Christus Dominus

GThe Decree Christus Dominus (abbreviated CD) " on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church ", of 28 October 1965 is a document of the Second Vatican Council. Thus, the decree calls for the Bishops to promote the various forms of the apostolate and to coordinate under her leadership the apostolate together to bring their intimate connection with the diocese to express (CD # 17 ).

Table of Contents

  • Foreword
  • Chapter 1: The bishops and the universal Church I. The role of the bishops in the universal Church and the Synod of Bishops II The bishops and the Apostolic See
  • Chapter 2: The Bishops and the particular Churches or dioceses I. The diocesan bishops II The demarcation of dioceses III. The staff of the diocesan bishop in the pastoral ministry 1) The coadjutor and auxiliary bishops 2) Diocesan Curia and diocesan councils 3) The diocesan clergy 4) The role of religious
  • Chapter 3: The cooperation of the bishops to the common benefit of several churches I. The synods, councils, and especially the Bishops' Conferences II The demarcation of ecclesiastical provinces and the establishment of ecclesiastical regions III. Bishops who exercise on a diocesan office
  • General order
  • Comments

Basic information about the duties of bishops

  • The decree is expressed that the image of the bishop as a shepherd, a part of the Christian tradition. His life and work is understood in terms of the one and one shepherd, Jesus Christ.
  • He has received the sacrament of Holy Orders commissioned to feed the flock of the Lord and minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • To this end, the image of the Bishop, as father and with the rediscovery of the Church as the Family of God, as also in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium (LG No. 6 and 28 ) is written down. With this decree, the image of the bishop as father especially meaningful ( cf. Lumen Gentium, Nos. 6 and 28). The decree goes into detail on the hierarchical structure of the Church, and includes a specific reference to the bishops.
  • The bishops are the successors of the apostles, who run the house of the living God together with the Successor of Peter. In addition to his role in the universal Church, the diocesan bishop has a special responsibility with regard to the particular Church - his diocese. The church is present through the ministry of the bishop.
  • The bishop enjoys the fullness of the sacrament and at the same time he works closely with the priests and deacons, his co-workers (see CD # 15 ). Together with his priests and deacons, the bishop met the " tria munera " ( three tasks: preaching, sanctification, Assembly) in his diocese.

A new order

The Fathers of the Council have acknowledged that they had been the Pope and the bishops made ​​a lot of help and yet they wanted in this decree that the management of the Roman Curia should be subjected to a new order. These should be the needs of the times and of the individual regions and rites better match (see DC No. 9). This they confirmed with the following words:

" To exercise the supreme, full and immediate authority over the universal Church, the Pope of the authorities of the Roman Curia served. This, consequently, their posts are in his name and with his authority for the good of the churches and in the service they provide for the sacred pastors ( cf. CD # 9 ). "

The Auxiliary Bishops

About the relationship of a suffragan bishop to his diocesan bishop does the Second Vatican Council:

" Because, therefore, the coadjutor and auxiliary bishops are called to participate in the care of the diocesan bishop, they should perform their duties so that they in all matters in full compliance with this act. They should also prove to be the diocesan bishop always obedience and reverence, which should in turn brotherly love Coadjutor and auxiliary bishops and treat them with respect (see CD # 25 ) "

About the Bishops' Conferences

On the establishment of national bishops' conferences was hotly debated at the Second Vatican Council, and finally with this decree ( cf. CD No. 36-38 ) communal legally prescribed and standardized in the Code of Canon Law of 1983. This addition to the hitherto justified only diocesan bishops were also full members of the Auxiliary Bishops.

Synod of Bishops (Catholic) Holy See Episcopal Conference Pastor Bonus Dei Verbum Gaudium et Spes Ad Gentes Apostolicam Actuositatem Inter mirifica Optatam totius Orientalium Ecclesiarum Perfectae Caritatis Presbyterorum Ordinis Unitatis redintegratio Dignitatis humanae Gravissimum Educationis Nostra Aetate
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