15                     TRUE

The bishop possesses the ordinary Magisterium such that the faithful must receive his teaching as the faithful expression of the Church's thinking. Nevertheless, the official teaching authority, such as Christ disposed it, is not infallible when it is exercised in isolation. Consequently, the faithful cannot lend the same degree of submission to the bishop's magisterium as to the pope's; to both, nonetheless, he owes, in due measure, respect and obedience.

FALSE

The faithful are in union with the pope through the person of their bishop. One who completely follows the opinions of his ordinary can be certain of being in complete conformity with the thinking of the Holy See.

Explanation: No opportunity should be lost for teaching a true devotion towards the pope and, to a lesser degree, towards the diocesan bishop.

On this point it is necessary to avoid a certain tendency which, in the praiseworthy goal of tightening the bonds of charity between the sheep and the local pastor, presents the bishop in such a light as to confer a kind of infallibility, making him almost equal to the Holy Father who, according to this idea, would be no more than a simple censor of the bishops. The true doctrine regarding the relation between the pope and the bishops must be taught.

Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted in the Church one hierarchy of government composed of two harmonious degrees, the pope and, subordinate to him, the bishops (canon 108, §3). The notion of the unity of this hierarchy is indispensable to the faithful for enabling them to understand their relationship to it. By seeing the hierarchy as a whole which has at its summit the Sovereign Pontiff, source of all jurisdiction in the Church, and considering in the same perspective the bishops and the pope, the faithful will show all the respect, veneration and love due them.

In this perspective, it is fitting to recall that the fullness of power belongs to the Roman Pontiff, who has direct and immediate jurisdiction over the bishops and the faithful. The jurisdiction of the bishops, successors of the Apostles, is exercised in harmony with and subordinate to the pontifical jurisdiction.

Such is the natural structure of the Church. To desire to inculcate a devotion towards the pope that would be entirely different from and even opposed to devotion towards the bishop, and, vice versa, to try to inculcate a devotion towards the bishop that would be different from and even opposed to devotion towards the pope would be tantamount to implicitly denying the harmonious unity of the hierarchy. Let us love with an extreme charity and devotion both the pope and the bishop, each according to his rank and in the measure of the powers conferred on them by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The member of the faithful most devoted to his bishop–and all Catholics must be–will have no fear of showing himself very respectful towards the supreme authority of the Roman Pontiff to the extent that he has been given by the Founder of the Church.

16                     TRUE

By divine institution, the Church is an unequal society in which are distinguished those who teach and those who are taught: hierarchy and subjects. The members of organizations of Catholic Action belong entirely to the "hearing Church." They do not possess any part of the teaching function or any hierarchic power. Their acts are specifically those of the ordinary laity.

FALSE

When a layman enrolls in organizations of Catholic Action, it confers on him a participation in the apostolic mandate and functions of the hierarchy, which makes him capable of exercising a specifically priestly ministry.

Explanation: The mandate conferred by our Lord Jesus Christ on the Apostles and their successors has for its object everything pertaining to the salvation of souls. The members of the successive grades of the ruling powers of the Church, the hierarchy, participate, in the true and proper sense of the term, in this mandate, which involves the power to govern, to teach, and to sanctify.

The layman, as such, is not fitted to receive any part of hierarchic power. Thus, although he may share in the work of the hierarchy by collaborating with it, it is evident that he does not share in its powers. Even when a father teaches his children catechism or when an authorized catechist dispenses religious instruction, there is not, properly speaking, participation in the teaching power of the Church. The father and the catechist are collaborators of the hierarchy, but continue to belong entirely to the "hearing Church." All the documents of the Holy See on Catholic Action consider the question in this manner, which is natural, for it is the only one that conforms to the divine constitution of the Church.

Pius XI said this in his discourse to Catholic journalists on July 26, 1929:

...Catholic journalists are the precious mouthpieces of the Church, her hierarchy and her teaching, and consequently the noblest and highest mouthpieces of all that is said and done by holy Mother the Church. Yet, in fulfilling this function, the Catholic press does not belong to the "teaching Church"; it still belongs to the "hearing Church," and yet it is everywhere the messenger of the Church's teaching, of this Church charged with teaching the nations of the world.

Let us make one very important observation, whose importance can never be stressed enough. If, on the one hand, the pontifical documents underline and censure divers errors which have emerged in relation to Catholic Action, on the other hand, they manifest the very great desire to conserve and to extend this association. There is no contradiction between these two attitudes. If the Holy See corrects the dangerous exaggerations concerning Catholic Action, it is precisely because it wishes it to develop with rectitude and efficacy. This is the balance that those who consecrate themselves to this action must strive to maintain.

17                         TRUE

The clerical state in the Church is distinguished as specifically superior to the lay state. The religious state itself is superior to the lay state. Thus the priestly apostolate is superior to all the others, and the religious apostolate is superior to that of the laity.

FALSE

Catholic Action and the diocesan clergy are organizations instituted by the Church, and, as such, exercise an official ministry; the religious congregations and other associations are particular institutions approved by the Church and exercise an unofficial ministry.

Explanation: The refuted sentence places the apostolate of the laity of Catholic Action on an official level and the apostolate of the religious congregations on a simply unofficial, and thus inferior, level, which is contrary to the right order.

18                       TRUE

The participation in the hierarchy's apostolate by which the Holy Father Pius XI defined Catholic Action does not involve, for laymen, a special state in the Church distinct from that of other laymen. Thus, a member of Catholic Action receives no grace specifically different from that received by laymen inscribed in other active associations.

FALSE

Because he participates in the hierarchy's apostolate, the member of Catholic Action receives a grace of state which renders his work more effective than that which is done by members of other associations.

19                      TRUE

The Marian congregations and other associations which, like them, have their proper apostolic form and purpose, belong just as much to Catholic Action. The other associations are providential auxiliaries of Catholic Action, and must be encouraged because of the great services they are called to render to the Church.

FALSE

The fundamental organizations of Catholic Action are approved and encouraged by the Holy See. The other associations (Apostolate of Prayer, Children of Mary, Marian congregations, etc.] are just tolerated. In the mind of the Holy See, they must eventually disappear.

20                     TRUE

Since organizations of Catholic Action wholly belong in the ranks of the "hearing Church," its members must normally be received by the vicar or the priest who directs the association.

FALSE

The juridical status of Catholic Action is such that the ceremony of admission for its members can only be presided by the bishop or one of his delegates.

21                     TRUE

Since Catholic Action belongs to the "hearing Church," it is entirely subject to the bishop's authority, whose assistant is the clerical advisor to the organization. His authority is not only for vetoing anything contrary to faith and morals, but it is also for governing all social activity. In Catholic Action as in other associations, the clerical director will exercise these functions with charity and with the consideration due to the laymen, and he will take into consideration their valuable expertise

FALSE

The juridical status of Catholic Action is such that the clerical director does not exercise over it any authority, except in a negative sense, for he can veto deliberations of the association's directors when they contain something contrary to faith or morals. All the authority belongs to the laity, for whom the priest is just a spiritual director.

Pope St. Pius X Defines Catholic Action

...You clearly see, Venerable Brethren, the services rendered to the Church by those chosen bands of Catholics who aim to unite all their forces in combating anti-Christian civilization by every just and lawful means. They use every means in repairing the serious disorders caused by it. They seek to restore Jesus Christ to the family, the school and society by re-establishing the principle that human authority represents the authority of God. They take to heart the interests of the people, especially those of the working and agricultural classes, not only by inculcating in the hearts of everybody a true religious spirit (the only true fount of consolation among the troubles of this life) but also by endeavoring to dry their tears, to alleviate their sufferings, and to improve their economic condition by wise measures. They strive, in a word, to make public laws conformable to justice and amend or suppress those which are not so. Finally, they defend and support in a true Catholic spirit the rights of God in all things and the no less sacred rights of the Church.

All these works, sustained and promoted chiefly by lay Catholics and whose form varies according to the needs of each country, constitute what is generally known by a distinctive and surely a very noble name: "Catholic Action," or the "Action of Catholics." —Pope Saint Pius X in Il Fermo Proposito (1905)