The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 124: Teaching, Sanctifying, and Governing (2026)

Episode Date: May 4, 2026

There are three offices that belong to the episcopal college: the teaching office, the sanctifying office, and the governing office. Fr. Mike gives us an overview of the functions within these offices and clarifies the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. As we learn about the authority of the episcopal college, Fr. Mike encourages us to approach the teachings of the Church with docility. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 888-896. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in scripture and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a Year is brought to you by Ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is Day 128. We're reading paragraphs 888 to 886.

I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes the foundations of faith approach. You can follow along with any recent version of the catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own catechism in a year reading plan by visiting ascentrumpress.com slash CIY. And you can also click follow or subscribe in your app, your podcast, wherever you're listening to this to sign up to, you know, follow or subscribe and receive daily notifications. It's day 124. We're reading paragraphs 888 to 896. What we're talking about is the extension of what we've been talking about for the last few days. Yesterday, the Episcopal College, remember that college of bishops, that community, the communion of bishops with the pope, that they are united as

successors of Peter and the successors of the apostles. Now, they have a threefold office. There's a threefold office that belongs to the pope and belongs to the bishops. And so what is the threefold office? That is the teaching office, the sanctifying office, and the governing office that the holy father and other bishops with him are entrusted with these three roles, essentially. And these three areas of authority. Now, always when we talk about this office, when we talk about areas of authority, it is always, the church always looks at this through the context of Jesus. Remember, remember this. If a bishop, a priest, or the pope ever steps out of this model, the model of Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve, then there's an error there.

Not an error in teaching necessarily, but an error in lifestyle. And so we recognize that here is the bishop, and here's the Holy Father, entrusted with the teaching. office. In fact, we're going to look at the degree to which, the depth to which the Holy Father's given the ability to infallibly teach in matters of faith and morals. Now, there's going to be a lot of qualifications of when the Pope teaches infallibly. That's going to be beginning in paragraph 890 and continuing in paragraph 891, but also how the bishops, when they're united together and with the Holy Father, when they teach in an area of faith and morals in a definitive way, this also can be an infallible teaching. But not all teachings of the Holy Father and not all

teachings of the bishops are considered to be infallible, or they're not even considered necessarily to have be pronounced in a definitive matter. At the same time, in paragraph 892, it's going to highlight that there are still teachings, that the church has put forth for believers, put forth for faith that are meant to be received to and adhered to with what they call religious assent, although the last line of paragraph 892 says, though distinct from the assent of faith is nonetheless an extension of it. So there's an important thing that that assent of faith we have to give to all dogmas, basically all those things that's essential to believe as followers of Jesus Christ.

And that's the teaching office of the Holy Father and the teaching office of the bishops, the Magisterium, right? We talked about that before. There's also the sanctifying office where here is the Holy Eucharist that's been entrusted to the apostles that is then passed on to us. And the bishops, they have, it says here in paragraph 890, is the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood, especially in the Eucharist. Now, Jesus is the great high priest, right? He is the supreme priest. He is the ultimate priest.

He's the only one. And yet the bishops and their successors, and by extension, the priests have been invited to have a share in that priesthood of Jesus Christ. And so as often as they exercise that ministry, as often as they exercise, again, handing us, handing on the Eucharist and offering up the sacrifice of Eucharist, that sanctifying of Jesus, that work of Christ, is extended throughout the whole world. Lastly, there's the governing office. We recognize that not only do the apostles and their successors teach us, not only that they pass on the grace that comes from Jesus Christ

and the power of the Holy Spirit, but also they've been given a certain authority to govern. They've been given a certain authority to lead. And so it says here in paragraph 894, that bishops who are as vickers and legates of Christ govern the particular churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example. But above all, that also by the authority and sacred power, which indeed they ought to exercise, so as to edify in the spirit of service, which is that

of their master. So the bishops have a level of authority. They have the authority to govern. That essentially, in so many ways in their particular diocese, the bishop has in so many ways, again, as I said, the last word, here's how we're going to do X, Y, or Z. And there's something that's dangerous about that, right? Because we all know that power can corrupt, and absolute power can corrupt absolutely. And yet, that's why each bishop, and just like each Christian, is called to have the mind of Christ, though he was in the form of God, emptied himself and took the form of a slave. And so every bishop is called not only to exercise their teaching office, sanctifying office, and governing office, but every bishop is also called to keep in mind and have this be of the same mind as that of Jesus,

who did not come to be served, but to serve. We're going to hear about that today. So let's say a prayer. Father in heaven, we give you praise. And we thank you. We thank you for the teaching. office, the sanctifying office and the governing office of our local bishop. We thank you for the teaching, sanctifying, and governing offices of the Holy Father. We ask that you please help them become the men that you've called them to be. Lord God, you have called them from all eternity to serve. You've called them from all eternity to teach and to sanctify, to govern. You've called them from all eternity to be our pastors, our shepherds and our spiritual fathers. We ask that you please in this moment, in this day, Lord God, give them every grace that they need to be like you, give them.

them every grace that they need to not break the bruised reed, to not quench the smoldering wick. To give them the grace that they need to teach well and clearly and truthfully, faithfully. Give them the grace that they need to offer the sacrifice of the mass with purity of heart and with power. Give them the grace to govern and to lead with all humility, but with all wisdom. Lord God, for all those who are carrying a burden today, the burden of teaching, the burden of sanctifying, the burden of governing. We ask that you meet them with your grace. And please bless every person listening to this,

that all of us may be led. All of us may receive teaching and be taught well. That all of us may be sanctified because you, Lord God, you are the source of all life. You are the source of holiness. And you Holy Spirit are the sanctifier. So come Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Okay. It is day 124 reading paragraphs 880. to 896. The teaching office. Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task to preach the gospel of God to all men, in keeping with the Lord's command. They are heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ. They are authentic teachers of the apostolic faith endowed with

the authority of Christ. In order to preserve the church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the truth, willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibate. by a supernatural sense of faith, the people of God, under the guidance of the church's living Magisterium, unfailingly adheres to this faith. The mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the covenant established by God with His people in Christ. It is this Magisterium's task to preserve God's people from deviations and affections, and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error. Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the people of God abides in the truth that liberates.

To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the church's shepherds with the chasm of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. The exercise of this charism takes several forms. The Roman pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this 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. The infallibility promised to the church is also present in the body of bishops, when together with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme magisterium, above all, in an ecumenical counsel.

When the church, through its supreme magisterium, proposes a doctrine for belief as being divinely revealed and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions must be adhered to with the obedience of faith. This infallibility extends as far as the deposition. of divine revelation itself. Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and in a particular way to the Bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition, and without pronouncing in a definitive matter, they propose in the exercise of the ordinary magisterium, a teaching

that leads to better understanding of revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching, the faithful are to adhere to it with religious assent, which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it. The sanctifying office. The bishop is the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood, especially in the Eucharist, which he offers personally, or whose offering he assures through the priests, his co-workers. The Eucharist is the center of the life of the particular church. The bishop and priests sanctify the church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, not as domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. Thus, together with the flock entrusted

to them, they may attain to eternal life. The governing office. The bishops, as vickers and legates of Christ, govern the particular churches assigned to them by their councils, exhortations, and example. But over and above that, also by the authority and sacred power, which indeed they ought to exercise so as to edify in the spirit of service which is that of their master. The power which they exercise personally in the name of Christ is proper, ordinary, and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the supreme authority of the church. But the bishops should not be thought of as vickers of the pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the whole church does not annull, but on the contrary

confirms and defends that of the bishops. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the bishop's. the whole church under the guidance of the Pope. The Good Shepherd ought to be the model and form of the bishop's pastoral office. Conscious of his own weaknesses, the bishop can have compassion for those who are ignorant and erring. He should not refuse to listen to his subjects whose welfare he promotes as of his very own children. The faithful should be closely attached to the bishop as the church is to Jesus Christ and as Jesus Christ is to the Father.

As St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote, let all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ follows his father and the College of Presbyters as the apostles. Respect the deacons as you do God's law. Let no one do anything concerning the church in separation from the bishop. Okay, so that's paragraphs 88, 896. So good. One of the things that is highlighted here, again, we're kind of emphasizing the teaching office of the church. I don't know why.

Why am I doing that? Maybe because it's really important to hear the distinction, the distinction of what is the role of the bishops, what are the roles of the bishops as teachers? What's the role of the Holy Father as teacher? You know, the catechism also highlights the role of the people of God. In fact, paragraph 888 says, here is, in order to preserve the church in the purity of faith, handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the truth, he will to confront her a share in his own infallibility. And so the church says in the next sentence, by a supernatural sense of faith, the people of God, that's the entire church, right, under the guidance of the church's living

magisterium unfailingly adheres to this faith. So there's something to be said for the fact that there's this census fidelity, right? There's a sense of the faithful, a supernatural sense of the faithful, where we recognize as a whole church be in guidance with the bishops and united to the Holy Father. When we adhere to that, there's something powerful, there's something true, and there's something so good that we bring to the world. Now, paragraph 890 says, the mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the covenant established by God with His people. What does that mean? Well, essentially what that is trying to say is, here is God who lives in a living, active, and real relationship with his church.

The word of God is not a dead letter, but neither is the teaching of God. And so because we live in this real, active, dynamic relationship with the Lord, he continues to teach us, not through new revelation, but he continues to teach us through the Magisterium. So it goes on to say, it is this Magisterium's task to preserve God's people from deviations and affections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error. Then if the Lord wants to continue to teach us, he wants to continue to lead us, and that he does through, not only through his word, that divine revelation in scripture, and not only through tradition, sacred tradition, but also through this living teaching office,

of the church. And now because in order to do this, last sentence of paragraph 890 says, to fulfill this service, Christ endowed the church's shepherds with the chasm of infallibility. Now, again, infallibility is this gift, this chrism, this grace, to be able to teach without error. But that doesn't mean teach anything without error. Like, you know, the bishops can't get together and say, we declare up is down and down is up or two plus two is five. It's a chasm of infallibility and matters of faith and morals. And that's, you know, the bishop is down. And that's, That's very, very important. So the exercise of that charism of infallibility takes several forms, and paragraph 891 makes that distinction. And this is just very important for us to go through

paragraph 891 and understand. So what are, what's the extent of infallibility and what are the limits of infallibility? So what does it mean? So first of all, the Roman pontiff, that means the Holy Father, right, the Pope, head of the college of bishops. He enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office when as Supreme Pastor and teacher of all the faithful, who confirms his brother in the faith, that's from Luke's gospel, he proclaims by a definitive act, a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. So again, when the Holy Father teaches, not just teach, you know, Pope Benedict the 16th number of years ago, he wrote a book that he made it clear. He said, I'm writing this as a theologian. I'm not writing this as the Supreme Pastor and teacher of all

the faithful. So I'm writing this as a person who's dedicated his life. just studying God's word and studying theology and studying the teachings of the church. And so here is Jesus of Nazareth, this, you know, multi-volume work that Pope Benedict the 16th did. Incredible. But he made it clear, I'm not writing this as Supreme Pastor and teacher of all the faithful. I'm writing this as a theologian. But when the Holy Father does teach in virtue of his office as a Supreme Pastor and teacher, he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith and morals. And that definitive act means it's not just everything the Pope says as Pope,

but he is making it very, very clear that he's speaking what is a technical term could be ex-cathre, right, from the chair. When he's teaching as that Supreme Pastor, when he's teaching as the teacher of all the faithful, and he proclaims by a definitive act, this is a doctrine that is pertaining to faith and morals and that is binding on all the people of God. So that is when papal infallibility happened. for the Pope. Now there's also infallibility promised to the church that comes through the body of bishops when they're also united with the Holy Father and they exercise the supreme magistarium,

right? There's the ordinary magistrate. When they exercise the supreme magistrate, above all, in an ecumenical council. So what's an example of an ecumenical council? Well, Vatican 2 was an ecumenical council. So you have the dogmatic constitution on divine revelation. Dei Verbum, or some people say Dave Earbum, but Dei Verbum, the dogmatic constitution on divine revelation, that is a dogmatic statement, a dogmatic constitution. So that's an exercise of the supreme magistrarium. So it goes on to say in paragraph 891, when the church, through its supreme magistrate, proposes a doctrine for belief as being divinely revealed and as a teaching of Christ, the definitions, whatever they say, right, must be adhered to with the obedience of faith. So when if the Holy Father declare something infallibly or when the Supreme Magisterium declare something, essentially declare something that this is to be, this is divinely revealed,

this is to be believed, essentially, embraced. Us, the faithful, must adhere to it with the obedience of faith. And it goes on to say, that's not every one of the teachings of the bishops. That's not every one of the teachings of magisterium because there is help that's given, or divine assistance, also given to the apostles, the success. of the apostles and to the Holy Father, when they teach something, and it says this in paragraph 892, when without arriving at an infallible definition, and without pronouncing it in a definitive matter, right? So there's a lot of teachings of the church that have been made definitive, very, very clearly.

We say them in the creed. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He's one in being with the father. Like all those things, yes, that is, we must adhere to that with the obedience of faith. But there's other things that church teaches that the church arrives without an infallible, and without pronouncing in a definitive manner, but they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium, a teaching that leads to better understanding of revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching, the faithful are to adhere to it with religious assent, which is different than the ascent of faith, but is nonetheless an extension of it. And so what that all is saying is when we approach the teachings of the church, when we approach

the teachings of the Magisterium, we approach them with docility. That's basically another way to say it, is we approach with people who are eager to be taught. And that's maybe the big thing. You know, we're going through, I'm breaking down all these little details, and they're important details. But when it comes down to us, the big question is, how do I approach the teachings of the church? How do I approach the teachings of Jesus? How do I approach the teachings all throughout Scripture? do I do that with the mind to say, okay, prove it to me? Or do I do it with a mind that says, okay, teach me. I'm open to being taught.

I'm willing to learn. And I'm also willing to change. That's going to be incredibly important for us. If we're going to actually allow the church to teach us and allow the church to guide us and sanctify us, we have to have that docility, that openness to actually being taught. The last two offices of the bishop, the offices of the Holy Father and his brother bishops. The sanctifying office is often as the bishops offer the Eucharist and as often as their priests offer the Eucharist, the world is sanctified.

It's incredible and not sanctified by domineering, but sanctified by serving, truly. And the third office is the governing office. The bishops are called and given the authority to lead. They're given the authority to govern. And one important thing to note in paragraph 895, it says, the power which they exercise personally in the name of Christ, that being the bishops, is proper, ordinary, and immediate. Although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the supreme authority of the church, meaning by the Holy Father and by the college of bishops. But the bishops should not be thought

of as vickers of the pope. That's not what they are. The pope's ordinary and immediate authority over the whole church does not annul their authority, but on the contrary, confirms and defends the authority of the bishops. And that's going to be really important. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the whole church under the guidance of the Pope. So there's this sense of every bishop is bishop of his diocese.

And that his authority there is proper, ordinary, and immediate. At the same time, he must be in communion with his brother bishops and he must be in communion with the Holy Father. So there's this piece there. Lastly, of course, the church highlights the fact that with the governing office, the good shepherd, meaning our Lord Jesus, the good shepherd ought to be the model. He ought to be the form of the bishop pastoral office, that he knows his own weakness,

that he knows he knows he has his own limitations, that he's not a prince of his diocese, but he is the servant of his dioces, just like the Holy Father is the servant of the servants of God. And so we have this recognition that when we have a bishop like that, when you have a bishop like just like when you have a pastor like that, a priest in your parish like this, who is, yeah, he teaches well. He offers the mass and it sanctifies you and sanctifies the whole church when he leads well and governs well. Again, not as a master, but as a servant. Those kinds are easy to follow, right? In so many ways, it's easy to be docile and open to being taught. It's easy to go to mass and allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us through the ministry of the sacraments. And it's easy to follow them.

And so we hear the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch, who writing in the year 107, right around the year 107, says, let us all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ follows his father and the college of presbyters, the apostles, respect the deacons as you do God's law, and let no one do anything concerning the church in separation from the bishop. So here we are. Just hopefully, hopefully it's a long day. I know it's a long day, but hopefully we are united to our bishop. And if you suffer under a bishop who struggles, pray for him. And if you get to be led by a bishop who just thrives and is the image of Jesus,

pray for him too. Let's pray for each other. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name's Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.