Religious Leaders in Christianity (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

The role & significance of the Pope and bishops

• There is a hierarchy in the Roman Catholic Church, which means that there are different levels of authority and responsibility

• A church hierarchy also exists in the Anglican Church. However, the Anglican Church does not accept the authority of the Pope

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The hierarchy of the Catholic Church

The role and significance of the Pope

• The Pope is the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the Bishop of Rome

• Catholics see him as God’s representative on earth

• The Pope is viewed as the direct successor of St Peter, the leader of the apostles

  • This is because of the words Jesus spoke to Peter:

• Catholics believe that these powers have been passed down in an unbroken line from Peter to the present day

  • They believe that Jesus is present in the papacy (the office of the Pope) to this day

• This is why they accept the authority of the Pope 

• The current pope is Pope Leo XIV

• The papacy is a source of authority for Catholics, who can turn to the Pope’s teaching as well as the Bible for guidance on how to live and what to believe

• The Pope is an important world figure beyond the Catholic Church

  • He is the head of the largest denomination in Christianity

  • He is the spokesperson for the Catholic Church worldwide

  • He is a figure who often speaks out about moral and social issues, such as human rights and justice, poverty and environmental concerns

The role and significance of the bishops

• The bishops are also seen as the successors to the apostles

• They are the heads of the local churches and are in charge of areas of the church called dioceses

• More senior bishops are known as archbishops and have more responsibility

• The Pope chooses cardinals from the archbishops

  • These men have the task of electing a new Pope when the previous Pope dies or retires

• The combined authority of the Pope and the bishops is called the Magisterium

  • The Magisterium has the same authority as the first apostles because of the unbroken line of command that has been passed down from Peter to today

  • This belief in the authority of the Magisterium is called apostolic succession

Catholics believe that the Magisterium is guided by the Holy Spirit

The role & significance of priests, ministers and pastors

• Priests, ministers and pastors are the people in charge of individual churches

• These people have several roles and responsibilities, including:

  • Leading the Sunday service

  • Preparing the sermon for the service so it teaches people about the messages contained in the readings and how they can apply those to their lives

  • Carrying out important services, such as baptisms, marriages and funerals

  • Visiting the sick, housebound and elderly and taking Holy Communion to them

  • Overseeing the day-to-day running and organisation of the church

  • Leading or organising events and groups, such as youth groups, Bible study groups or charity work groups

  • Taking the lead in deciding how the individual church should work in the local community and how it should support the worldwide mission of the Christian Church

  • Representing the Christian faith at local meetings and organisations, such as councils or school governing bodies

• In the Catholic Church, the priest is responsible for conducting five of the Church’s seven sacraments: 

  • Baptism

  • Reconciliation

  • Eucharist

  • Marriage

  • Sacrament of the Sick

Denominations with no ordained clergy

• Some Protestant Christian denominations do not have ordained clergy

• These churches share out the roles and responsibilities of priests, ministers and pastors among the people of the church 

• Everyone is a layperson, which means a non-ordained person

• The reasons for this are:

  • All baptised people are seen as equal in the eyes of God

  • There is no special authority given to one person over another

  • All people have the same direct access to God: They do not need to access God through a priest or religious leader

• This belief is known as the priesthood of all believers

  • Jesus is the link between people and God, not a priest or minister

• The basis of this belief is the teachings of Peter and Paul in the Bible

• St Peter said that every Christian is part of a “royal priesthood”:

• St Paul said that the only mediator between God and humans is Jesus: