HANDOUTS THE MODELS OF THE CHURCH

• The American Jesuit, Avery Dulles, made a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II, described the church in
terms of various models (or ideal types).

• The models as he envisioned them capture different aspects of the church

• Although different church communities within Christianity emphasize one or another model
more than others, Dulles did not see the models as mutually exclusive rather each of the models
captures a key aspect of the ideal church.

6 BASIC DOMINANT MODELS OF THE CHURCH (Avery Dulles, S.J.)

 As an Institution
 Called together as People of God (Church as Communion-in-Mission)
 Sent as a Prophet
 Servant to the World
 School of Discipleship
 As a Sacrament of Christ

I. CHURCH AS AN INSTITUTION

The Church can be thought of as an institution which teaches, sanctifies and rules with the authority of
Christ—an authority, of course, which authentically expresses love, service and truth, not domination.
 CLERICS (Pope, bishops, priests, deacons) are responsible to the LAITY for teaching (professing
approved doctrines), sanctifying (administering sacraments), and ruling (governing faith and
morals)
In order to shepherd the People of God and to increase its numbers without cease, Christ the Lord set up
in his Church a variety of offices which aim at the good of the whole body. The holders of office, who
are invested with a sacred power, are, in fact, dedicated to promoting the interests of their brethren, so
that all who belong to the People of God . . . may attain to salvation. (CCC, 874)

ORDAINED MINISTRY refers to the ministerial activities in the Church that arise from the sacrament of
Holy Orders. The ordained ministers are the bishops, priests and deacons.

BISHOP
 Comes from the Greek word “episcopos” meaning “overseer”.
 A successor of the Apostles and receiving the highest of the Holy orders, the bishop is invested
with the authority to govern a diocese where he undertakes Christ’s own role as Teachers,
Shepherd and High Priest and act in Christ’s own person.
Duties of the Bishop:
• To teach or guard the purity of doctrine and see that is given to others.
• To guard the morals of the faithful under it’s care, too maintain discipline, to provide that the
faithful receive the sacraments and to ensure divine worship.
• To reside in his jurisdiction.
• To visit parishes of his diocese regularly
POPE
The Pope (Roman Pontiff or Holy Father) is the successor of St. Peter the Apostle (CCC 879)
 Peter’s successor, the Pope, who is also the Bishop of Rome" is the perpetual and visible source
and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. (CCC
882)
 By reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church, the Pope has full,
supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise
unhindered. (Lumen Gentium 22)

WHAT IS THE COLLEGE OF BISHOPS OR THE EPISCOPAL COLLEGE?

The College of Bishops is a collective body of the successors of the Apostles. They are the bishops from
all parts of the world who are in full communion with the Pope and which is always headed by the Pope.

"The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical
council." (CCC 884)
But an ecumenical council must always be confirmed or at least recognized by the Pope. (LG 22)

The Magisterium
The authority to faithfully interpret the Holy Bible and the Sacred Tradition “belongs to the bishops all
over the world in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome”. Together, they
comprise the Magisterium – the teaching authority of the Church – which is not superior to the Word
of God, but its servant (CCC, 85-86).

The Pope, as head of the college of bishops, enjoys 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.
(CCC 891)

Individual Bishops
• "The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular
Churches.” (CCC 886)
• The bishops exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to
them assisted by priests and deacons. (LG 23)
• Each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches and they exercise this by ruling well their
own Churches especially to the poor, to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries
who are working throughout the world. (CCC 886; Galatians 2:10)

PRIESTS
• “Priest” came from the Latin word “presbyteros” meaning “elder” and “sacerdos” meaning
someone whose principal function is that of offering sacrifice.
• The priest share in the ministry of the Bishops.
• They are to preach the Gospel, shepherd the faithful as well as celebrate divine worship
especially in the Mass.
Duties of Priests
• Share with all the word of God. This requires believing what they read, teaching what they
believe and putting into practice what they teach.
• Bring men and women into the people of God through Baptism, forgive sins in the name of
Christ and the Church through penance, relieve and console the sick with holy oil; celebrate the
 liturgy and offer thank’ s and praise to God throughout the day, praying not only for the people
of God but for the whole world.
• Unite all faithful as one family and lead them effectively through Christ and in the Holy Spirit to
God the Father.

DEACONS
• They serve the people of God in the service of the Liturgy, of the Gospel and works of charity.
Duties of the deacons:
• Administering Baptism solemnly
• Being custodian and distributors of the Eucharist
• Assisting and blessing marriages in the name of the Church (can officiate the “rite of marriage”
provided they have the license to marry)
• Bringing Viaticum to the dying
• Reading the Sacred Scriptures to the faithful.
• Instructing and exhorting the people
• Presiding over the worship and prayer of the faithful
• Administering sacramentals
• Officiating at funeral and burial services.

The Consecrated and Religious Life

They are those who enter the state of life which is constituted by the profession of the evangelical
counsels (chastity, poverty and obedience) for the sake of the Kingdom, while not entering into the
hierarchical structure of the Church. (LG 44; CCC 914-915)

The Laity
• The “laity” includes all the baptized persons but excluding those who received Holy Orders and
the consecrated persons (nuns and brothers).
• They are incorporated into Christ by baptism and are “made sharers in their particular way in
the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission
of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world.” (CCC #897).
• They are called to cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community through
the exercise of different ministries according to the grace and charisms which the Lord has been
pleased to bestow on them. (CCC # 910).
• By uniting their forces, they can bring the world to the norms of justice and the practice of
virtue through their acts of kindness and therefore impregnate culture and human works with a
moral value (CCC # 909).

Parents share in the office of sanctifying "by leading a conjugal life in the Christian spirit and by seeing
to the Christian education of their children”. (CCC 902)

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS/ACOLYTE/LECTOR/COMMENTATOR
Those who “possess the required qualities can be admitted permanently to the ministries of lector and
acolyte. When the necessity of the Church warrants it and when ministers are lacking, lay persons, even
if they are not lectors or acolytes, can also supply for certain of their offices, namely, to exercise the
ministry of the word, to preside over liturgical prayers, to confer Baptism, and to distribute Holy
Communion in accord with the prescriptions of law.” (CCC 910-913)