61. The Pope, Bishops and Councils

In the history of the Church, there have been 21 councils convened by the pope. These have all been doctrinal and juridical. The last council, called Vatican II was not a doctrinal council but a pastoral one. Among these 21 councils the most notable of the General Councils following the Council of Jerusalem have been: the Council of Nicea (325), the Council of Ephesus, (425), the Council of Nicea (787) the Council of Trent, (1545-1563), the First Council of the Vatican, (1870). (See also pgs. 136-137)

Is the Pope the head of the universal Church?

— Yes.

Are Bishops subject to the Pope?

– Yes, however, it must be kept in mind that Bishops are truly the pastors of their dioceses. This right they have from Our Lord Jesus Christ. It belongs to their episcopacy.

Can one diocesan bishop be superior over another bishop in another diocese?

– No. One bishop can not command another bishop, unless the other is his auxiliary bishop.

When a diocese is too big for a bishop to control, the bishop may have another bishop to help him. In such a case, the auxiliary bishop is subject to the former.

What is a Diocesan Council?

– Bishops from neighbouring dioceses will come together in a spirit of charity to share their difficulties and concerns. They may form some common pastoral guidelines in order to help each other.

Does such a council have authority over the individual bishops?

– A college of bishops can never have authority over the individual bishop. Such a college is a moral college and can never be a juridical college. It has never existed and cannot be proven to exist even by theology, tradition or in the history of the Church.

What is a Juridical college?

— “Juridical” would imply that the college of bishops, or to use the more modern term, the “bishop’s conference”, have power of law over the individual bishop. The individual bishop would then have to obey the “bishops conference”.

What would be the consequences?

— A logical step that would follow is that a “Bishop’s conference” can exercise power of law even without the pope.

To set up a permanent collegiality would even force the Pope to act only when surrounded by a senate sharing in his power in an habitual and permanent way. This will, in fact, diminish the exercise of the power of the Pope.

This would bring about the gradual disappearance of the essential character of the bishops, namely that they are “true pastors, each one of whom feeds and governs his own flock, entrusted to him in accordance with a power proper to him alone, directly and fully contained in his Order.” The national assemblies with their commissions would soon — and unconsciously — be feeding and governing all the flocks, so that the priests as well as the laity would find themselves placed between these two pastors: the bishop, whose authority would be theoretical, and the assembly with its commissions, which would, in fact, hold the exercise of that authority.

Another most pernicious consequence would be, following the same novel teaching, that a parish priest would be obliged to obey a parish council. This is manifestly absurd. This has always been condemned by the Church. The Church is not democratic.

But the great Councils of the Church, made up of Bishops, have defined doctrine and made laws?

— When a council is convened by the Pope, and continues to operate under the power of the Pope, such a council can define and make laws. It must also be added that the pope must intend such a council to be doctrinal and juridical. If he explicitly convenes a council for pastoral reasons only, such a council cannot have the force of law.

Without the authority of the Pope, a council can only be moral; that is; advisory. Councils of this nature have been exceptional events in the history of the Church.

What does Tradition and Scripture teach us?

— According to the Gospel, St. Peter and the other Apostles founded a College, instituted by Our Lord Himself, insofar as they remained in communion among themselves under the authority of St. Peter. Similarly, the Roman Pontiff, Peter’s successor, and the bishops, successors of the Apostles, are united among themselves.

Holy Scripture and the Tradition of the Church teach us that only in extraordinary cases did the Apostles and their successors meet together in Councils, and act as a collegiate body under the authority of Peter or of the Roman Pontiffs. The Apostles, in fact, fulfilled their mission personally and transmitted their power to their successors as they themselves had received it from Our Lord.

The Holy Council of Trent, basing itself on these sacred traditions, confirms that the Roman Pontiff alone possesses in his own person a full, Ordinary Episcopal power over the universal Church. As to the bishops, the successors of the Apostles, as true pastors, they feed and govern their own flock entrusted to them, each bishop with a personal power, direct and complete, deriving from his sacred consecration.

Thus at times the bishops also, either some of them or altogether, upon a summons from or with the approval of the Roman Pontiff, meet as a true and proper College, acting with a single authority to define and rule the interests of the universal Church or of individual churches.

Such is the constant and unanimous Tradition of the Catholic Church and no one can call it in question. Such is the ineffable and wonderful Constitution of the Church. which has remained unchangeable up to the present day and is destined to remain so up to the end of time, in accordance with Our Lord’s promises.

Is it advisable to unite in council?

— It is true that present circumstances make it advisable for the bishops to meet more frequently, united in the charity of Christ, in order to share in common their thoughts, desires, decisions, and pastoral cares, keeping always perfect unity, however, without diminishing the power of the Roman Pontiff, or that of each individual bishop.