Vatican City: Continuing his catechetical reflections at the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV underscored that the hierarchical structure of the Church is not a later development or human invention, but a divine reality established by Christ Himself to carry forward the mission of the Gospel.
Focusing on the third chapter of the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, the Pope explained that the Council first presented the Church as the People of God before addressing her hierarchical nature. However, he clarified that this structure is not secondary or optional, but intrinsic to the very foundation of the Church from its earliest beginnings.
The Pope pointed to the calling of the Apostles by Jesus Christ, noting that they formed the first community redeemed through His Paschal Mystery. Christ, he said, entrusted them with a mission not only to preach but also to serve as instruments of salvation for the entire world.
Rejecting the notion that Church hierarchy is merely an administrative framework, Pope Leo emphasized that it is a divine institution designed to ensure the continuity of Christ’s mission through history. “It is not simply a functional system for organizing a social body,” he explained, “but a sacred structure meant to preserve and transmit the Gospel faithfully until the end of time.”
He further highlighted that the Church’s hierarchy operates in service to unity, sanctification, and mission. The Apostles, entrusted with safeguarding Christ’s teachings, passed on their responsibilities to successors who continue to guide, teach, and sanctify the faithful across generations.
Reflecting on the teachings of the Council, the Pope explained the distinction between the common priesthood of all baptized believers and the ministerial priesthood. While all Christians share in Christ’s priesthood, those ordained to ministry receive a special sacred authority sacra potestas to serve the Church in a unique and essential way.
Within this framework, bishops, priests, and deacons each carry specific responsibilities, or munera, dedicated to nurturing the spiritual life of the faithful and leading them toward salvation. This structure, the Pope said, is both a visible expression and an inner reality of the Church’s apostolic mission.
Quoting Pope Paul VI, Pope Leo noted that the hierarchy is “born of the charity of Christ,” tasked with safeguarding and transmitting the richness of faith, teachings, and spiritual gifts entrusted to the Church.
Concluding his address, the Pope offered a prayer that God may continue to raise up devoted ministers filled with evangelical zeal leaders ready to serve with courage and bring the message of Christ to every corner of the world.