churches. One or several auxiliary bishops may assist in the ministry. Some local churches with the largest population and territory are called archdioceses. These "archdioceses" are led by an "archbishop". In the Bible each local church had a plurality of Bishops, who were also called Elders/Presybters and Shepherds/Pastors who ruled within a single local church with no power over other local churches. In the Bible, Bishops/Elders always had to be married with children. (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)
• Cardinal: This is essentially an honorary title conferred on bishops. Cardinals usually head a large archdiocese or hold a chief administrative position in the Church. Until he reaches the age of 80, a cardinal is allowed to vote in the election of a new pope. Cardinals are not found in the Bible and did not come into existence until after 600 AD.
• Apostolic Pronuncio (Papal Nuncio): An archbishop who acts as the official Vatican delegate to a country. He holds the rank of ambassador. In Canada, he also functions as a facilitator between this country's bishops and the Vatican offices in Rome. In the Bible Apostolic Pronuncio do not exist, because one local church had no control over another.
• Holy See: A term that refers to the pope and the Roman Curia--the Vatican officials and offices that are responsible for the day-to-day handling of Church affairs and resources worldwide. In the Bible, there was no organization larger than the local church.
• Diocese: This is the geographical area in which a bishop exercises his ministry of shepherding. In Canada, most dioceses consist of several counties or regional municipalities. In the Bible each local church was equal, independent, autonomous and self governing, so the concept of a Diocese is unbiblical. Historically it did not develop until after 250 AD.
• Priest: Co-worker of the bishop. The priest shares in the power of the bishop as an ordained cleric. The priest can be a diocesan priest or religious priest. A diocesan priest is attached to a specific diocese, under the authority of the local bishop. A religious priest is a member of a religious community that has a particular mission in the Church (for example, missionary work or teaching) and works in many different parts of the world at the invitation of local bishops. In addition, the religious priest takes "vows" of poverty--to relinquish personal ownership and share possessions; chastity--not just to forego marriage as the vow of celibacy requires (which all priests take) but to strive for God-centered love; and obedience--to spread the gospel where requested. In the Bible, every Christian is a Priest, saint and brother or sister.
• Pastor: The bishop is chief pastor of his diocese, but he delegates priests to be his direct representative in the pastoral care of a parish church. The other appointed priests in the parish are called "associate pastors" or "parochial vicars." In the Bible each local church had a plurality of Elders, who were also called Presybters, Bishops and Shepherds/Pastors who ruled within a single local church with no power over other local churches. In the Bible, Bishops/Elders always had to be married with children. (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)
• Monsignor: An honorary title given to a diocesan priest in recognition of his contributions to the life of the Church.
• Deacon: An ordained member of the clergy, ranked under bishops and priests. A deacon can either be transitional (a step while studying for the priesthood) or permanent (ordained only for the diaconate). Only permanent deacons may be married, and only if they were married at the time of their ordination. If their wives die, they cannot remarry. Otherwise, deacons are celibate. The deacon's ministry is performing pastoral works of charity and in assisting liturgical functions. In the Bible, deacons must be married men with children. (1 Timothy 3:12)
• Sister (nun): A member of a religious order of women. Sisters, or nuns, take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and their ministries to spread the gospel are diversified and widespread. In the Bible, every Christian is a Saint (Colossians 1:1-2; Philippians 1:1-2) a Priest (Rev 1:5; 5:5:10), and brother or sister (James 2:15).
• Brother: A nonordained (Priests and brothers as "monks.") Brothers obedience, and their widespread. member of a religious order of men. in monastic orders are referred to take vows of poverty, chastity, and ministries are also varied and Laity The term used to designate all baptized Catholics who are not members of the clergy but exercise their baptism by leavening secular life with the presence of Christ and attaining holiness by fulfilling their own particular duties in life. . In the Bible, every Christian is a Saint (Colossians 1:1-2; Philippians 1:1-2) a Priest (Rev 1:5; 5:5:10), and brother or sister (James 2:15).
• CCCB: Initials that stand for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. This conference of bishops and attending agencies speak with one voice on important religious and social topics of our day and expresses Catholic teaching on these topics for the Church in Canada. The CCCB and other national conferences of Bishops are essentially powerless advisory boards.

VIII. Catholic buildings and places: (from a Catholic publication)

• Vatican City: A 108-acre plot of land in Rome that serves as the worldwide headquarters of the Catholic Church and is the official residence of the pope. Vatican City is a recognized "state," with the pope as its temporal leader, and has diplomatic relations with many countries.
• Basilica: A church designated as a place of special importance (for example, Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City).
• Cathedral: The official church of the bishop of a diocese. It gets its name from "cathedra," Latin for "chair," which is the symbol of the bishop's leadership. The bishop presides at this chair when he is present for cathedral services.
• Chancery: The place where the bishop works and where the (arch)diocesan offices and programs are centralized. In some places, the chancery is referred to as the "Catholic Centre."
• Parish Church: A church with territorial boundaries that serves the needs of the people in its immediate area. Some parishes are not territorial but were built to serve specific groups of immigrants. Churches are named in honor of one or all Persons of the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, or one of the saints.
• Parish Center: A building or large space where parish activities are held.
• Rectory: The residence of priests.
• Convent: The residence of sisters.
• Monastery: The residence of a religious community of men or a religious community of women.

Learn from the Bible Blueprint, how the church was organized by the apostles!
Find a local congregation of the New Testament church that is organized exactly as the Bible says
30-606 AD: The gradual historical Development of the Papal and Patriarchal Systems of Centralized Church Government away from the organization found in the Bible.

There are a total of at least 30 Roman Catholic denominations in the world. There are 22 different liturgies within the Roman Catholic church (which we have graciously counted as 1) and between 8 - 66 independent schisms.

Steve Rudd

Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA