When Catholics speak about 'the Church' we usually mean the Catholic Church as a worldwide, organised community.
As the Christian faith spread across the world, and as numbers of followers grew, Christian communities became more and more structured, organised and linked. They worked out dates and times and places, ways of achieving their goals, ways of relating to each other.
The larger their communities became, the more necessary it was that they develop a structure to preserve the message of Jesus and make their work for him more effective.
Our Church leaders hold the Church's structure together. They bring cohesion, collaboration and guidance to the Church's diversity of roles, functions, talents and activities. This requires people who can embody the mind and heart of Christ, who can act in the name of Christ and the Church, in a way that gives clear expression to the unity between Christ and his people.
The people who undertake this role are known as bishops and priests. We speak of them as having been 'ordained' by the Sacrament of 'Holy Orders'.
Jesus chose his disciple Peter to look after and strengthen Jesus' other followers. Peter became the first leader of the Church, ruling, guiding and caring for it.
Peter's successor is the Bishop of Rome - our Pope. Among all the bishops, the Pope holds a special place. He is responsible for the unity of the Church. The Pope calls himself 'the servant of the servants of God'.
Lay people also take significant responsibilities in Church leadership. If you visited a church for Sunday Mass, you would see lay people (women and men, adults and children) assisting with the ceremony, speaking to the congregation, reading bible passages, and leading prayers. Some rural or isolated Catholic communities celebrate liturgies without a priest at all.
In the Catholic community, lay people participate in a wide range of administration, leadership and community-based activities.
